Director Sebastián Silva is now known for Sundance award-winner “The Maid” and the recent Michael Cera film “Crystal Fairy,” but before establishing his lofty international reputation, he debuted with “Life Kills Me,” which the Global Lens series springs from the vault for a welcome reassessment. Life and death come wrapped in a mutual embrace, both absurd and poignant, in this smart comedy about an unlikely friendship between a grieving cinematographer and a morbidly obsessed drifter. At work on a seriously schlocky, low-budget horror film, Gaspar is still reeling from the untimely death of his beloved older brother when he meets Alvaro at yet another premature funeral. A mildly sociopathic young man with an unyielding curiosity for the dark side, Alvaro soon coaxes Gaspar out of his shell in unexpected ways. The savvy film site Twitch calls “Life Kills Me” the “film equivalent of a Smiths song: the chirpy, stylish exterior...
- 11/14/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"A visually playful biopic on Mexico's Ed Wood." -Variety
The accolades continue to roll in as Global Lens 2013 puts a spotlight on The Fantastic Wrld of Juan Orol, which recently played at the San Diego Latino Film Festival.
The story: Move over Ed Wood! Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this irresistible love letter to a self-made man of showbiz, whose career spanned nearly sixty films. In a glorious black-and-white flashback mingling movie-tainted memories of his Galician childhood, forced exile to Cuba and arrival in Mexico. The intrepid "Juanito" pursues failed careers as baseball player, boxer, bullfighter and gangster before landing in the movies-where failure kind of works for him. As Orol, Roberto Sosa exudes droll underdog charm, anchoring a fast-moving comedy and a homage to a golden age of cinema.
"A clever camp homage to Orol, this film playfully explores the filmmaker's cult legacy, including visuals that deftly evoke the vintage stock of bygone eras, and the budget aesthetic of its subject." -AFI Silver
Through Global Lens, fans are invited to bring this film to local theaters or community centers. Preview this and the rest of the Global Lens 2013 lineup now on Festival Scope and email bookings [at] globalfilm.org.
Other Global Lens 2013 films now available for booking:
About 111 Girls (Darbare 111 Dokhtar), dir. Nahid Ghobadi and Bijan Bijan Zamanpira, Iraq, 2012, 79 minutes
An Iranian state official, his driver and a young guide race across a troubled but magnificent landscape to stop 111 young Kurdish women from committing suicide in protest against conditions that have left them spinsters. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.
Beijing FlICKERS (You-zhong), dir. Zhang Yuan, China, 2012, 96 minutes
A young man left behind by Beijing's fabulous new wealth experiences moments of euphoria amid despair as he roams the city with other misfit dreamers in this darkly funny, gorgeously gritty portrait of disaffected youth. Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Busan.
Cairo 678, dir. Mohamed Diab, Egypt, 2010, 100 minutes
Three Cairene women from different backgrounds warily unite to combat the sexual harassment that has impacted each of their lives-and become a citywide plague-but their unconventional response provokes a dogged police hunt. Official Selection, 2011 New Directors/New Films; Official Selection, 2011 Seattle Iff; Muhr Arab Feature Best Actress and Best Actor, 2010 Dubai Iff.
The Fantastic World Of Juan Orol (El FANÁSTICO Mundo De Juan Orol) , dir. Sebastían del Amo, Mexico, 2012, 90 minutes
Move over Ed Wood! The story of Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this deft, irresistible love letter to life, the movies and a self-made man of showbiz. Best First Feature Film, 2012 Guadalajara Iff.
Life Kills Me (La Vida Me Mata), dir. Sebastían Silva, Chile, 2007, 92 minutes
Death come wrapped in a mutual embrace, absurd and poignant at once, in celebrated director Sebastián Silva's debut film about the unlikely friendship between a grieving, young cinematographer and a morbidly obsessed drifter. Best First Feature Film, 2008 International Latino Ff; Best Chilean Film of 2007, Chilean Art Critics Circle.
Modest Reception (Paziraie Sadeh), dir. Mani Haghighi, Iran, 2012, 100 minutes
Two sibling-sophisticates from Tehran travel the mountainous northern countryside, maniacally pushing bags of money on locals-a hilarious and alarming exercise that unfurls with unexpected force amid subtle themes of power and corruption. Netpac Prize, 2012 Berlin Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Chicago Iff.
The Parade (Parada), dir. Srdjan Dragojevic, Serbia, 2011, 115 minutes
In exchange for some wedding-planning expertise, a macho Serbian crime boss recruits a ragtag group of Balkan war-buddies to provide protection for a Pride march in this rollicking yet poignant comedy inspired by real events. Panorama Audience Award, 2012 Berlin Iff; Fipresci Serbia Award for Best Serbian Film 2011.
Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, dir. Suman Ghosh, India, 2012, 65 minutes
An 80-year-old Kolkata retiree is determined to get the streetlights turned off after sunrise, but finding someone to take him seriously proves a battle against an indifferent bureaucracy and a complacent status quo. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.
Southwest (Sudoeste) dir. Eduardo Nunes, Brazil, 2011, 128 minutes
A young woman gives birth on her deathbed to a child who, spirited away to a remote lakeside village, lives her lifetime in a single day, in this hauntingly dreamlike tale of incommensurable life. Special Jury Prize, Fipresci Best Latin American Film and Best Photography, 2011 Rio Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Iff Rotterdam.
Student, dir. Darezhan Omirbayev, Kazakhstan, 2012, 90 minutes
A solitary philosophy student commits a calculated violent crime against the backdrop of Kazakhstan's growing inequality, institutional corruption and a ruthless ethic of eat-or-be-eaten in this broodingly contemporary adaptation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Un Certain Regard, 2012 Cannes Ff; Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Venice If.
The Global Lens film series is an annual, curated program of narrative feature films from Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Films from the series are screened in more than fifty cities nationwide, are featured exclusively on Virgin America airlines, and include top festival picks and official submissions to the Oscars. All proceeds received from Global Lens are reinvested in the Global Film Initiative's Granting Program, and other philanthropic programs of the Initiative.
About The Global Film Initiative
The Global Film Initiative was founded in 2002 to create global understanding, empathy and connectivity through film. Since its establishment, the Initiative has supported hundreds of filmmakers with grants and networking opportunities, and has presented its signature film series, Global Lens, in the U.S. and select international locations via a diverse network of artistic, educational, cultural and diplomatic partners. For more information about the Global Lens film series and Global Film Initiative programs, readers are invited to http://globalfilm.org/programs.htm
Change the Way You See the World.
The Global Film Initiative is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All proceeds from the Global Lens film series support international filmmaker grants, educational programming and resources, touring film exhibitions and other philanthropic initiatives and programs sponsored by the Global Film Initiative.
The accolades continue to roll in as Global Lens 2013 puts a spotlight on The Fantastic Wrld of Juan Orol, which recently played at the San Diego Latino Film Festival.
The story: Move over Ed Wood! Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this irresistible love letter to a self-made man of showbiz, whose career spanned nearly sixty films. In a glorious black-and-white flashback mingling movie-tainted memories of his Galician childhood, forced exile to Cuba and arrival in Mexico. The intrepid "Juanito" pursues failed careers as baseball player, boxer, bullfighter and gangster before landing in the movies-where failure kind of works for him. As Orol, Roberto Sosa exudes droll underdog charm, anchoring a fast-moving comedy and a homage to a golden age of cinema.
"A clever camp homage to Orol, this film playfully explores the filmmaker's cult legacy, including visuals that deftly evoke the vintage stock of bygone eras, and the budget aesthetic of its subject." -AFI Silver
Through Global Lens, fans are invited to bring this film to local theaters or community centers. Preview this and the rest of the Global Lens 2013 lineup now on Festival Scope and email bookings [at] globalfilm.org.
Other Global Lens 2013 films now available for booking:
About 111 Girls (Darbare 111 Dokhtar), dir. Nahid Ghobadi and Bijan Bijan Zamanpira, Iraq, 2012, 79 minutes
An Iranian state official, his driver and a young guide race across a troubled but magnificent landscape to stop 111 young Kurdish women from committing suicide in protest against conditions that have left them spinsters. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.
Beijing FlICKERS (You-zhong), dir. Zhang Yuan, China, 2012, 96 minutes
A young man left behind by Beijing's fabulous new wealth experiences moments of euphoria amid despair as he roams the city with other misfit dreamers in this darkly funny, gorgeously gritty portrait of disaffected youth. Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Busan.
Cairo 678, dir. Mohamed Diab, Egypt, 2010, 100 minutes
Three Cairene women from different backgrounds warily unite to combat the sexual harassment that has impacted each of their lives-and become a citywide plague-but their unconventional response provokes a dogged police hunt. Official Selection, 2011 New Directors/New Films; Official Selection, 2011 Seattle Iff; Muhr Arab Feature Best Actress and Best Actor, 2010 Dubai Iff.
The Fantastic World Of Juan Orol (El FANÁSTICO Mundo De Juan Orol) , dir. Sebastían del Amo, Mexico, 2012, 90 minutes
Move over Ed Wood! The story of Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this deft, irresistible love letter to life, the movies and a self-made man of showbiz. Best First Feature Film, 2012 Guadalajara Iff.
Life Kills Me (La Vida Me Mata), dir. Sebastían Silva, Chile, 2007, 92 minutes
Death come wrapped in a mutual embrace, absurd and poignant at once, in celebrated director Sebastián Silva's debut film about the unlikely friendship between a grieving, young cinematographer and a morbidly obsessed drifter. Best First Feature Film, 2008 International Latino Ff; Best Chilean Film of 2007, Chilean Art Critics Circle.
Modest Reception (Paziraie Sadeh), dir. Mani Haghighi, Iran, 2012, 100 minutes
Two sibling-sophisticates from Tehran travel the mountainous northern countryside, maniacally pushing bags of money on locals-a hilarious and alarming exercise that unfurls with unexpected force amid subtle themes of power and corruption. Netpac Prize, 2012 Berlin Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Chicago Iff.
The Parade (Parada), dir. Srdjan Dragojevic, Serbia, 2011, 115 minutes
In exchange for some wedding-planning expertise, a macho Serbian crime boss recruits a ragtag group of Balkan war-buddies to provide protection for a Pride march in this rollicking yet poignant comedy inspired by real events. Panorama Audience Award, 2012 Berlin Iff; Fipresci Serbia Award for Best Serbian Film 2011.
Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, dir. Suman Ghosh, India, 2012, 65 minutes
An 80-year-old Kolkata retiree is determined to get the streetlights turned off after sunrise, but finding someone to take him seriously proves a battle against an indifferent bureaucracy and a complacent status quo. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.
Southwest (Sudoeste) dir. Eduardo Nunes, Brazil, 2011, 128 minutes
A young woman gives birth on her deathbed to a child who, spirited away to a remote lakeside village, lives her lifetime in a single day, in this hauntingly dreamlike tale of incommensurable life. Special Jury Prize, Fipresci Best Latin American Film and Best Photography, 2011 Rio Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Iff Rotterdam.
Student, dir. Darezhan Omirbayev, Kazakhstan, 2012, 90 minutes
A solitary philosophy student commits a calculated violent crime against the backdrop of Kazakhstan's growing inequality, institutional corruption and a ruthless ethic of eat-or-be-eaten in this broodingly contemporary adaptation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Un Certain Regard, 2012 Cannes Ff; Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Venice If.
The Global Lens film series is an annual, curated program of narrative feature films from Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Films from the series are screened in more than fifty cities nationwide, are featured exclusively on Virgin America airlines, and include top festival picks and official submissions to the Oscars. All proceeds received from Global Lens are reinvested in the Global Film Initiative's Granting Program, and other philanthropic programs of the Initiative.
About The Global Film Initiative
The Global Film Initiative was founded in 2002 to create global understanding, empathy and connectivity through film. Since its establishment, the Initiative has supported hundreds of filmmakers with grants and networking opportunities, and has presented its signature film series, Global Lens, in the U.S. and select international locations via a diverse network of artistic, educational, cultural and diplomatic partners. For more information about the Global Lens film series and Global Film Initiative programs, readers are invited to http://globalfilm.org/programs.htm
Change the Way You See the World.
The Global Film Initiative is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All proceeds from the Global Lens film series support international filmmaker grants, educational programming and resources, touring film exhibitions and other philanthropic initiatives and programs sponsored by the Global Film Initiative.
- 3/22/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Suman Ghosh’s Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, which was picked up by Global Film Initiative (Gfi) at Busan Film Festival recently, will be part of Global Lens 2013 film series. A total of ten award winning films have been chosen in the line up for the tenth edition of the film series.
The Global Lens will run from 10th to 24th January, 2013 and will be followed by a year long tour to more than fifty cities in the United States and Canada.
Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, produced by Arindam Ghosh, is the story of an eighty year old pensioner who wants the street lights switched off during the day to save waste. The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and was screened at the Mumbai Film Festival 2012.
The Global Lens film series was launched in 2003 to support the distribution of unique and critically acclaimed cinematic works from around the world,...
The Global Lens will run from 10th to 24th January, 2013 and will be followed by a year long tour to more than fifty cities in the United States and Canada.
Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, produced by Arindam Ghosh, is the story of an eighty year old pensioner who wants the street lights switched off during the day to save waste. The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and was screened at the Mumbai Film Festival 2012.
The Global Lens film series was launched in 2003 to support the distribution of unique and critically acclaimed cinematic works from around the world,...
- 11/16/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Can it be? A year of Golden Globe nominations without any flagrantly bizarre selections? Sure, there are some I disagree with - no way Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs deserves a nomination - but on the whole this list actually makes a fair bit of sense. Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker - fresh off awards from the New York and La critics - is up for the bigs and while I'm disappointed Jeremy Renner didn't get nominated for his performance in the film I can't really argue with the ones who did.
The happy surprise of the list? Sebastian Silva's La Nana getting a nod for best foreign language. My response is two fold: First, congratulations Seb, you totally deserve the recognition! Second, all of you sales agents who wouldn't even look at Silva's La Vida Me Mata when I brought it to you because it was in black and white ... well,...
The happy surprise of the list? Sebastian Silva's La Nana getting a nod for best foreign language. My response is two fold: First, congratulations Seb, you totally deserve the recognition! Second, all of you sales agents who wouldn't even look at Silva's La Vida Me Mata when I brought it to you because it was in black and white ... well,...
- 12/15/2009
- Screen Anarchy
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