Facing the Enemy
East of the West - Competition 2007 / Rozhovor s nepriateľom / Slovak Republic 2007
Existential drama set during the Second World War in which a Russian commissar interrogates a partisan who has managed to escape from German captivity, even though the order was given for him to be shot. A low-budget film with a more universal testimony, based on the story by Slovak writer Leopold Lahola.
Synopsis
Snow-covered mountain landscapes, Second World War. A Russian commissar is interrogating a soldier, a partisan who has managed to escape from German captivity. He is trying to ascertain whether the partisan bought his freedom with betrayal. He was about to be shot by a German soldier, but the latter needed to talk. He asked the partisan and himself whether it was possible to hate a stranger, only on the basis of an order someone had given. They walked through the forest deep in conversation until they arrived, unobserved, on Soviet territory. Now their roles are suddenly reversed... The feature debut by director Patrik Lančarič, chiefly known for his theatre work, is based on a story by Slovak writer of Leopold Lahola. With the incorporation of footage from the war itself, the film moves away from its spatial and temporal framework to present a more universal testimony. As a low-budget project developed by a group of enthusiasts, the film offers a fascinating alternative to major productions of the genre.
About the film
126 min / Color, 35 mm
International premiere
Director Patrik Lančarič
/ Screenplay Peter Pavlac, Patrik Lančarič, Marko Igonda
/ Dir. of Photography Peter Kelíšek
/ Music Vladimír Martinka
/ Editor Ľubomír Čechovič
/ Producer Marek Veselický
/ Production Farbyka
/ Cast Marko Igonda, Alexander Bárta, Boris Farkaš, Monika Hilmerová, Juraj Kemka, Marián Miezga
/ Contact Farbyka, Remake, s.r.o., EastWest Filmdistribution GmbH
/ Distributor Remake, s.r.o.
www: www.meetingtheenemy.com
About the director
Patrik Lančarič (b. 1973, Slovakia) graduated from Bratislava’s Academy of Music, where he subsequently taught, and was later appointed Artistic Director of the State Theatre Company in Košice. As a director he staged a series of productions at leading Slovak theatres (Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava, Košice State Theatre, Astorka Korzo 90, Studio L + S) and also in Germany (Thalia Theater in Hamburg). He has also directed for radio and television. The film Facing the Enemy is his feature film debut.
Contacts
Farbyka
Bajkalská 22, 821 09, Bratislava
Slovakia
Phone: +421 2 529 631 05
Fax: +421 2 529 460 92
E-mail: veselicky@farbyka.sk
Remake, s.r.o.
V Jámě 1, 110 00, Praha 1
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 224 162 469
Fax: +420 224 162 591
E-mail: mbrocko@seznam.cz
EastWest Filmdistribution GmbH
Schottenfeldgasse 14, 1070, Vienna
Austria
Phone: +43 1 524 9310
Fax: +43 1 524 931 020
E-mail: info@eastwest-distribution.com
Guests
Marek Veselický
Producer
Patrik Lančarič
Film Director / Producer
Peter Kelíšek
Director of Photography, Director of Photography, Film Director / Producer
Boris Farkaš
Actor, Actor
Alexander Bárta
Actor, Actor
Monika Hilmerová
Actor, Actor
Marko Igonda
Actor, Actor
Richard Homola
Film Crew
