Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

July 4 - 12, 2008

Las Meninas
Las Meninas

Colour, HD CAM
Ukraine, 2008, 99 min
Section: Another View
http://www.mf-films.com

Film screenings:
5E4 - 8.7., 19:00, Espace Dorleans Cinema
8C4 - 11.7., 12:30, Čas Cinema

Director: Ihor Podolchak, Dean Karr
Screenplay: Ihor Podolčak / Ihor Podolchak
Dir. of Photography: Serhij Mychalčuk / Serhiy Mykhalchuk
Music: Oleksandr Ščetynskyj / Oleksandr Schetynsky
Designer: Svitlana Makarenko
Editor: Ihor Podolčak / Ihor Podolchak
Producer: Ihor Podolčak / Ihor Podolchak, Lilija Mlynaryč / Liliya Mlynarych
Production: MF Films
Contact: MF Films

Cast

Mykola Vereseň / Mykola Veresen, Ljubov Tymoševska / Lyubov Tymoshevska, Hanna Jarovenko / Hanna Yarovenko, Dmytro Černjavskyj / Dmytro Chernyavsky, Ilona Arsentjeva / Ilona Arsentyeva, Stas Arsentjev / Stas Arsentyev, Viktorija Uljančenko / Viktoriya Ulyanchenko, Valerija Uljančenko / Valeriya Ulyanchenko

Synopsis

Ihor Podolchak characterises his film (which he wrote, directed, edited and produced) as a work which proves that even a record of everyday routine can capture the nature of intellect and the human psyche. This can be achieved in the reflection of the significance of ordinary things and also sounds, which in this case form an important part of the music score (second director Dean Karr). The film traces the life of a family of four living in the suburbs in an ancient Galician villa. The interiors mirror fragments of some kind of art installation rather than a real home and, at the same time, evoke a vague, distant memory... The character who, with a sense of cruel urgency, agitates the virtually immobile storyline is the 30-year-old son of aging parents and brother of an adult sister. Suffering from asthma and eczema since childhood, he terrorises his infinitely tolerant family and drives them into a hermetic world of endless rituals – for them a refuge from his whims and recurring fits… The film resembles the scattered pieces of a beautiful puzzle which the viewer can assemble to form his own final picture.

About the director

Ihor Podolchak (b. 1962, Lviv) graduated from the Lviv Academy of Fine Arts (1984). As a creator of numerous visual art projects he has been involved in 25 international exhibitions held in Canada, the USA, South Korea, Latvia, Poland, Norway, Spain and Ukraine. His book Jacob Bohme was awarded the title Best Book at the Frankfurt Book Fair. One of his exhibitions in 1993 was held on the Mir space station. Podolchak’s works are exhibited in 26 galleries and museums worldwide. His film debut Las Meninas (2008) had its world premiere at the Rotterdam IFF.

Dean Karr (b. Seattle) studied art at Washington State University. Originally a photographer, he later made a name for himself making television commercials and music videos, which earned him several nominations for MTV awards. He has made music videos for Marilyn Manson, Ozzy Osbourne and Cypress Hill, among others.