Films from the KVIFF competition on Cinando

Director: Igor Voloshin

Russia, 2011, 90 min

A Ukrainian woman named Rita heads for Petersburg to become a well-paid surrogate mother for a gay couple because she needs a large sum of money to pay for her daughter’s leukemia treatments. Igor Voloshin, a highly original Russian filmmaker, once again turns in a surprising effort, this time through a combination of melodrama and a realistic look at modern-day Russia.

Director: Martin Donovan

Canada, USA, 2010, 86 min

Dramatist Robert has things to think about – his plays bear the brunt of heavy criticism and he vacillates in his relations to two women. And then an unexpected event happens which forces him to see things completely differently. In his directorial debut, actor Martin Donovan is joined by fellow thespians David Morse, Olivia Williams, and Melissa Auf der Maur.

Director: Christian Schwochow

Germany, 2011, 113 min

The heroine of this psychological drama set in the world of the theater is an introverted, novice actress named Fine, whom, to everyone’s surprise, a renowned director casts in the main role of a student production of Camille. Fine’s new identity, which could not be further from her true self, is at once seductive and dangerous.

Director: Montxo Armendáriz

Spain, 2011, 90 min

One day, six-year-old Silvia’s carefree childhood comes to an end when she is left at the mercy of her loving father.... Veteran Spanish filmmaker Montxo Armendáriz, whose film Secrets of the Heart was nominated for an Academy Award, returns after a six-year hiatus with a movie on the nausea-inducing topic of child abuse.

Director: Martin Šulík

Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2011, 107 min

This tale of 14-year-old Adam who, after the death of his father, tries to find his way in life, bears the typical traits of the stories of dozens of adolescent Roma who grew up in the poor settlements of Eastern Slovakia. Adam’s responsibility as new head of the family, which he is prepared to assume at the cost of personal sacrifice, is taken away by a person for whom Adam has no respect. When everything he believed in collapses around him and he is left alone to struggle with evil, he simply cannot find a way out.

Director: Andrzej Barański

Poland, 2011, 124 min

Since he was young, Zbyszek’s father has been telling him that he can escape from the crippling conditions in the village and strive to attain some kind of harmony. But Zbyszek fails: he’s expelled from law school in the city, and there is no money to be had.... Director Andrzej Barański has brought to the screen one of the most original characters Polish film has created in recent years.

Director: Pascal Rabaté

France, 2011, 77 min

In this original comedy describing how ordinary people spend their weekend, the stories of a wide range of characters intertwine although not all of them know each other. The incidents are connected by an absence of dialogue: the characters communicate through gestures, without any words. Filmmaker Pascal Rabaté is known in France for his comics, and, as with his second movie, he based his popular, critically-acclaimed first feature, Les petits ruisseaux (2010), on one of his comic books.

Director: Andrea Molaioli

Italy, France, 2010, 110 min

The second film by Andrea Molaioli (The Girl by the Lake) is a dramatic reconstruction of a financial scandal involving a major food processing company (inspired by the actual case of the dairy giant Parmalat) run by prominent entrepreneur Rastelli and his trusted accountant Botta (the outstanding Remo Girone and Toni Servillo).

Director: Ziska Riemann

Germany, 2011, 96 min

Ari is a Lolita-like blonde, Oona is a taciturn wraith in black. Nevertheless, they share the same problems, living in families that refuse to face reality. And it is just such hypocrisy that drives the girls to seek freedom. Their friendship, however unlikely, is their source of salvation until one of them betrays the other....

Director: Joseph Madmony

Israel, 2010, 105 min

After the death of his business partner, Mr Fidelman’s antique furniture restoration shop finds itself in difficulties; the same could be said about his relationship with his son. The film is a carefully played psychological study about characters in contemporary Israeli society. Is it better to persist with one’s plans, come what may, or might it help to try to understand others?

Director: Ivan Grbovic

Canada, 2011, 89 min

The intimate portrait of a young man struggling to find his footing in life while coping with a physical disability and trying to live up to his father’s expectations. A trail of lies slowly catches up with him as he tries to become Romeo Eleven. This visually compelling and sensitive debut by Ivan Grbovic tells of a young man’s desire to overcome social bias and his own prejudices.

Director: Birgitte Stærmose

Denmark, Croatia, 2011, 88 min

Director Birgitte Stærmose’s multi-layered drama takes place over the course of three days in a Copenhagen hotel and revolves around a mysterious gunshot. The director succeeds in skillfully articulating the movie’s visual style in concord with the individual stories of the protagonists, who feel constricted not only by their own lives but also within the closed walls of the hotel.