Out of the Past

Al Pacino never disappoints, neither does the outstanding John Cazale in the role of a clumsy outsider with whom he then bungles a bank robbery.  Based on a true story, the movie is full of suspense although it doesn’t lack for comic elements as well. Of the six Academy Awards for which it was nominated, it took Best Writing, Original Screenplay.

A delightful documentary on the life and work of an exceptional filmmaker that regales us with interesting facts and skilfully mediates Zeman’s passion for the world of special effects and animation. This resourceful film shows us how his enchanting ideas came to life, and how imagination thrives in conjunction with tireless application.

The history of the Karlovy Vary IFF from its founding in 1946 and the first noncompetitive years to its 50th edition. In addition to ample archive materials, including Miroslav Horníček’s much talked-about appearances, director Miroslav Janek makes use of interviews with those who attended (during good times and bad) the largest film event in Eastern Europe.

In terms of the many positive reviews and its three Academy Awards, The Godfather: Part II outstripped the first installment of this magnificent mafia family saga. Once again, Coppola succeeded masterfully in unifying several complicated storylines, and despite a marked emphasis on action he turns in a penetrating study of numerous distinct characters. One standout is black sheep Fredo Corleone played by the congenial John Cazale.

Thirteen-year-old Manon lives in isolation with her mother Michelle and her mentally challenged uncle Ti-Guy. The charismatic and precocious girl claims exclusive right to her mother’s love, and she’s willing to do anything to have it. One of the key films of Québec cinema, the festival will present a newly restored copy.

“Sure, that’s Fredo,” responds a random passerby after the director of the documentary shows him a photograph. John Cazale, one of the most intriguing character actors of the 1970s. Five roles, a premature death. The Godfather: Parts I and II, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon, The Deer Hunter. Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Francis Ford Coppola – these and more admire the human qualities and acting prowess of the man with a gloomy expression.

Anyone who watches this poetic, romantic and naivist adaptation of Verne’s novel Face au drapeau (Facing the Flag) will immediately succumb to its unique magic. They will also quickly understand why this work is still the most successful film in the country’s history, winning a series of prestigious international awards, and why it was selected as a cinematic masterpiece for the digital restoration programme.

A lyrical tale of the pure, vernal romance between a diffident, somewhat naïve girl from a rural backwater and a fairly dissolute, but kind-hearted law student from Prague. The film debut of Jiří Voskovec, appearing under the pseudonym Petr Dolan, who plays student Ríša in Karel Anton’s bold adaptation of the impressionistic novel by Vilém Mrštík.

No need to dread the talking head in this documentary piece, especially when it belongs to legendary filmmaker Arthur Penn. Almost four hours long, the film sees the celebrated Iranian director and cinephile interviewing the creator of Bonnie and Clyde, offering us the chance to attend a one-of-a-kind directorial master class.

This intimate Oscar-winning drama, shot 50 years ago this year, is set in World War II when Jews were persecuted by the Slovak state. Two of its victims are everyday heroes, even though they stand on opposite sides of the conflict. Through the character of Tono Brtko, the film gains the currency of a timeless statement on the tragic consequences of moral compromise.

World cinema has few such ingeniously constructed works which, via a magnificent panoramic arc spanning a variety of social strata, capture the lifestyles, value systems, and human sentiments of the late 20th century. The stars certainly scintillate, but the truly stellar experience comes from the picture’s intellectual riches.

Despite more than 60 years having elapsed since it was made, this unsurpassed film adaptation of Jacques Offenbach’s renowned opera remains one of Powell and Pressburger’s most admired films. The newly restored version of George A. Romero’s and Martin Scorsese’s favourite film is an enchanting Technicolor feast and an extravagantly surreal glimpse into the culminating era of silent cinema.

It’s no wonder that, in Italy, a country with such a rich and extensive opera tradition, a home would be built to take care of retired opera singers, the first of its kind in the world. It was constructed in 1896 at Verdi’s initiative, and the documentary acquaints us with its exceptional residents as they recall their former glory.

A grand cinematic salto mortale archetypically told (one woman – two men); no more need be said. To get past US censors, this silent film adored by critics and audiences alike was extensively cut. Thanks to comparisons of all extent sources, the 2015 Berlinale gave us a Varieté that comes closer to the premiere version of November 1925 than anything audiences would have seen in past decades. The Tiger Lillies have taken care of the music.