FEATURE
Kanevsky draws on his own experienc'e for this moving but humorous portrayal of the relationship between Japanese prisoners and villagers in a remote mining community, set near Vladivostok in 1947. GET screening. Thur 29 Nov, 8.30pm.
(Eric Roehant, France) Highly rated French first feature is a saga of Streetwise Parisians in which wild youth falls for college girl and amourfou follows. The new wave of the new wave? GFT screening. Sun 25 Nov,
8.30pm.
ITume (15) (Gabriele Salvatores, Italy) Rock 'n‘ road movie as best friends head out on tour with the beautiful Vitorria at the centre oftheir eternal triangle. Sun 25 Nov. 6pm.
I The White Dove La Blanca Paloma (15) (Juan Minon. Spain) A tale of thwarted passion set in Bilbao, where three downmarket youths hang out in a flamenco club turned tavern. With Almodévar's leading man Antonio Banderas. GFT screening. Thur 29 Nov. 6pm.
EUROPEAN ACTOR OF THE YEAR
I Kenneth Branagh for Henry V
I Gerard Depardieu for Cyrano de Bergerac
I Philip Zanden for The Guardian Angel
EUROPEAN ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
de Bergerac
I Krystyna Janda Ior Interrogation
I Carmen Maura for Ay Carmela.I
I On Monde Sans Pitie ( 15)
‘ I Anne Brochet for ( 'yrano
EUROPEAN SUPPORTING
ACTOR or THE YEAR
I Gabino Diego for Ay Carmela.I
I Biorn Kiellman for The Guardian A ngel
Dmitri] Pevsov for Mother
EUROPEAN SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
}\
I Malin Ek. Lena Nylen and Gunilla floor all for The Guardian A ngel
EUROPEAN
SCREENWRITER OF THE
YEAR
I Byszard Bugajski/Janusz Dymek for Interrogation I Madeleine Gustalsson/Suzanne Osten/Etienne Glaser for The Guardian Angel
\\ “Iv-E I Vitaly Kanevsky for Lie Still— Die — Revive EUROPEAN
CINEMATOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
I Pierre Lhomme for Cyrano de Bergerac
I TDlIIlID Nardi for Open Doors
I Goran Nilsson for The Guardian Angel
EUROPEAN FILM
COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
I Jean-Claude Petil for Cyrano de Bergerac
I Jurgen Knieper for December Bride ( 15) (Thaddeus ()‘Sullivan. Ireland) Kneiper‘s music adds to the atmosphere of turn-of-the-century Northern Ireland as former cameraman ()‘Sullivan‘s family drama depicts the struggle between individual will and restrictive society. GFT screening. Tue 27. 8.30pm.
I Jean-Luc Godard for Nouvelle Vague ( 15) (Jean—Luc Godard. Switzerland) The wayward French master's latest offering has been
nominated in this category
for his ‘most creative work in the use ofmusic and soundtrack as a cinematographic language'. And there you have it. GFT screening. Tue 27. 6pm.
EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
I Ezio Frigerio (sets). Franca Sguarciapino (costumes) for Cyrano de Bergerac
I Ben Van Os/Jan Boelts (sets), Jean-Paul Gaultler (costumes) for The Cook. The Thief, His Wife/Ind Her Lover ( 18) (Peter Greenaway. UK) Who could forget the exquisite colours and forms as Gambon. Mirren and Bohringer crunch their way through a plot to scare even the hardiest of Jacobean tragedians?
I Youri Pachigorev for Lie Still — Die — Revive
EUROPEAN CINEMA SOCIETY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
I Andrzei Wajda. the veteran Polish filmmaker. currently an elected member ofthe country's ruling Senate, is honoured for the achievements of his lengthy career.
Andrzej Wajda will introduce a screening of his latest film, the wartime drama Korczak (15) at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Sat 1 Dec, 7pm.
EUROPEAN CINEMA SOCIETY SPECIAL AWARD
I The Association ol Filmmakers ol the USSR for reminding us of ‘the value of cinema as an instrument of social change’. and for the role it has played in ‘the transition of Soviet society from an authoritarian to a democratic system‘. EUROPEAN
DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
I Poperecbnaya Street Ulitsa Poperechnaya ( IS) (lvars Seletskis. USSR) A warm and simple depiction of the immediate effects of perestroika on a small community in Riga. Screening at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Wed 28 Nov, 8.30pm. The Documentary Jury. Scotsman Murray Grigor among them. also gave a Special Mention to Step A cross The Border ( 15) (Nicolas Ilumbert & Werner Penzel. Switzerland) a documentary record ofthe creative process and touring itinerary ofthe British jazz muso Fred Frith. GFT screening. Mon 26 Nov. 5.45pm. EUROPEAN DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR I Ennio Fantastichini the Italian stage actor is honoured for his impressive performance in Gianni Amelio‘s Open Doors. A special mention is also awarded to actor Pavel Nazarov for Lie Still — Die — Revive.
Chris Young
NEW ALLIANCES
Following on from Venus Peter, the evocative story of island fisherfolk that marked his debut feature as producer, Chris Young has been looking further afield for his second project. For some time now he has been involved in setting up a return collaboration with writer/director Ian Sellar. Titled Prague, the new movie is to be an Anglo-French eo-produetion, scheduled to shoot in Czechoslovakia next spring. Young is still immersed in the labyrinth ofthe deal-making process, having to raise money and make the film almost simultaneously. ‘You are juggling constantly between saying to people “this is the film I’m going to make, do you want to be part of it?” and being aware that you can’t actually make the film at all unless they do want to be part ofit and put in the money.’
Even though it was conceived while he and Sellar were shooting Venus Peter on Orkney, the relatively youthful Scots-born producer sees Prague as an intensely European piece. ‘We wanted to make a film which, instead of being about existing on the edge of Europe, looked at what it was actually like to be in the middle ofthe continent.’
The protagonist in Sellar’s screenplay returns to his grandparents’ home in search of
a fragment of film. footage thfiis family in years gone by, that has i been lost somewhere in the Czech film archives. In the end. ' of course. the piece of film is nowhere to be found, but he stays on in the country far longer than he expected. Perhaps surprisingly, the narrative thread remains unaltered by the new freedoms of the past year. but ‘it’s not a political film‘. says Young.
While Prague will use Czech technicians and facilities, bringing in some much-needed hard currency, the ostensibly Czech characters will be played by an impressive roster of international stars and the whole caboodle filmed in English. French siren Sandrine Bonnaire. recently seen as the alluring object of Monsieur Hire’s enigmatic desires, and the splendid Bruno Ganz. best known as the charming love-struck angel in Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire, have already signed up. Bonnaire is learning English for the part.
Despite the perennial money problems that beset film production, Young cheerfully admits that 'Europe has a much healthier atmosphere than America. Europeans are far more likely to be interested in good ideas and scripts, while American studios need proven formulae, certified box office stars, and a director with a string of hits under his belt.’
This view ofthe benefits of European funding is heartily echoed by Penny Thomson of the Scottish Film Production Fund, through whose good offices Venus Peter managed to get offthe ground and who also provided development assistance for the Prague screenplay. ‘Particularly in France. movie culture is something ofvalue.‘ she reflects. 'In the UK the words movie culture are something of an oxymoron. Movies are just not looked upon as a reasonable occupation for grown-ups.’
(Thom Dibdin)
I THE DEFINITIVE SCOTTISH FILM BOOK
A Scottish Film Council project in conjunction with British Film Institute Publishing, From Limelight to Satellite (paperback 212.95) is a wide-ranging and incisive set at essays chronicling the story olthe moving image in Scotland. The book's editor, SFC education oilicer Eddie Dick, has assembled an impressive range oi contributors on subjects as diverse as the making at Whisky Galorel, the lilms of
Bill Forsyth. and the current state at Scottish television production.
I GFT SCREENINGS As revealed in our European Film Awards information section, all the nominated lilms are to be seen at the Glasgow Film Theatre. further evidence, as building work on a second auditorium edges closerto completion. ol the venue's commitment to the glories ol the European screen. There'll he visits too trom Bertrand Tavernier and
Andrzej Wajda. Seelilm listings for further details.
I SCOTTISH SCREEN LOCATIONS Funded by contributions from Scottish local authorities. the SDA.
the Highlands and Islands Development Board and the lilm industry. Scottish
Screen Locations. to be launched during the
weekend of the European ! Film Awards. isanew ; company seeking to promote Scotland as a shooting/production base Iorlilm and television.
DThe List 23 November— 6 December 1990