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2009-V004
UNICA INTERNATIONAL NON-PROFESSIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Tunisia 2008)
Set of 4 DVDs
Every year the UNICA Festival donates a compilation programme of major entries
to the IAC Library. It is free with only postal charges to pay. This year
there are four DVDs in the collection with far more than can be shown in
a Club evening. I hope the following reviews will help your choice. I have
not referred to which film is on which disc, since you will probably prefer
to select between discs. Only one film L'oeuf has no English
subtitles, and even that is very easy to follow and well worth seeing.
GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
| 1. |
SZAKADAS (Immersed)
Gyorgy Perrin (Hungary)
A beautifully realised harsh drama with some sexual overtones. The slow pace
as the young mother demonstrates her love and protection of her son is shockingly
interrupted in flashbacks. |
Fiction
12.mins |
|
5. |
UN SANTO PARA TELMO (A Saint for Telmo)
Gabriel Stagnaro (Argentina)
A new footballer for the local team is not impressed by his introduction
to Buenos Aires. He hasn't met his new team mates, he has no contract, he
is an outsider and doesn't speak the language well. Will he be the "Saint"
that they are looking for. Will he even get to the ground on time? Some excellent
acting and production values capture the mood of Argentina and its downtown
football fans well. Some strong language. |
Fiction
23.mins |
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| 2. |
STONOGA (Millipede)
Rasim Karalic (Croatia)
The millipede of the title refers to the mechanised log cutter that threatens
the continued life of Bosnian workers. However this is just the back story
to this physically brutal observation of the harsh life for man and beasts
in the forest. A stunning documentary. |
Documentary
20.mins |
|
6. |
BRUCKEN BAUEN (Building Bridges)
Bernard Hausberger (Liechtenstein)
This moving documentary about how Austrian schoolchildren helped the poor
in Rumania also won the "Fellini Prize" for the film that demonstrated the
values of International cooperation. The maker, Bernard Hausberger, has the
honour of having won our own BIAFF Daily Mail Trophy two years running. Once
again he demonstrates his skill in film making.
(article on making it) |
Documentary
24.mins |
|
| 3. |
LA CHIQUITA PICONERA (Little "Piconera")
Miguel Entrenas (Spain)
From the opening of artistic titles with the flamenco guitar this is a film
of quality. It oozes Spanish sensuality. A true story told in the words of
the artist's model Tereza Lopez who died in 2002 (aged 89). She was made
famous in paintings by Julio Romera de Torres but always denied having a
romantic relationship with him. |
Fiction
22.mins |
|
7. |
KONIEC LATA (The End of the Summer)
Karolina Biolawska (Poland)
This is a beautifully realised film about the possibilities of finding love,
only to have it put at risk by the jealousy of others. The natural scripting
and acting make this a pleasure to watch. |
Fiction
20.mins |
|
| 4. |
IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST
Phil Martin (Great Britain)
Based on a true story involving a secret meeting of the British Joint
Intelligence Committee in 1942 this wonderfully intelligent film portrays
the chilling reality of political decision making.
(article on making it) |
Fiction
15 mins |
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SILVER MEDAL WINNERS
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| 1 |
DOS METROS (Two metres)
Javir Mrad, Javier Salazar & Eduardo Marraqi (Argentina)
You would never believe that an articulated ruler could express so much.
Brilliant |
Animation
6.mins |
|
8. |
HET PORTRET … HENK VAN KOOTEN
Ton van Kan (Netherlands)
A fascinating visual documentary about the studio photographer Henk van Kooten.
The videomaker's style mirrors Henk's own with contemporary framing and mixed
techniques.
(article on making
it) |
Documentary
20.mins |
|
| 2. |
VERVROEGD PENSIOEN (Early Retirement)
Jef Caelen (Netherlands)
Jef Caelen is the star of his own gentle comedy about a man's search for
the ideal hobby to fill in the empty hours of his retirement. His wife is
not always happy with his choice …. |
Fiction
20.mins |
|
9. |
MONA
Marc Barnig (Luxembourg)
Fans, dolls and lollipops in a locked cellar bring back terrible memories
for Mona in this creepy and rather disturbing black and white story. |
Fiction
8.min |
|
| 3. |
SOTA LA PLUJA (In the Rain)
"Auld Lang Syne" (Spain)
Any film by Jan Bacca (even under a pseudonym!) is worth watching. On a rainy
night a young man in distress is taken into the household of a blind man
and his artist wife. The complex emotions affect them all. |
Fiction
45.mins |
|
10. |
NORMAALIPERUSVIIVA
Ismo Kiesilainen (Finland)
A young man reminisces about his school crush on Kristina, something that
he never admitted to her. What will happen if he tries to find her? |
Fiction
8.mins |
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| 4. |
BOOMRANG
Daryouh Gharibzadeh (Iran)
One of the delights about this short film is the creative use of the widescreen
framing to illustrate this epic struggle for survival. |
Fiction
7.mins |
|
13. |
DENTOPHOBIA
Christopher Helmer (Youth entry) (Germany)
The hero of this youthful comedy is frightened of dentists. His fears become
hallucinatory following his girlfriend's attempt to cure him with a drug
injection. The wonderful ending will take everyone by surprise.
IAC Diamond and Best Youth Entry 2009.
Guernsey Lily: Best Film of the Festival, Best Use of Sound, Best Fiction
and Best Youth Entry 2009
(article on making it)
(preview it
online) |
Comedy
8 mins |
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| 5. |
VOUS DESCENDEZ? (Are You Going Down?)
Darryl O'Donovan (Switzerland)
Just when you thought it was safe to get into a lift! A beautifully edited
tense short film about a lift that does not stop going downwards. |
Fiction
3.mins |
|
14. |
HEATWAVE
Alan Atkinson (Great Britain)
Once again our own Chairman, Alan Atkinson brings his hero Walter Ruddles
to the screen to save the world. This time the threat is from a unique form
of global warming, manipulated by a power crazed one-eyed villain. Half the
fun is in recognising the Hollywood heroes that are spoofed so effectively
in this special effects comedy.
(article on making it) |
Fiction
20 mins |
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| 6. |
SJENG
Huub Bervoets (Netherlands)
This is a delightful, gentle drama with moments of comedy and pathos. Sjeng
finds a bottle of wine in his cellar. It is too good to waste so he decides
to wait for a very special moment and a very special person to share it with. |
Fiction
29 mins |
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L'OEUF (The Egg)
Asma Mrabet (Tunisia)
Although this film only has French sub-titles the story of a man's, sometimes
comic, fears about his wife's pregnancy is clear. Some delightful effects
and editing. |
Fiction
8 mins |
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| 7. |
OSUD PRASIATKA (One Pig's Destiny)
Simon Matrka (Slovakia)
An amusing animated tale of a pig's rise above his station and his eventual
downfall. |
Animation
5.mins |
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The UNICA Compilation also includes the final four winners in the One
Minute Cup. I will say nothing except to wish you enjoyable viewing. The
final winner was the Tunisian entry.
ENTRE DEUX MAUX Sammy Tilli (Tunisia) 1 min Fiction, Gold
Award
DRING - DRING Roger Horseele (Belgium) 1 min Fiction, Silver
Award
FOREST FAIRY TALE Victoras Gundajevas (Lithuania) 1 min Animation,
Bronze Award
LOVEC (Hunter) Jan Kuska (Slovakia) 1 min Fiction, Bronze |
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Price postage only
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