Michael Haneke’s THE WHITE RIBBON Photos

Whether or not it gets a best picture Academy Award or BAFTA nomination, Michael Haneke’s Palme d’Or-winning The White Ribbon may end up as the best-reviewed film of 2009. At least in the United Kingdom.
“It is typical of Haneke, though, that he makes such strong suggestions so indirectly and purely through the sheer brilliant, precise power of his characterisations and superb conjuring up of an astonishing sense of time and place.” Dave Calhoun, Time Out
“The White Ribbon has an absolute confidence and mastery of its own cinematic language, and the performances Haneke elicits from his first-rate cast, particularly the children, are eerily perfect.” Peter Bradshaw, Guardian.co.uk
“White Ribbon“s made from material that haunts, grips and immerses." Totalfilm.com
“A visually stunning thinkpiece.” [...]

Martin Provost Interview II

Martin Provost Interview: Part I
What was it like working with Yolande Moreau? What was needed to make her really get into the skin of a historical character?
For a year we got to know one another. I believe I did my best to guide her toward her own best, to something she already had within herself. And toward Séraphine as well. It’s not easy to incarnate someone who was once alive. It’s necessary to have decency and respect. I believe we shared the same vision for Séraphine. Yolande had to learn to sing, to paint; it was all a learning experience, something that made her very happy. And from the first day of shooting, we were in full [...]

2009 Lola Winners

Inspired by real-life events, the World War II drama John Rabe won the 2009 German Film Academy’s Lola for best film. Directed by Florian Gallenberger, John Rabe tells the story of a German businessman (best actor winner Ulrich Tukur) credited with saving more than 200,000 Chinese during the Nanjing (then Nanking) massacre of 1937-38.
Additionally, John Rabe, which has been a box-office disappointment in Germany, won Lolas for best production design (Tu Ju Hua) and best costume design (Lisy Christl). I believe it’s safe to say that Gallenberger’s film will be Germany’s submission for the 2010 best foreign-language film Academy Award. And that it’ll land an Oscar nomination.

The best director Lola went to Andreas Dresen for the popular [...]

German Film Academy Awards – Lola 2009

German Film Academy Awards – Lola 2009
2009 German Film Academy Award nominations: March 13, 2009
2009 German Film Academy Award winners: Berlin, April 24, 2009
(”*” denotes the winner in each category)
 

John Rabe, starring Ulrich Tukur.

 
Best film
The Baader Meinhof Complex, director Uli Edel
Chiko, director Ozgur Yildirim
A Year Ago in Winter, director Caroline Link
Jerichow, director Christian Petzold
* John Rabe, director Florian Gallenberger
Cloud 9, director Andreas Dresen
Silver Lola: A Year Ago in Winter
Bronze Lola: Cloud 9
Best Documentary
Lenin kam nur bis Ludenscheid, director Andre Schafer
* NoBody’s Perfect, director Niko von Glasow
Best Children or youth film
Lilly the Witch, director Stefan Ruzowitzky
* Nothing [...]

Bavarian Film Awards 2009

2009 Bavarian Film Awards
2009 Bavarian Film Awards: Jan. 18, 2009
 

The 2009 Bavarian Film Award winners (it was a tie) for best productions were Uli Edel’s The Baader Meinhof Complex and Florian Gallenberger’s John Rabe. Starring Moritz Bleibtreu and Martina Gedeck (above, top photo), The Baader Meinhof Complex follows Red Army Faction terrorists Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof as they attempt to rid Germany of capitalism by assassinating and kidnapping political and business leaders from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. John Rabe (which cost about US$20 million) tells the story of a Nanking-based German industrialist who saved the lives of thousands of civilians following the Japanese invasion of China in the late 1930s. In the title role, Ulrich Tukur (above, [...]