The audience hit at this year’s Berlin IFF brings the story of 50-something Maggie who, in a desperate attempt to get some money together to play for an operation for her gravely ill grandson, takes a bizarre job in an erotic club in London’s Soho. Marianne Faithfull and Kusturica’s Miki Manojlović star in this romantic tragicomedy.
One of the strongest cinematic experiences of the year is the story of 50-something Maggie, who one day takes a job in a nightclub in London’s Soho. Desperate to get money for an operation for her seriously ill grandson, she takes a job, the mere mention of which would have made her blush with shame before then. Remarkable chanson singer and actress Marianne Faithfull is no less than magnificent in her role as counterpart in this romantic tragicomedy to Miki Manojlović, of Kusturica fame, a seemingly crooked nightclub owner who begins to rediscover what it is to feel deeply for someone thanks to the ageing woman’s disarming naturalness. The bizarre idyll of Maggie’s new-found existence comes to an end when her new, albeit temporary identity is uncovered not only by her gossiping neighbours, but worse yet by her son, Tom. The unobtrusive and original direction of Sam Garbarski leaves room for riveting acting performances, the impressiveness of which is highlighted by the wonderfully composed atmosphere with its melancholy musical score, which is a story in and of itself.
103 min / Color, 35 mm
Director Sam Garbarski
/ Screenplay Martin Herron, Philippe Blasband
/ Dir. of Photography Christophe Beaucarne
/ Music Ghinzu
/ Editor Ludo Troch
/ Producer Sébastien Delloye, Diana Elbaum
/ Production Entre Chien et Loup
/ Cast Marianne Faithfull, Miki Manojlović, Kevin Bishop, Siobhán Hewlett, Dorka Gryllus, Jenny Agutter, Corey Burke
/ Contact Pyramide International, Hollywood Classic Entertainment
/ Distributor Hollywood Classic Entertainment
www: www.irinapalm-themovie.com
Sam Garbarski (b. 1948, Planegg, Bavaria, Germany) lives in Brussels. After heading an advertising agency for twenty years, he began in 1997 to make commercials himself. He directed over fifty of them, many of which won awards in Cannes, New York and London. He then directed the short films La dinde (1999), La vie, la mort et le foot (2000) and Joyeux Noël (2000). The film Irina Palm, which was screened in competition at this year’s Berlin IFF, is Gabarski’s second feature film, which was preceded by his successful debut The Rashevski Tango (2003).
Pyramide International
32 rue de l’Echiquier, 750 10, Paris
France
Phone: +33 142 960 220
Fax: +33 140 200 551
E-mail: [email protected]
Hollywood Classic Entertainment
Psohlavců 8, 147 00, Praha 4
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 226 224 111
Fax: +420 226 224 110
E-mail: [email protected]
Igor Konyukov
Distributor
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