Debs Paterson fairly burst onto the film scene in 2010 with her acclaimed feature debut Africa United. Since then she has been beavering away writing and developing multiple projects for TV and film. She took some time out of her hectic schedule to impart some words of wisdom. Continue reading
Stations of the Cross
Maria (Lea Van Acken) is a schoolgirl whose family is a part of a very strict catholic church. In a misguided attempt to help her younger brother she decides to make a sacrifice to God. Continue reading
“If you are good it doesn’t matter whether you wear trousers or a skirt”
Anna Kazejak’s 3rd feature The Word had its UK premier at Raindance 2014; here the Polish filmmaker shares her experiences of working at home and in Denmark. Continue reading
Romance
I haven’t read 50 Shades (“housewives favourite” acclaim put me right off) or watched Nymphomaniac (promotional “money shots” of its stars made me retch) nor do I watch actual porn. It was with some trepidation therefore that I approached Romance; a film from 1999 that apparently was a giant shocker to the censors due to its alleged blurring of the lines between traditional film and porn. Continue reading
Dietrich Bruggemann director of Stations of the Cross
I spoke to Dietrich Bruggemann who directed one of this year’s more controversial and artistic offerings, Stations of the Cross.
Apart from 3 scenes the camera is static – why did you choose this way to shoot and what problems did it create for you? How much preparation was involved?
Back in 2005, I had shot my first feature in that same fashion. That was a comedy, and I was fascinated how well that extreme reduction worked, both for the drama and for the fun. Continue reading
“Once you find a good collaboration it’s best to never let it go”
Esra Saydam and Nisan Dag co-wrote and co-directed Across the Sea. They met and trained in the US but they returned to their home country of Turkey to make this, their first feature. They talk about the hurdles they had to overcome and how they got started. Continue reading
They are all Dead (Todos están muertos)
This is the first feature film from Beatriz Sanchis; based in Madrid she managed to attract some big names from the Latin acting world as far afield as Argentina and Mexico. This is a tale told from the point of view of Pancho (Christian Bernal) a teenager who lives with his ex-pop star Lupe (Elena Anaya) and her mother Paquita (Macarena Garcia). Continue reading
The Shining: FrightFest 2014
I first saw The Shining when I was far too young, probably about 10 years old. I remember being terrified, and rightly so, the father running around wanting to cut up his son tapping into that ultimate childhood fear of the bad parent. As the years passed I have seen the film – both cuts – probably a dozen times and am always left thrilled and impressed but never quite as scared as I was that first time around. Continue reading
“A big producer once said to me I would never be a director because I’m too nice”
Gail Harvey has been working as a director in Canada for 26 years; both in TV and film. She brought her latest low budget feature Looking is the Original Sin to the Raindance Film Festival ahead of its upcoming release. She took a break from promotion to share some of her insider knowledge. Continue reading
The Word
Lila (Eliza Rycembel) is a schoolgirl in love; but her boyfriend Janek (Mateusz Wieclawek) has betrayed her with another girl. Seeking revenge Lila puts in motion a chain of events that cannot be stopped leading to terrifying consequences. Continue reading
siren lane 