MOLODIST’S BIG GUNS: THE “FESTIVAL OF THE FESTIVALS” PROGRAM

This year “Molodist” offers its audience the cream of the crop of the festival season. Winners and laureates of film festivals in Karlovy Vary, Locarno, Cannes, Rotterdam, Tribeca and Berlin are all presented in the “Festival of the Festivals” program. Get ready, we’re about to roll out the big guns.

As part of the “Festival of the Festivals” program will be presented János Szász’s “The Notebook”, winner of the Grand Prix of the Karlovy Vary IFF. It is an adaptation of a world bestseller by Agota Kristof. In a village on the Hungarian border, two young brothers grow up during war time with their cruel grandmother and must learn every trick of evil to survive in the absurd world of adults. The film also won the Europa Cinemas Label prize.

Locarno IFF awardee Albert Serra’s “The Story of My Death” is another festival’s jewel. Casanova hires a new valet to accompany him during his last days. He abandons the luxury and depravity of his Swiss chateau and spends his final days in poor and obscure realms somewhere in the Carpathians, where all his views on social life and rationality will be turned upside down by Dracula and his never-ending power.  

The program features two Cannes IFF laureates: “Heli” by Amat Escalante (Best Director award) and Jia Zhangke’s “A Touch of Sin” (Best Screenplay). “Heli” is a story of 12-year-old Estela who has just fallen crazy in love with a young police cadet who wants to run away with her and get married. Trying to achieve this dream, her family will have to live the violence that is devastating the region.

Jia Zhangke’s “A Touch of Sin” tells four stories. An angry miner who revolts against the corruption. A migrant worker discovers the infinite possibilities a firearm can offer. A pretty receptionist is pushed to the limit when a rich client assaults her. A young factory worker goes from job to job trying to improve his lot in life. Four people, four different provinces. A reflection on contemporary China: that of an economic giant slowly being eroded by violence.

Festival attendants will also have the opportunity to watch Mira Fornay’s “My Dog Killer”, that won the Tiger Award at Rotterdam IFF. Eighteen year old Marek lives near the Slovak-Moravian border with his dad and his hooligan pals, however Marek’s best friend is his dog. Everything shatters when he learns a mystery of his passed away mother Marika.

Călin Peter Netzer’s “Child’s Pose”, the winner of the Golden Bear of the Berlin IFF, is aboutCornelia, a well-to-do, well-connected Bucharest society lady. Her 34-year-old son gets involved in a deadly accident. Through her stifling love, she's kept the hard realities of life away from him, up to now… A contemporary look at the “crime and punishment” theme and moral poverty of bourgeois society.

“Molodist” will also feature the film by Felix Van Groeningen, “The Broken Circle Breakdown”, which received two Tribeca Film Festival Prizes (Best Screenplay for a Narrative Feature Film andBest Actress in a Narrative Feature Film for Veerle Bartens) and two awards at the Berlinale: Europa Cinemas Label and the “Panorama” Audience Award. Elise has her own tattoo shop, Didier plays the banjo in a bluegrass band. They fall in love at first sight, in spite of their differences. He talks, she listens. He's a romantic atheist, she's a religious realist. When their daughter becomes seriously ill, their love is put on trial.

“Festival of the Festivals” screenings will take place on October 20-27 in “Kyiv” and “Zhovten” cinemas.