Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 19:49 San Sebastian Film Festival lineup
In less than one week I'll be heading to San Sebastian to cover the 59th edition of the Basque Country's and Spain's most important film festival and I'm still undecided about what to look most forward to.
In the glamorous side of things, Glenn Close will lead the army of star power that will storm the Bay of Biscay on its way to the Kursaal Centre, the fest's main headquarters. Close will receive this year's Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony on September 18 at the Kursaal auditorium. The fest will also present the European premiere of Albert Nobbs, a film set in 19th century Ireland where Close plays a woman who disguises herself as a man to make a living as a butler, a character the actress already inhabited in a stage version almost three decades ago. In the North American festival phase of the film, pundits have embraced Close's performance as one of the best of her career and she is now one of the frontrunners for this year's Best Actress Oscar, an award she was nominated for, and lost, five times during the 80s.
The competition strand of the fest comprises a reasonable 16 titles. Among the films competing for the Golden Shell, I can't wait to see Kim Ki-duk's latest offering Amen. A festival darling who has scored wins here in San Sebastian, as well as in Venice and Cannes, he's always a filmmaker to follow when one of his films is in contention. Two-time Golden Shell champ Arturo Ripstein will also present his new film The Reasons of the Heart. When I think of gems of his filmography like Principio y Fin, I cannot help but look forward to what this veteran Mexican filmmaker has to offer. The section features the latest work by two actresses turned director: Julie Delpy's Le Skylab and Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz, while Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Intruders has been chosen as the fest's curtain-raiser, although it will not compete for any of the official awards.
I also shiver with anticipation when I look at the Zabaltegi-Pearls section of the festival, which includes not only some of the best films I have seen this year like Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life (which will receive the FIPRESCI award as best film of year in the opening ceremony) or Asghar Farhadi's A Separation, but also a selection of the Cannes and Venice crop mostly unknown to me. Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive (best director winner in Cannes), Michel Hazanavicius's The Artist (Jean Dujardin was named best actor in Cannes), Aki Kaurismäki's Le Havre, Sean Durkin's Martha Marcy May Marlene or Steve McQueen's Shame, for which Michael Fassenberg has taken home the Volpi Cup in Venice this weekend, all appear up there among my priorities.
Retrospectives of Jacques Demy's career and of American film noir from the last two decades, together with other sections like Horizontes Latinos or Zabategi-New Directors, add to the staggering 245 films that will be screened at the festival, which runs from September 16 to September 24.
I will make as extensive a coverage of the festival as it's humanly possible. In the meantime, here's the intriguing if vague trailer of Kim Ki-du's Amen.
Reader Comments (1)
I'm sure you'll have a great time in San Sebastian and provide us with a thorough account. Already looking forward to your posts. Enjoy!!!!! PS: on a more personal note, if you happen to come accross Ryan Gosling and he looks like he might be interest, would you mind passing my phone number to him? :)