Name Matteo Garrone Born 15 October 1968
Background Born in Rome, Garrone is the son of a theatre critic and photographer. His 1996 short film Silhouette, won the Saher d’Ora. a prize sponsored by Nanni Moretti. This film would end up being one of the three short episodes that made up his first long film Terra di Mezzo in 1997. He has also made OSpitti' (1988). Estate Romana (2000). The Emba/mer (2002) and 2003's anorexia tale Pn‘mo Amore (First Love) What’s he up to now? Garrone was at the forefront of the Italian cinematic revival that took place in Cannes this year. with his reinvention of the Mafia genre. Gomorrah. It’s an adaptation of the bestselling book on the Camorra Mafia organisation. What he says about 5 adapting the book ‘1 read the book and knew immediately that I wanted to make it into the film. 1 was interested in the themes because they're so universal and I wanted to eliminate all the aspects that were journalistic and recount just the basics of the story. It's such a big book that it took a lot of work to cut the story down to a couple of hours or so. To be honest. my inspiration for the film was from Roberto Rosselini's Paisa and then I started to work. as I always do. on the location of the film. and then to rewrite the screenplay. using what had been told to me by the locals. The author had seen my films and he wanted to work with me. or Paolo Sorrentino. In the end I managed to get the rights.’
. . . Napoli
'I didn’t know Napoli very well before making the film, but I spent six months there to make the film. I learned to love the place and see the friendliness of the people who are quite guarded.’ Interesting Fact
Matteo Garrone tried his hands at many professions before becoming a director. He played a couple of tennis matches on the pro tennis tour before training as a painter.
I Gomorra is out now on selected release.
48 THE LIST 16—30 OCt 2008
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, star rating, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Paul Dale
It Indicates Listpicks entry
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (L') (Lotte Reiniger. Germany. 1926) 65min. The world‘s first feature-length animated film takes a story front 100/ Arabian Nights. A rare screening of a film that almost disappeared forever. before a new negative was made from the one remaining print in the 1970s. Edinburgh Film Guild. Edinburgh.
African Shorts (15) (Various) l09min. Presentation of the eight films shortlisted for the final stage of AiM 2008. a competition for emerging African filmmakers. Spanning many genres. the filtn programme includes a magic realist tale from Tunisia. a Moroccan story of childhood nostalgia and a dramatic short from Egypt. Part of Africa in Motion. Film/rouse. lidiiibiifigh.
Animal Love (18) see (lflrich Sieldl. Austria. 1995) l20min. In this disquieting study of Austrian pet owners. Siedl grimly depicts the lonely citizens of Vienna for whom relationships with other humans have been displaced by relationships with their animals. Part of Seildl retrospective. Film/rouse. lz'dinbuigh. As Old as my Tongue: The Myth and Life of Bi Kidude (15) 0... (Andy Jones. LfoTanzania. 2007) (ibiiiin. This intimate portrait of iconic musician Bi Kidude features a classic soundtrack which spans one hundred years of Swahili music. Jones faithfully focuses on Bi Kidude's home island of Zanzibar. a place where she continually courts controversy. her behaviour challenging beliefs of the role of women in a Muslim society. Part of Africa in Motion. Glasgoti' Film Theatre. Glasgow; F ilmhouse. lidiiibiifigli.
Atanariuat, The Fast Runner ( 15) O... (Zacharias Kunuk. Canada. 2001 l Natar L'ngalaq. Iiugene lpkarnak. Peter Henry Amatsiaq. 172min. This remarkable and singularly beautiful film is the first to be perfonned entirely in the Inuit language. When an unknown shaman puts an evil spell on a group of nomadic Inuit living off the Canadian Arctic it takes 20 years before two brothers emerge to challenge the evil order. Part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2008. Film/rouse. Edinburgh.
Baara (Work) ( 15) see
(Souleyrnane Cisse. Mali. 1978) ()mou Diarra. Balla Moussa Keita. Bubukar Keita. 90min. Directly confronting the conditions of workers in the city. Malian director (‘isse chronicles a young man who has left the countryside to work in a textiles factory. Striking up a friendship with the factory's manager. the protagonist witnesses the struggle he faces to both once satisfy the needs of the factory's owner. and the much- abused workers he oversees. Part of Africa in Motion. Film/rouse. Iidi'nburgh. Badlands ( 15) ooooo (Terrence Malick. ITS. 1973) Martin Sheen. Sissy Spacek. 94min. Rarefied. lyrical ITS filmmaker Terrence Malick's stunning and mega-influential I973 crime spree drama is brought back to life in a beautiful new 35mm print. Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow.
The Banishment (12A) ooo
(Andrei Zvyagintsev. Russia. 2007) Konstantin Lavronenko. Maria Bonnevie. Aleksandr Baluyev. 157mm. Based on a short story by William Saroyan. Zvyagintsev‘s film opens like a thriller as middle-aged Mark (Baluyev) drives to the inner-city flat of his brother Alex with a bullet in his arm. The film then shifts to unravel the troubling semantics at the heart of his marital relationship. The epitome of challenging. self-conscious arthouse cinema. Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow. Black Business (15) secs (Osvalde Lewat. Cameroon/France. 2007) 90min. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Lewat revisits the question of the disappearance of more than 1,000 people in
the (‘ameroon region of Douala. following the creation of a special group charged with policing banditry in the region called the Operational (‘ommand I'nit in 2000. Part of Africa in Motion. Filmhouse. Edinburgh. Black Sabbath ( 18) secs (Mario Bava/Salvatore Billitteri. Italy/France/ITS. 1964) Michele Mercier. I.idia Alfonsi. Boris Karloff. 92min. This trilogy of three horror stories follows a woman terrorised by phone calls in her apartment. a Russian count in the countryside with sortie nasty vampires and a nurse who makes a fateful decision while preparing the corpse of one of her patients. A treat for fans of vintage Italian horror. Edinburgh Film Guild. Edinburgh.
Bleeding Bose ( 15) see ((‘hucks Mordi/Kingsley Kerry. Nigeria/I'K. 20(17) ()Iu Jacobs. Kate llenshaw-Nuttall. JT Tom West. 82min. Quintessential low-budget Nigerian film Bleeding Rose follows a group of botany students who head into a humid forest in the tropics in search of a healing plant. Love blossoms. mysteries unfurl and the professor goes mad. Part of Africa in Motion. Filmhouse. lidinburgh. Blood Kin ( 15) .00 (Sidney l.umet. IS. 1970) James (‘oburn. Lynn Redgrave. Robert IIooks. 108mm. In (iore V'idal‘s adaptation of Williams' play The Seven Descents of .1lvrt/e. amoral Myrtle (Redgrave) marries dying landowner Jeb ((‘oburm on a television game show. In a desperate attempt to stop his half-brother (‘hicken (Hooks) landing the estate. Jeb tries furiously to sire an heir. Ilis wife. however. has been bed hopping. Part of Tennessee Williams season. Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow; I'i/mhouse. ladlitbtujgh. Bongoland II: There is No Place Like Home ( l5) .0. (Josiah Kibira. Tanzania. 2008) Peter ()mari. 'I'hecla Mjatta. Ahmed ()lotu. 100min. Satirical sequel to Kibira's 2003 Bongo/and. Jurna (Omari). a 'I‘anlanian immigrant who has been living in Minnesota. returns to his homeland to manage a company. Juma's American-style business ideas and motivational techniques unfortunately don't wash with the locals. Part of Africa in Motion. Film/rouse. lidinburgh.
Boom! ( l5) 0... (Joseph l.osey. I'K. 1968) Elizabeth Taylor. Richard Burton. Noel Coward. 1 13min. In l.osey's adaptation of Tennessee Williams‘ The Milk Train Doesn '1 Stop Here Anymore. 'I‘aylor plays eccentric millionaire Sissy (ioforth. a writer dictating her sensationalist memoirs amongst a heady haze of drink. pills and morphine. Deteriorating quickly. Sissy‘s life takes an interesting turn with the mysterious arrival of spiritual poet (‘hris Flanders (Burton). A strange. beautiful and fiawed film. (’atch it while you can. Part of Tennessee Williams season. Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow; Film/rouse. Ifdi'nbuigh. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (DA) 0 (Mark Herman. I'S/I'K. 2008) Vera l-‘armiga. David Thewlis. Rupert l‘riend. 93min. Bruno (Butterfieldl is the nine-year old son of a Nazi (‘ommandant (Thewlis). When his father is seconded to manage a concentration camp. the lonely Bruno makes a new friend. Schmuel (Scanlon). beyond the high wire. Badly acted and clumsily directed. this liberal- guilt-monger-sweepirig-cth-historical- nonsense is simply unnecessary. Se/eeted release.
Boystown ( 18) (Juan Hahn. Spain. 2007) Angel Burgos. ('arlos Fuentes. 93min. A dark Madrid-set comedy about murder. gentrification and bears. the action revolves around murdering real estate agent Victor (Burgos) who knocks off grannies and sells their apartments to gay couples. This screening will be followed by animated short For the Love ofGod. Part of (ilasgayl Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow. Breakfast with Scot ( 15) (Laurie Lynd. Canada. 2007) ('ameron Andell. Thomas (‘avanaglt Noah Bernctt. 95min. Former professional ice-hockey player Sam and his lover lid run a smart. macho sports- loving household. The arrival of Iid’s recently orphaned nephew Scot. who has a love of flamboyant clothes and musicals. tums the pair‘s world upside down. Part of (ilasgayl Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow.
Brideshead Revisited ( 12.»\) see (Julian Jarrold. I'K. 2008) Matthew (ioode. llayley Atwell. limma 'I’hompson. 132mm. Jarrold's revamp of Iivelyn Waugh's classic novel pares back the opulent trimmings of the television series to expose the bare bones of Waugh's lament for the civilised past. ('harting blithe social climber (‘harles Ryder ((ioode) on his journey from humble Paddington digs to the aristocratic arcadia. the film focuses on his halting love affair with prim poslio Julia (Atwell ). Selected release. Burn After Reading ( 15) see (Iithan (‘oen/Joel ('oen. I'S/I'K/l-‘rancc. 2008) (ieorge (‘looney. John Malkovich. Brad Pitt. 95min. See review. page ~17. General release.
Buud Yam (PG) oooo ((iaston
Kabore. Burkina Past), 1997) Serge Yanogo. ('olettc Kabore. Augustine Yameogo. 97min. Kabore revisits the characters from his 1982 ll'eiid Kuuni in this dramatic tale about the stigma attached to sorcery in Burkino l-‘aso. l-‘ostcr-child and son of a sorcercss Weird Kuuni is ostraciscd by the village when his sister falls ill. locals blaming his magical roots for his siblings plight. Part of Africa in Motion. Film/rouse. Iz‘dinburgh. The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (PG) .0... (Robert “'iene. (iermany. 1919) Werner Krauss. (‘onrad Veidt. I.il Dagm'er. 90min. A landmark of expressionist cinema. feasting the eyes with bizarre. angular visuals despite its technical crudity. The acting and directing are superb. and the story of a fairground hypnotist who uses a sleepwalker to carry out murders still retains a unique sense of horror. Part of the Intrixluction to liurolwan ('inema course. Film/rouse. Edinburgh. City of Ember (PG) see (Gil Kenan. IS. 2008) Bill Murray. Tim Robbins. Saoirsc Ronan. 100min. Students from the amazing underground city of timber go through a series of adventures in order to sustain their special secret world for another 200 years. llo-hum but visually impressive children's adventure sci-1i. General release.
Win Solstice on DVD
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On Monday 20 October Icon Home Entertainment wrll release Solstice on DVD. the terrifying new film from the makers of The B/(I/l' Witch P/‘OjOCl. Solstice follows the travails of a group of high school friends who have taken a summer vacation near the LOUISléllla swamps. The List has live free copies to give away for anyone brave enoogh to visit wwwlistcouk'otters by no later than Thursday 30 October. Usaal List rules apply.