Dislcaimer: The following movie descriptions were copied from the official website
The 72nd Venice International Film Festival was about two weeks ago. The film festival was from September 2 to September 12, 2015. The official 2015 movie lineup:
Venezia 72 (International competition of feature films that are presented as world premieres)
Abluka (Frenzy) by Emin Alper (Turkey, France, Qatar)
Istanbul is in the grip of political violence. Hamza, a high – ranking police officer offers Kadir a conditional release from prison. To be released he has to accept to work in the new intelligence unit of garbage collectors. Kadir accepts, and starts collecting trash from the shanty towns, checking to see whether it contains material related to bomb-making. Kadir finds his younger brother Ahmet in one of those neighborhoods. Ahmet works at the municipality as part of a team responsible for destroying stray dogs. Ahmet’s unwillingness to bond with Kadir as brothers, in spite of Kadir’s insistance, leads Kadir to plot conspiracy theories to explain Ahmet’s distance.
Heart of a Dog by Laurie Anderson (USA)
Heart of a Dog is a personal essay film that explores themes of love, death and language. The director’s voice is a constant presence as stories of her dog Lolabelle, her mother, childhood fantasies, political and philosophical theories unfurl in a seamless song like stream. The visual language spans animation, eight millimeter films from the artist’s childhood, layered imagery and high speed text animation. The director’s signature music runs throughout the film with solo violin, quartets, songs, and ambient electronics. The center of Heart of a Dog is a visual and poetic meditation on the bardo, the forty nine day period after death in which identity is shredded and the consciousness prepares to enter another life form. A Story About A Story envisions her ordeal in the hospital when she broke her back as a child and how the story became her way to understand the relationship of real events, authority, and faulty memory on the creation of stories. Theories on sleep, imagination and disorientation are framed as questions about time and identity. Is it a pilgrimage? Which way do we go?
Sangue Del Mio Sangue by Marco Bellochio (Italy, France, Switzerland)
A mother pushes her son, Federico, a young man of arms, to visit the convent-prison in Bobbio, where Sister Benedetta is facing charges of witchery for seducing Fabrizio, Federico’s twin brother, and making him betray his priestly mission. The mother pressures Fedrico to rehabilitate his brother legacy but he, too, falls under Benedetta’s spell, thus sentencing her to a life sentence walled up in prison. Thirty years later, Federico, now Cardinal, will meet again Benedetta, still living behind those walls… Nowadays. Federico Mai, supposedly a Minister inspector, knocks at the doors of that very same convent, later transformed into prison and apparently abandoned, accompanied by a Russian millionaire, Rikalkov, interested in buying the property. In reality though, the place is still inhabited by a mysterious “Count” that illegally occupies some of the old prison cells and who wanders the city streets, alone, at night… The two foreigners alarm the whole Bobbio community which, guided by the Count, still lives by subterfuges and frauds, stonewalling the inescapable modernity with any means necessary. But is the new really better than the old?
Looking for Grace by Sue Brooks (Australia)
Grace, 16, runs away from home. Her parents, Dan and Denise, head off on the road to across the Western Australian wheat belt with a retired detective, Norris, to try and get her back. But life unravels faster than they can put it back together. Grace, Dan and Denise learn that life is confusing and arbitrary, but wonderful. Looking For Grace is about how we make sense of the mess of our lives and what it all means. It is a wry drama about lies, secrets, small and large griefs and love.
Equals by Drake Doremus (USA)
In a futuristic, utopian society known as the Collective—where its inhabitants have been bred to be peaceful and emotionless—a man and a woman discover that they have feelings for one another. Together, they attempt to understand this connection.
Remember by Atom Egoyan (Canada, Germany)
Remember is the contemporary story of Zev, who discovers that the Nazi guard who murdered his family some 70 years ago is living in America under an assumed identity. Despite the obvious challenges, Zev sets out on a mission to deliver long-delayed justice with his own trembling hand. What follows is a remarkable cross-continent road-trip with surprising consequences.
Beasts of No Nation by Cary Fukunaga (USA)
Beasts of No Nation is based on the highly acclaimed novel by Nigerian author Uzodinma Iweala, bringing to life the gripping tale of Agu, a child soldier torn from his family to fight in the civil war of an African country.
Per Amor Vostro by Giuseppe M. Gaudino (Italy, France)
Anna was a confident and brave child. She is now an “indolent” woman who stopped seeing what was really happening in her family twenty years ago, preferring not to take sides, suspended between Good and Evil. For the love of her three sons and her family, she has allowed her life to be slowly extinguished. Until, finally, she convinced herself to be “worthless.” Her existence is so gray that she no longer sees colors, although at work—she is a prompter at a tv studio— she is well-liked and popular. Anna has the innate gift in helping others, but she does not use them on herself. She can never find the words or the opportunity to help herself. Eventually, after years of insecurity, when she is finally able to get a stable job, she begins to free herself from this condition. Even from her husband, whom she finally decides to leave. From that day on she tackles the many fears that had lain dormant over the years, such as gazing out from the balcony overlooking the seafront in her city, Naples. Because she knows that the sea is her oracle. The sea, the only thing that has not yet been contaminated by her gray gaze.
Marguerite by Xavier Giannoli (France, Czech Republic)
1921, the beginning of the Roaring Twenties. Not far from Paris. It is party day at Marguerite Dumont’s castle. Like every year, an array of music lovers gather around a great cause at the owner’s place. Nobody knows much about this woman except that she is rich and that her whole life is devoted to her passion: music. Marguerite sings. She sings wholeheartedly, but she sings terribly out of tune. In ways quite similar to the Castafiore, Marguerite has been living her passion in her own bubble, and the hypocrite audience, always coming in for a good laugh, acts as if she was the diva she believes she is. When a young, provocative journalist decides to write a rave article on her latest performance, Marguerite starts to believe even further in her talent. This gives her the courage she needs to follow her dream. Despite her husband’s reluctance, and with the help of a has-been divo, both funny and mean, she decides to train for her first recital in front of a crowd of complete strangers.
Rabin, the Last Day by Amos Gitai (Israel, France)
On the evening of Saturday, November 4, 1995, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is shot down at the end of a huge political rally in the center of Tel-Aviv. His killer apprehended at the scene turns out to be a 25-year-old Jewish observant. Investigation into this brutal murder reveals a dark and frightening world that made this tragic deed possible. A subculture of hate fueled by hysterical rhetoric, paranoia and political intrigue. The extremist rabbis who condemned Rabin by invoking an obscure Talmudic ruling. The prominent right wing politicians who joined in a campaign of incitement against Rabin. The militant Israeli settlers for whom peace meant betrayal. And the security agents who saw what was coming and failed to prevent it. This tribute to Nobel Peace Prize winner Yitzhak Rabin on the 20th anniversary of his death sheds light on an ever-growing crisis of hate in Israeli society today. Amos Gitai masterfully combines staged re-enactments with actual news footage of the shooting and its aftermath to create a thought-provoking political thriller.
A Bigger Splash by Luca Guadagnino (Italy, France)
Rock legend Marianne Lane is recuperating on the volcanic island of Pantelleria with her partner Paul when iconoclast record producer and old flame Harry unexpectedly arrives with his daughter Penelope and interrupts their holiday, bringing with him an A-bomb blast of delirious nostalgia from which there can be no rescue.
A Bigger Splash is a sensuous portrait of laughter, desire, and rock and roll detonating into violence under the Mediterranean sun.
The Endless River by Oliver Hermanus (South Africa, France)
A young waitress welcomes her husband home to the small South African town of Riviersonderend (Endless River) after his four-year jail sentence. At first it appears their plans for a new life together are finally being realized. But when the family of a foreigner living on a nearby farm is brutally murdered, the young woman and the grieving widower begin gravitating towards each other. Trapped in a cycle of violence and bloodshed, the two form an unlikely bond seeking to transcend their mutual anger, pain and loneliness.
The Danish Girl by Tom Hooper (UK, USA)
The Danish Girl is the remarkable love story inspired by the lives of artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegene. Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.
Anomalisa by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson (USA)
Michael Stone, an author of books on the subject of customer service, struggle with his inability to connect to people. One night, while on a routine business trip, he meets a stranger who changes his world view.
Beixi Moshuo (Behemoth) by Zhao Liang (China, France)
Under the sun, the heavenly beauty of grasslands will soon be covered by the raging dust of mines. Facing the ashes and noises caused by heavy mining , the herdsmen have no choice but to leave as the meadow areas dwindle. In the moonlight, iron mines are brightly lit throughout the night. Workers who operate the drilling machines must stay awake. The fight is tortuous, against the machine and against themselves. Meanwhile, coal miners are busy filling trucks with coals. Wearing a coal-dust mask, they become ghostlike creatures. An endless line of trucks will transport all the coals and iron ores to the iron works. There traps another crowd of souls, being baked in hell. In the hospital, time hangs heavy on miners’ hands. After decades of breathing coal dust, death is just around the corner. They are living the reality of purgatory, but there will be no paradise.
L’attesa by Piero Messina (Italy, France)
In the vast rooms of an ancient villa marked by the passing of time, Anna, following an unexpected bereavement, spends her days in solitude. The rugged and beautiful Sicilian countryside surrounds the house, isolating it whilst the fog, which slowly rises up the slopes of Etna, obstructs the view into the distance. Only the footsteps of Pietro, the handyman, break the silence. Unexpectedly, Jeanne arrives, a young woman who says she is the girlfriend of Anna’s son, Giuseppe. He has invited her spend a few days’ holiday together. Anna is unaware of Jeanne’s existence. And Giuseppe is not there. But all of his things are in his room. Soon he will be back, says Anna, unable to reveal the unspeakable truth. As the days go by, the two women slowly get to know each other and together they begin waiting for Easter Day, when Giuseppe will finally come home and there will be a great traditional procession in the village.
11 Minut (11 Minutes) by Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland, Ireland)
A jealous husband out of control, his sexy actress wife, a sleazy Hollywood director, a reckless drug messenger, a disoriented young woman, an ex-con hot dog vendor, a troubled student on a mysterious mission, a high-rise window cleaner on an illicit break, an elderly sketch artist, a hectic paramedics team and a group of hungry nuns. A cross-section of contemporary urbanites whose lives and loves intertwine. They live in an unsure world where anything could happen at any time. An unexpected chain of events can seal many fates in a mere 11 minutes.
Francofonia by Aleksandr Sokurov (France, Germany, Netherlands)
Another century has passed on the Old Continent… Large armies are trampling on the heart of civilisation and cannon fire is once again taking its toll. Amidst the massacre and the ruins, everything majestic, magnificent, and sacred, that took millions of minutes and hours of determined labour to build, is wiped out. Jacques Jaujard and Count Franziskus Wolff Metternich worked together to protect and preserve the treasure of the Louvre Museum. Alexander Sokurov tells their story. He explores the relationship between art and power, and asks what art tells us about ourselves, at the very heart of one of the most devastating conflicts the world has ever known.
El Clan by Pablo Trapero (Argentina, Spain)
Argentina in the early eighties. Within a typical family home in the traditional neighborhood of San Isidro, a sinister clan makes its living off kidnapping and murder. Arquímedes, the patriarch, heads and plans the operations. Alejandro, his eldest son, is a star rugby player at CASI—a prestigious local club—and Los Pumas, the Argentine mythical national team. The son gives in to his father’s will and identifies possible candidates for kidnapping; his popularity shields him from suspicion. To a greater or lesser extent, the members of the family are accomplices in this dreadful venture as they live off the benefits yielded by the large ransoms paid by the families of their victims. Based on the true story of the Puccio family, this film full of suspense and intrigue takes place in the context of the final years of the Argentine military dictatorship and incipient return to democracy.
Desde Allá (From Afar) by Lorenzo Vigas (Venezuela, Mexico)
Wealthy middle-aged Armando lures young men to his home with money. He doesn’t want to touch, only watch from a strict distance. He also follows an elderly businessman with whom he seems to have had a traumatic relationship. Armando’s first encounter with street thug Elder is violent, but this doesn’t discourage the lonely man’s fascination with the tough handsome teenager. Financial interest keeps Elder visiting him regularly and an unexpected intimacy emerges. But Armando’s haunted past looms large, and Elder commits the ultimate act of affection on Armando’s behalf.
L’hermine by Christian Vincent (France)
Xavier Racine is a feared presiding judge at Criminal Court. His nickname is “The Two Figure Judge,” because he always hands down sentences of at least 10 years. Everything changes dramatically the day Racine meets Ditte Lorensen-Coteret. She is on the jury trying a man accused of homicide. Six years earlier, Racine fell in love with the same woman. Almost in secret. She is perhaps the only woman he has ever loved.
OUT OF COMPETITION
Winter on Fire by Evengy Afineevsky
Go With Me by Daniel Alfredson
Human by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
De Palma by Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow
Janis by Amy Berg
Non Essere Cattivo by Claudio Caligari
Black Mass by Scott Cooper
I Ricordi del Fiume by Gianluca e Massimiliano De Serio
Lao Pao Er (Mr. Six) by Guan Hu
Everest (3D) (Opening film) by Baltasar Kormákur
Sobytie (The Event) by Sergei Loznitsa
Gli Uomini Di Questa Città Io Non Li Conosco. Vita e Teatro Di Franco Scaldati by Franco Maresco
Spotlight by Thomas McCarthy
Na Ri Xiawu (Afternoon) by Tsai Ming-Liang
L’esercito Più Piccolo del Mondo by Gianfranco Pannone
La Calle de la Amargura by Arturo Ripstein
La Vie et Rien D’Autre by Bertrand Tavernier
In Jackson Heights by Frederick Wiseman
Orizzonti (Horizons)
New Eyes (Short films) by Hiwot Admasu Getaneh
Madame Courage by Merzak Allouache
E.T.E.R.N.I.T. (Short films) by Giovanni Aloi
A Copy of My Mind by Joko Anwar
En Defensa Propia (Short films) by Mariana Arriaga
Violence en Réunion (Short films) by Karim Boukercha
Pecore in Erba by Alberto Caviglia
Tempête by Samuel Collardey
The Childhood of a Leader by Brady Corbet
Italian Gangsters by Renato De Maria
It Seems to Hang On (Short films) by Kevin Jerome Everson
Wednesday, May 9 by Vahid Jalilvand
Hou (Monkey)(Short films) by Shen Jie
Mountain by Yaelle Kayam
Krigen (A War) by Tobias Lindholm
Visaaranai (Interrogation) by Vetri Maaran
Free in Deed by Jake Mahaffy
Boi Neon (Neon Bull) by Gabriel Mascaro
Man Down by Dito Montiel
Lama Azavtani (Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me) by Hadar Morag
Tarântula (Short films) by Aly Muritiba
55 Pastillas (Short films) by Sebastián Muro
Seide (Short films) by Elnura Osmonalieva
Tharlo by Tseden Pema
Champ Des Possibles (Short films) by Cristina Picchi
Un Monstruo de Mil Cabezas (A Monster With a Thousand Heads) by Rodrigo Plá
Mate-Me Por Favor by Anita Rocha Da Silveira
Taj Mahal by Nicolas Saada
Dvorista (Backyards) (Short films) by Ivan Salatic
Jer Gun Muer Rao Jer Gun (The Young Man Who Came From The Chee River) (Short films) by Wichanon Somumjarn
Belladonna (Short films) by Dubravka Turic
Zero (Short films – Out of Competition) by David Victori
Oh Gallow Lay (Short films) by Julian Wayser
Interruption by Yorgos Zois