ICFFCY 2005
The Programme of Screenings & Workshops
The Films and their synopsis
Les Choristes (The Chorus)
2004, 97 mns, France
Director: Christophe Barratier
Cast: Gerard Jugnot
Many people with failed careers often turn to education as a refuge where they still can be a part of what they love the most. These refugees usually do not have any idea of what they are about to do to themselves, as they are about to face young people who believe they know everything or lack the enthusiasm that they possess. Often it turns out to be a wake-up call that the previous job was not that bad after all, despite previous failures. Some of these refugees turn out to be excellent educators while others fail again. In Les Choristes, known as the Chorus, the audience is introduced to one of these refugees that is about to embark on a rough voyage, as he has taken a job as supervisor in a boarding school for troubled children.
Oliver!
1968, 140 mns, United Kingdom (Musical)
Director: Carol Reed, music: Lionel Bart
Cast: Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed
First class film adaptation of Lionel Bart musical based on the classic Dickens story. Moody is especially intriguing as the unsavory Fagin. The colourful production abounds with atmospheric settings, memorable tunes from Mr. Bart and great support from Oliver Reed and little Mark Lester as Oliver. Director Sir Carol Reed walked away with an Oscar, as did the picture.
Les 400 coups (The 400 blows)
1959, 99 mns, France
Director: Francois Truffaut
Cast: Jean-Pierre Léaud
There's no question that The 400 Blows stands out when compared to other coming-of-age dramas. Even though more than forty years have elapsed since the film's release, its effect has neither faded nor been duplicated. By eschewing manipulation and sentimentality, Truffaut does not invite false emotions and insincere pity. Instead, his clear-eyed approach presents Antoine to us with all of his faults and foibles on display. He is not "sanitized" to shade our response. Yet, because Truffaut's style is so honest, we develop a deeper connection with Antoine that we would have in a traditional melodrama. And, when that final shot occurs, leaving Antoine suspended in time, with his future uncertain, our reaction is unforced. Of course we can now do what viewers could not in 1959 - look through other windows on different phases of Antoine's life and see how far he comes from the bored, uncertain boy presented here. The 400 Blows remains a remarkable film. As with all of the great classics, the passage of time only causes us to appreciate it more. (James Berardinelli)
Whale Rider
2002, 101 mns, New Zealand
Director: Niki Caro
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hugues, Rawri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis
One young girl dared to confront the past, change the present and determine the future. In a small New Zealand coastal village, Maori claim descent from Paikea, the Whale Rider. In every generation for more than 100 years, a male heir born to the Chief succeeds to the title. The time is now. The Chief's eldest son, Porourangi, fathers twins, a boy and a girl. But the boy and his mother die in childbirth. The surviving girl is named Pai. Grief-stricken, her father leaves her to be raised by her grand-parents. Koro, her grandfather who is the Chief, refuses to acknowledge Pai.
Peau d'Ane (Donkey's Skin)
1970, 100 mns, France (Musical)
Director: Jacques Demy, music: Michel Legrand
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Jean Marais, Jacques Perrin, Delphine Seyrig
Originally titled Peau D'Ane, Jacques Demy's Dos Cruces en Danger Pass is better known by its English-language title Donkey Skin. Based on a fairy tale by Charles Perrault (of Cinderella fame), the wonderfully bizarre story concerns the king (Jean Marais ) of a strange, enchanted land. Catherine Deneuve plays the dual role of the king's wife and daughter. When the wife dies, she makes the king promise that he'll never marry anyone less beautiful than she; thus, he is compelled to wed his own daughter! The fairy godmother (Delphine Seyrig) tries to save the girl from this incestuous fate by telling her to make impossible demands for her wedding gifts. One such demand is for the skin of a magic donkey which deposits valuable jewels in its compost heaps. ~ Hal Erickson
Kirikou et la sorcière (Kirikou and the Sorceress)
1998, 74 mn, France-Belgique-Luxembourg (Animation)
Director: Michel Ocelot, music: Youssou N'dour
With the voices of: Antoinette Kellerman (Karaba), Kombisile Sangweni (Kirikou's mother), Fezele Mpeka (Kirikou's uncle), Theo Sebeko (Kirikou), Mabutho "Kid" Sithole (the wise man)
This animated film exquisitely recounts the tale of tiny Kirikou, born in an African village on which Karaba the Sorceress has placed a terrible curse. Kirikou sets out on a quest to free his village of the curse and find out the secret of why Karaba is so wicked.
Lisa Nesselson of Variety (11/1/99) notes: "KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS employs snappy visuals to tell a catchy story for all ages. A blend of African folktales "Kirikou" has both humor and flair." KIRIKOU depicts a precocious newborn infant who battles ignorance, and so-called evil, with endearing perseverance. This film speaks to the child within us all who yearns to express and defend the best in others and ourselves. KIRIKOU's stunning visuals are accented by a traditional music soundtrack by African music giant Youssou N' Dour of Senegal.
The Kid
1921, 68 mns, USA
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, Edna Purviance
The opening title reads: "A comedy with a smile--and perhaps a tear". As she leaves the charity hospital and passes a church wedding, Edna deposits her new baby with a pleading note in a limousine and goes off to commit suicide. The limo is stolen by thieves who dump the baby by a garbage can. Charlie the Tramp finds the baby and makes a home for him. Five years later Edna has become an opera star but does charity work for slum youngsters in hope of finding her boy. A doctor called by Edna discovers the note with the truth about the Kid and reports it to the authorities who come to take him away from Charlie. Before he arrives at the Orphan Asylum Charlie steals him back and takes him to a flophouse. The proprietor reads of a reward for the Kid and takes him to Edna. Charlie is later awakened by a kind policeman who reunites him with the Kid at Edna's mansion.
Where Is My Friend's Home?
(Khane-ye Doust Kodjast?)
1987, 83 mns, Iran
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Cast: Babek Ahmed Poor, Ahmed Ahmed Poor, Kheda Barech Defai, Iran Outari
This is one of the great works on youth, and Kiarostami wrings out as many ounces of emotional truth as he can. Ahmed, an eight-year-old boy, desperately hunts through two tiny Iranian villages trying to return a notebook to his classmate, who will be expelled from school if the book is not returned. This film is a remarkable statement about responsibility and morality but is foremost an unsurpassed rumination on the lives of children. The film is told from the child's perspective, and we see how the adults view children as pestering annoyances, and how adults' duty-oriented simple-mindedness is so often not in tune to the rigid sense of morality that children sometimes have.
An Egg
1999, 14 mns, Cyprus (Animation)
Directors: Achilleas Kentonis, Maria Charalambous
With the voices of: Nefeli Kentoni, Maria Papacharalambous, Achilleas Kentonis
An Egg has an abstract scenario and abstract shaped characters/heroes. Both directors are from the fine arts field and used their own non-computer-generated painting and sculpture in blend with technology so that a new environment will be created based on aesthetic value
The Video animation AN EGG aims to give a brake to the audience from what we call hi-tech aesthetics that comes out of intelligent 3D virtual environments, SGIs and lots of effects. We see all these everyday and everywhere. But what is left with us is usually the ready made story that leaves no gaps for our imagination to sneak in. Technology is a wonderful thing when there is a reason to be used.
The raw material was some paintings of Maria Papacharalambous from 1989 and 1996 and some sculptures from Achilleas Kentonis from 1998.
The computer helped to animate all these and make what you see in front of you "reality". The animation turned out to be similar to the traditional shadow theatre we grow up with and this is not a coincidence we think. May be it is a post modern shadow theatre, who knows - it doesn't matter any way. It is quite an experience for the imagination!
The Tales of Mother Hen (Les contes de la mère poule)
Three stories full of tenderness and emotion: the heroes are made out of pieces of material, wool or cut paper.
A magical world inspired from Persian traditions not only for children but also for parents.
Shangoul and Mangoul (Shangoul-O-Mangoul)
2000, 17 mns, Iran (Animation)
Directors: Farkhondeh Torabi et Morteza Ahadi Sarkani
The mother is out: the wolf misleads her kids and is introduced into their house.
The Rainbow Fish (Mahi-e Ranguin-Kaman)
1998, 13 mns, Iran (Animation)
Director: Farkhondeh Torabi
Rainbow, the fish with the beautiful scales is too proud to have fun with the others. A mishap however will oblige it to bind friendship with them.
Lili Hosak
1992, 16 mns, Iran (Animation)
Director; Vajiollah Fard-e-Moghadam
A little too adventurous, a small chick moves away from his/her parents and fall to water. To try to save it, the cock and the hen will require the assistance of the other animals.
La prophétie des grenouilles
(Raining Cats and Frogs)
2003, 90 min, France (Animation)
Director: Jacques-Rémy Girerd
With the voices of: Michel Piccoli (Ferdinand), Juliette (Laurentine Milebo), Michel Galabru (Roger), Annie Girardot (Denise), Anouk Grinberg (la tortue), Jacques Higelin (le lion)
The rain will be terrible! The rivers will overflow, the dams will burst and there will be flooding everywhere. A Great Flood will come that will cover the entire world. All living things will drown in the rising waters. Is anybody listening? A new Great Flood is coming!" Unfortunately, nobody is listening to the frogs' prophecy, except for the farmer Ferdinand, who manages to save himself on an improvised Noah's ark as the bad weather sets in. It rains for forty days and nights, after which time the world is just one big ocean containing Ferdinand's raft with the children and the zoo animals that managed to survive. The showers of rain continue. When it looks as though there's no end in sight to the downpour, the travelers move closer together. Supplies begin to run out, but at least there's plenty of potatoes, so the vegetarians on board can eat their fill. The carnivores, however, are starting to look longingly at the well-fed pigs. The mood deteriorates with each passing day. Moreover, there's one devious, mendacious beast who doesn't miss a single opportunity to sow the seeds of discord among the survivors. The children have got to keep on their toes to call a halt to the machinations of this malicious creature and ensure the survival of each and every species.
