GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – “25 words”, a low-budget first documentary by Liu Shen about three sisters who shared Red Cross messages during the second world war, has taken a bronze medal at the WorldFest-Houston International Independent Film Festival, the oldest independent film festival in the world.
He began the film shortly after one of the sisters, a former neighbour of his in northeastern China, died at age 98. Her two sisters were in their 90s and he says in an interview for the Red Cross Resource Centre that he felt the pressure of time as he realized the importance of telling their tale. The three lived in Nanjing, China, Berlin, Germany and Berkeley, California, USA during the war and the messages gradually relay their family tale.
The International Very Short Film Festival (Festival des Très Courts), it’s an event without borders, with screenings held during three days simultaneously in nearly eighty cities in Switzerland, France, and 14 other countries.
Location: Auditorium Arditi, Avenue du Mail 1, 1205 Genève
Link out: http://www.trescourt.com/geneve
Start date: 11 May 2012
Start time: 19:30
End date: 12 May 2012
End time: 23:30
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The International Commission Against the Death Penalty (ICDP), established in Madrid one year ago by the Spanish government with strong support from Switzerland, is moving its head office to Geneva next week, the group has announced. The move coincides with World Day Against the Day Penalty 11 October, which will be highlighted in Geneva with a public debate and film at the Alhambra.
The group is moving to Geneva to be able to work more closely with various United Nations organizations that are involved in the issues surrounding the death penalty. It will be housed at the Académie de droit international humanitaire et de droits humains.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Ten world premieres and 96 films from around the world will feature during the Zurich Film Festival 22 September to 2 October and the lineup includes several big names in the cinema world. The opening night film is “Contagion” by Steven Soderbergh, starring Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard, Bryan Cranston, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law. Equally star-studded is the 2011 summer hit in the US, “The Help”, directed by Tate Taylor, with Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Chris Lowell and Sissy Spacek.
“Moneyball”, directed by Bennett Miller and starring Brad Pitt, has its European debut in Zurich. “Rampart” by Oren Movermann will play with an all-star cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright and Ben Foster.
Also playing:
“Rampart”, Oren Movermann
“Restless”, Gus Van Sant
“Melancholia”, Lars von Trier
“Ides of March”, George Clooney
“A Dangerous Method”, David Cronenberg
“Shame”, Steve McQueen
“Wuthering Heights”, Andrea Arnold
“Cave of Forgotten Dreams”, Werner Herzog
Still a few more movies under the stars. This time in Grottes. Cancelled in case of rain.
Location: 18 rue de montbrillant, Geneva
Date: 2 Sep 2011
Start time: 20:00
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The US House of Representatives homeland security committee looks set to investigate claims by a New York Times columnist that Sony Pictures is producing a film about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011 and that the filmmakers have had access to US government footage of the raid. Maureen Dowd’s column claims that the film, made by “The Hurt Locker” director and writer team of Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, will be used to gain support for Barack Obama in the run-up to the 2012 presidential election in the US. The White House says both claims are unfounded.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The badly decomposed remains of 15 victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi population in Rwanda have been found at the Hotel Tech in the district of Remere in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Authorities were told of the bodies in May and the process of exhuming them began in mid-July. They were buried under what is now the sauna and the women’s bathrooms of the new hotel, built on the premises of an older hotel called Total.
The Tutsis were taken from the Catholic church, where they had taken refuge, to the hotel where they were killed by grenades, then buried, according to the survivors who led authorities to the graves. The information has been confirmed by the survivors’ umbrella organization, Ibuka.
More than one million people are estimated to have been killed during the 100-day genocide campaign. An educational centre about the killings and genocide worldwide was built in 2004 to mark the 10th anniversary; its sits on the place where 250,000 bodies were buried.
Links to other sites: Aegis Trust, UK, allAfrica 14 July, allAfrica 19 July, Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre and Facebook page for the new “Raindrops over Kigali” documentary film
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Harry Potter opened to crowds of fans in New York Monday 11 July, for the last time. The premiere of the latest and last of the record-breaking films, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two” opened at Lincoln Center. The movie premiered last week in London.
Links to other sites: AsiaOne News, USA Today, Xinhua
The Swedish Millennium Films, based on the novels by Swedish crime writer Stieg Larsson, have generated an increase in jobs, marketing, tourism and trade in the Stockholm area, according to a report (pdf) published by the Swedish-based Cloudberry group in collaboration with Oxford Research. They have also saved the city several million dollars in advertising.
The films have been watched by 20 million people, the region has become more popular and tourism is up: to reach an equivalent audience with purchased advertising time, according to Business Wire (BW), the Stockholm region would have to spend nearly CHF144 million.
Production costs of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, “The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”, and “The Girl who Played with Fire” totaled around CHF13 million for wages and services such as catering, housing, transportation, and location rental.
Olof Zetterberg, chief executive of Stockholm Business Region, told BW. “This study confirms that film is also a strategic tool for marketing Stockholm internationally.”
Anders Ekegren, chairman of Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen argues in BW that “the study shows that film is virtually unbeatable when it comes to marketing a region and a city. We also see the power of films to create jobs and economic growth at the local and regional levels.”
Links to other sites: Business Wire, Earth Times
Israeli Arab filmmaker was murdered 4 April
Visions du Réel runs 7-13 April in Nyon
Nyon, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) -The Nyon documentary film festival opens Thursday on a somber note, with a tribute to Juliano Mer Khamis, an Israeli Arab filmmaker and actor who was murdered 4 April in the West Bank. His film “Arna’s Children” was awarded the prize of the Jury du Jeune Public of Visions du Réel in 2004.
This is a year of change for the Nyon festival, with Luciano Barisone, its new director, taking charge for the first time. On a more practical level for festival-goers, a new electronic ticketing system is in place.
The festival opens Thursday 7 April, with some 50 films making their world or European debuts at this festival that has grown in scope and importance to the film industry in recent years. Films fall into three categories: long, medium-long and short.
Scene from film "Rainmakers" by Floris-Jan van Luyn, FIFDH Grand Prix winner
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - “Rainmakers”, by Floris-Jan Van Luyn, took the top prize and a CHF10,000 award at the International Film Festival and Forum in Geneva (FIFDH). The Grand Prix FIFDH, offered by canton Geneva, was announced Saturday evening 12 March.
“Rainmakers” recounts four individual stories, a “poetic and supremely human film [that] retraces the Chinese people’s struggles to protect the environment against their government’s arbitrary policies, the organizing committee says.
Ed. note: the festival issued a correction for the following awards, which we have now changed, 30 March, with apologies to the winners for our earlier, incorrect list of awards.
Other awards, with notes by the festival committee:
Image of one of the dresses worn by Vivian Leigh that need repair - From the Harry Ransom Center
Scarlett O’Hara’s dresses need mending and you could help save them.
The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin (United States) is planning an exhibit in 2014 to mark the 75 anniversary of the “Gone with the Wind” film.
To do so, it must first mend the famous gowns worn by Vivian Leigh who portrayed the temperamental Scarlett O’Hara in 1939.
Thirty-thousand dollars are need to restore five gowns, buy protective housing and custom mannequins for the 2014 exhibit.
Donations are being accepted by the Centre directly on their website.
The campaign launched in Texas is trying to convince potential donors they can “help save history,” (Hollywood history that is).
Links to article on AP / Yahoo News and to the Harry Ransom Center
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The news has not yet been confirmed officially by Bern, but TSR and RSR, Swiss public broadcasting in French, report that Nicolas Bideau is the new head of Presence Swiss, the international marketing arm of the Swiss government. Bideau has headed the cinema programme for the Swiss Federal Culture Office for the past five years. The Presence Swiss post becomes vacant with the departure of Johannes Matyassy, who has been named Swiss ambassador to Argentina.
Bideau, from Geneva, was born in 1969. He studied in Lausanne, then Paris, pursuing degrees in political sciences and social sciences before studying at the University of Beijing. He later joined the Swiss diplomatic corps.
Nyon, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Rock legend Lou Reed presented his film debut at Nyon’s Vision du Réel film festival 20 April. The film, Red Shirley, a 30-minute documentary about his 99-year-old cousin Shirley Novick, is the musician’s first attempt at directing. “I did this film as she’s one of the most remarkable people I’ve ever met and I wanted to preserve her forever so that others could meet her – she’s so inspiring”, says Reed. He finished the film earlier this year with filmmaker Ralph Gibson.
Novick left Poland at 19 in 1938 for Montreal to learn French, but ended up learning how to play the mandolin. Then she left for New York and found work as a seamstress. Working 48 hours a week for a wage of $6, she spent 47 years as a seamstress. She was a militant for better working conditions and represented her colleagues in the garment industry, thus earning her the nickname Red Shirley.
Links to other sites: Swissinfo.com, Visions du Reel
Title: Theatre and film from Chile
Location: Annemasse, France
Link out: Click here
Description: Sin sangre is a Chilean film and theater production presented by Compañia Teatrocinema. In Spanish with French subtitles.
Date: 2010-01-19
Liam Bates will present a clip of his film "Motorbikes, Mao and a Yak" at Webster University
Title: China’s Next Generation: a 7,000km adventure on motorbikes
Location: Webster University, Bellevue, Geneva
Description: In June 2009 four young men from Switzerland, Brazil, Tibet and Eastern China completed a 7,000 km journey across China on motorcycles – through the Himalayas, Mongolian grasslands and into the densely populated Eastern coast, talking to young people about their changing lives, hopes and dreams.
The presentation: Liam Bates will present a short film clip from the countless hours of high definition footage shot throughout the trip and discuss some of the views expressed by youth across China.
Bates will show the changing face of China by retelling adventures from their trip, screening interviews and photos. From the stories of farmers, gangsters, nomads, musicians and business students across the country, he offers an entertaining and informative look at China’s next generation.
The event will help raise funds to cover production costs of their film, “Motorbikes, Mao and a Yak”, expected to be released in late 2010. The documentary will eventually be available in English, French, Spanish and Chinese.
Q&A session after the presentation in English, French and Chinese.
Sponsored by GenevaLunch
Interview with Liam Bates in GenevaLunch
Please RSVP by 30 August.
Venue: Webster University, Bellevue/GE
Entry fee CHF5 (soft drinks, tea and snacks will follow).
Tel: +41 21 806 3800
Start Time: 19:30
Date: 01 Sep 2009
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Chief Kisio and other elders of the Maasai community, at Il Ngwesi, Laikipia, Kenya, along with 200 members of the village, formally accepted digital recording equipment from Geneva-based Wipo (World Intellectual Property Organization) in late July, the organization said. Read more…
Title: Geneva is on fire
Location: Geneva
Link out: Click here
Description: Before the show, go back to Calvin’s day at the Huguenot Village located next to the open air stage at the Parc des Bastions. Village begins activities, including children’s games, at 19:00. Special discounts available for families with children and large groups.
The show, with English subtitles is projected every day (except Mondays) starting at 21:00.
Start Date: 01 Jul 2009
End Date: 26 Jul 2009
Austrian director Michael Haneke took the Palme d’Or at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival for his look at the origins of fascism in pre-first world war Germany, the White Ribbon. Other winners included Britain’ Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank which shared the Jury Prize with Park Chan-wook’s Thirst. A Prophet, a prison drama by France’s Jacques Audiard took the Grand Prix, and the Best Director Award went to the Philippines’ Brillante Mendoza for his film Kinatay.
Background: Cannes Film Festival, Guardian.co.uk
Title: Olympic short film contest
Location: Lausanne, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: The contest is intended for professional and amateur directors, in the audiovisual field.
Every person interested in participating has to contact one of the partner institutions until 15 May 2009 to be integrated into the preselection phase.
Start Date: 22 Apr 2009
End Date: 15 May 2009
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Cern, known for its Big Bang work, was treated 12 February to a smaller bang, a visit from actors Tom Hanks and Ayelet Zurera, along with director Ron Howard.
The three put on an exclusive showing of some scenes from Angels & Demons, the movie based on Dan Brown’s book.
The film will be released 15 May 2009.
Photo, above, © 2009 Sony Pictures, taken at Cern: Left to right, Sergio Bertolucci, Tara Shears, Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, Rolf Landua and Director Ron Howard 12 February, 2009. Photo by Lionel Flusin.
Photo below, © 2009 Sony Pictures, by Zade Rosenthal: from left – Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, Thure Lindhart, unidentified, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Rance Howard and unidentified, in Columbia Pictures’ suspense thriller “Angels & Demons”
Click on images to view larger
“It’s been a privilege working with Cern,” said director Ron Howard. “The scientists here have been incredibly helpful in explaining the science to us, and giving us access to some incredible places. I think what they’re doing here is fantastic.”
Sony contacted Cern in 2007 to see about working together and the laboratory quickly agreed. In a press release issued 12 February Cern noted that the collaboration is a logical one, with research director Sergio Bertolucci saying, “Both fiction and science want to take us from the ordinary to the extraordinary; the difference is that science has to operate entirely within reality.”
Cern on how its work ties in with Dan Brown’s writing
Understanding why nature prefers matter to antimatter is the main thrust of Cern’s antimatter research. When our Universe was born some 13.7 billion years ago in the Big Bang, matter and antimatter would have been created in equal quantities, and as Dan Brown correctly points out, when matter and antimatter meet, they annihilate, leaving only energy behind. One of the great mysteries of the Universe today is how enough matter has survived to provide the building blocks for stars, planets, and even us.
Antimatter has practical uses too. The medical imaging technique of PET scanning uses antimatter to help doctors visualize the functioning of the human body. The scanners used owe much to techniques developed for particle physics research. In the future, antimatter might also be used to treat cancer. Preliminary experiments carried out at Cern have shown that antimatter particle beams could be very effective at destroying cancer cells.
Title: Latin American and the Caribbean Film Festival
Location: Geneva
Link out: Click here
Description: Films from Argentina to Mexico with a detour in Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba.
Start Date: 07 Nov 2008
End Date: 23 Nov 2008
