Irina Palm

Colour, 35 mm
Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, France, 2007, 103 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

One of the strongest cinematic experiences of the year is the story of 50-something Maggie, who one day takes a job in a nightclub in London’s Soho. Desperate to get money for an operation for her seriously ill grandson, she takes a job, the mere mention of which would have made her blush with shame before then. Remarkable chanson singer and actress Marianne Faithfull is no less than magnificent in her role as counterpart in this romantic tragicomedy to Miki Manojlović, of Kusturica fame, a seemingly crooked nightclub owner who begins to rediscover what it is to feel deeply for someone thanks to the ageing woman’s disarming naturalness. The bizarre idyll of Maggie’s new-found existence comes to an end when her new, albeit temporary identity is uncovered not only by her gossiping neighbours, but worse yet by her son, Tom. The unobtrusive and original direction of Sam Garbarski leaves room for riveting acting performances, the impressiveness of which is highlighted by the wonderfully composed atmosphere with its melancholy musical score, which is a story in and of itself.

About the director

Sam Garbarski (b. 1948, Planegg, Bavaria, Germany) lives in Brussels. After heading an advertising agency for twenty years, he began in 1997 to make commercials himself. He directed over fifty of them, many of which won awards in Cannes, New York and London. He then directed the short films La dinde (1999), La vie, la mort et le foot (2000) and Joyeux Noël (2000). The film Irina Palm, which was screened in competition at this year’s Berlin IFF, is Gabarski’s second feature film, which was preceded by his successful debut The Rashevski Tango (2003).