Palm Springs 2009: Modern Masters
Maria Heiskanen in Everlasting Moments
PRESS RELEASE
MODERN MASTERS
Ten films have been selected as part of Modern Masters program highlighting the latest work of established directors at the forefront of contemporary international cinema.
- Adam Resurrected (USA/Israel/Germany) – Paul Schrader’s brilliant new work tells the story of Adam Stein, who grapples with a paralytic case of survivor’s guilt in the aftermath of the Holocaust. An extraordinary performance by Jeff Goldblum captures the essence of the complex central character, a man who survived while those around him perished. The film also stars Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Ayelet Zurer and Moritz Bleibtreu.
- Cherry Blossoms (Germany) – This profoundly moving story of marital love, directed by Doris Dörrie, won the Most Popular Film Award at the Seattle Film Festival. Trudi discovers that Rudi is suffering from a terminal disease, but decides to keep it from him. Instead she plans to take a long-planned trip together to Japan to visit their son.
- Everlasting Moments (Sweden/Denmark) – Veteran Swedish director Jan Troell (best known for The Emigrants, his classic from 1971) returns with this elegant, perfectly realized period family drama starring the luminous Maria Heiskanen as Maria Larsson, a pioneer of Swedish photography — and the mother of seven — at the turn of the 20th century. Troell at his exemplary best.
- Four Nights with Anna (Poland/France) – This beautifully-acted, gracefully told oddball story marks the welcome return of cinematic master Jerzy Skolimowski, after a self-imposed sabbatical. His exquisite new film centers on sad sack Leon (Artur Steranko), who becomes romantically obsessed with nurse Anna (Kinga Preis) whose brutal rape he witnessed — or may have committed.
- The Hurt Locker (USA) – The Hurt Locker is a masterwork thriller that plunges us into the world of highly trained men who defuse bombs for the Army. Based on real experiences, director Kathryn Bigelow keeps the tension amped up from the first scene to create a suspense film that rightly joins the pantheon of great American war films. This U.S. premiere stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes.
- Kabei (Japan) – Set in 1940 Tokyo, veteran Yoji Yamada’s 80th feature is a deeply affecting drama centering on mother and wife Kayo (Sayuri Yoshinaga), who struggles to get along with her two daughters after her professor husband is jailed for his progressive views. A film that mixes poignancy and humor in equal measure.
- Modern Life (France) – The third in a series of films centering on the lives of French paysans. Director Raymond Depardon’s remarkable documentary follows several families who live off the land in rural Haut-Garonne. Told from the farmer’s point of view, Modern Life is a deeply personal look at the complexities of "the simple life."span>
- Mommy is at the Hairdresser’s (Canada) – School’s out for the summer of 1966, but for Élise, the abrupt departure of her long-suffering mother means she’ll have to care for her father and two brothers. Director L&ea Pool uses the perfect blend of sweet aesthetics and sorrowful subject matter to tell this poignant coming-of-age story.
- Of Time and the City (UK) – A cinematic ode to Liverpool, England, the film tracks director Terence Davies’ love/hate relationship with his birthplace over the course of his life. Showing the elusive glamour and the ever-present drudgery of daily life, Davies lays bare his inner longing and occasional loathing for the city that formed him.
- White Night Wedding (Iceland) – An irreverent uprooting and updating of Anton Chekhov’s play Ivanov, directed by Baltasar Kormákur. A middle-aged professor about to get married for the second time to a woman half his age — despite the opposition of his future parents-in-law — starts to get cold feet.
Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married
FESTIVAL AWARDS
The John Schlesinger Award for Outstanding First Feature or Documentary acknowledges the work of a first-time filmmaker whose film is presented in any program at the Festival. Audience Awards will also be presented for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature. Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema without Borders will be presented to an international film that extols the universality of the human experience, bridging the borders between nations and promoting international understanding.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMS
World Cinema Now will feature 93 films in a wide-ranging overview of contemporary international cinema. True Stories highlights 39 of the best new films in contemporary non-fiction cinema. Archival Treasures will feature the three films Midnight Cowboy (USA), Love One Another (Germany) and The Jester (Poland).
AWARDS GALA
The Festival’s annual Awards Gala, on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, presented by Cartier and hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Mary Hart, will honor Clint Eastwood with the Career Achievement Award, Ron Howard with the Director’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Revolutionary Road with the Ensemble Performance Award, Anne Hathaway with the Desert Palm Achievement Award for Acting, Amy Adams with the Spotlight Award and Dakota Fanning with the Rising Star Award.
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Tags: Adam Resurrected, Anne Hathaway, Cherry Blossoms, Everlasting Moments, Film Festivals, Maria Heiskanen, Palm Springs Film Festival, Rachel Getting Married
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