NOT ONLY SPORTS-THEMED FILMS IN THE COMPETITION FOR YOUTH
A road movie, go-kart races, urban parkour, and an Arabic superstar – these are just some of the topics audiences will be able to experience on Zlin's cinema screens during the international competition of film for young people.
The Slovenian film Nika (Slovenia, 2016) by Sarajevo native Slobodan Maksimović will have its world premiere at the 56th Zlin Film Festival. A several-member delegation led by the director will present the story of the irrepressible girl Nika, who has inherited her father's passion for speed after his tragic death. Her right to decide on her future, however, is a thorn in side of her uncompromising mother. The film's visually stimulating series of go-kart races serve as the background of a universal story about loss, love, growing up and finding one's path.
A rebellious girl goes on a long journey through Texas in a film by director Laurie Weltz called About Scout (USA, 2015). Social services have separated two sisters; the younger sister has been given to their father, who's a stranger to both girls. Fearless, Scout sets out to find her sister with the help of an unknown suicidal young man. During their wanderings across the American landscape, this unlikely duo – a girl full of life and a depressed patient from a psychiatric hospital – realize they have more in common than they first thought.
Another female protagonist and her story will be presented to Zlin's audiences in the Czech film In Your Dreams (Ani ve snu!, Czech Republic, 2016), directed by Petr Oukropec, who won the City of Zlin award in 2012 for his debut film Blue Tiger. Inserting a love story within the unique environment of urban parkour practitioners has paid off so much for the makers of this film that, after many years, we’ve got a Czech representative within the prestigious Generation program at this year's Berlinale.
The third sports-themed film in Zlin's program is the Russian film The Pitch (Russia, 2015), directed by Eduard Bordukov. An almost epic struggle is waged over a shabby fenced-in pitch that is considered the home turf and an oasis among the prefabricated tower blocks by the local football enthusiasts. But it's not long till the place is noticed by a group of young people from the Caucasus whose member Damir is the greatest football star of the local team. This fresh drama was filmed using modern techniques dominated by excellent cinematography, music and editing.
Audiences can take a break from adrenaline in a film by Ehab Assal called The Idol (Palestine, France, Germany, Norway, Qatar, 2015), which was filmed based on the true story of Mohammed Assaf, a Palestinian living in the Gaza Strip, a zone marked by serious conflict. A promising young singer named Mohammed wants get from here to Cairo in order to attempt the impossible – get into the tryouts for the world-famous The Arab Idolcontest. The simple effort to fulfill the dream of his deceased sister, however, turns into a national struggle for human rights. The main star of the film, Tawfeek Barhom, is coming to Zlín to personally present the film and to present himself to audiences as this year's Young Star in Zlín.
We go from the national context to the narrow context of human relations in the debut film by Guillaume Senez called Keeper (Belgium, Switzerland, France, 2015), which offers a realistic portrait of two children dealing not only with life decisions, but with the premature transition from a carefree childhood to responsible adulthood. An unplanned pregnancy, the reckless agreement by both to keep the baby, and the consequences for them and those around them have been very sensitively captured emphasizing the natural acting performances of the young couple.
The protagonists of two more films in the competition are a few years younger. Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass (Vietnam, 2015) is a film adaptation of the bestseller by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh that has been transferred successfully by Vietnamese director Victor Vu. Beautiful images of exotic Asia accompany a story about brotherly love, jealousy and forgiveness. The fairytale atmosphere gives the film a dreamy tinge that mixes with the harsh reality of life in the Vietnamese countryside in the 1980s.
A French representative to Zlin's competition is Learn by Heart(2015), the debut by Mathieu Vadepied, the cameraman behind the blockbuster filmThe Untouchables. This very current topic about immigrants is dealt with by 14-year-old Adama, who is trying to get out of the vicious circle of suburban juvenile crime. The successful presentation of the urban jungle environment and the performances by the young actors have contributed to creating tension and authenticity.
