FIRST GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL
St. James Cavalier, Valletta      18th - 22nd November 2009
Organised by the German-Maltese Circle in collaboration with the Goethe Institute

 

		Cherry Blossoms – Hanami      (Kirschblüten - Hanami) Director: Doris Dörrie, colour, 127 min., 2007/08  German Film Award 2008 (Best Film in Silver, Best leading Actor and Best Costumes) Rudi (Elmar Wepper) is unaware that he is suffering from cancer and only has a few weeks left to live. The doctor has only informed his vivacious, esoteric wife Trudi (Hannelore Elsner) of his diagnosis, and she decides that they should take a last holiday together. When they arrive on the Baltic coast, Trudi dies unexpectedly – and Rudi fulfils his wife's lifelong dream of visiting Japan and seeing Mount Fuji.  Wednesday, 18th November at 19.30hrs  -  R18
		Emma's Bliss    (Emmas Glück) Director: Sven Taddicken, colour, 103 min., 2006 Seville Audience Award 2006  Max does not have long to live. He wants to spend his last few days far away. When he winds up on the farm of the headstrong pig breeder Emma after an accident, he learns that real happiness is closer than he thought. Thursday, 19th November at 19.00hrs  -  R18
		The Edge of Heaven     (Auf der anderen Seite) Director: Fatih Akin, colour, 120 min., 2006/07 German Film Award 2008 (Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Editing) Cannes Filmfestival 2007 (Best Screenplay)  LUX Prize 2007 (Prize awarded by the European Parliament)  Fatih Akin’s trilogy “Love, death and the devil” kicked off in 2003 with the multi award-winning melodrama HEAD-ON, a tale of excessive and destructive passion. He now resumes the series with a six-character rondo of a strikingly different tone: it moves at a gentle pace, adopts a balladic narrative and explores deep philosophical questions. It is the story of six people whose lives intertwine in Hamburg and Istanbul and who mature and transform after encountering death. Akin views it as his “most spiritual film”.  Thursday, 19th November at 21.00hrs  -  R16
		Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) Director: Chris Kraus, colour, 112 min., 2006 German Film Award 2007 (Best Film, Best leading Actress)  A most unusual story told with equally unusual conviction. Traude Krüger has been giving piano lessons in a women's prison for decades. She meets Jenny, a reserved young woman convicted of murder who was once considered a child musical prodigy. Her attempt to guide her pupil to victory in a music competition leads to a difficult, contradictory relationship between the two women which fascinates to the very last second.  Friday, 20th November at 19.00hrs  -  R16
		Cherry Blossoms – Hanami        (Kirschblüten - Hanami) Director: Doris Dörrie, colour, 127 min., 2007/08 German Film Award 2008 (Best Film in Silver, Best leading Actor and Best Costumes)  Rudi (Elmar Wepper) is unaware that he is suffering from cancer and only has a few weeks left to live. The doctor has only informed his vivacious, esoteric wife Trudi (Hannelore Elsner) of his diagnosis, and she decides that they should take a last holiday together. When they arrive on the Baltic coast, Trudi dies unexpectedly – and Rudi fulfils his wife's lifelong dream of visiting Japan and seeing Mount Fuji.  Friday, 20th November at 21.00hrs  -  R18
		Krabat     Director: Marco Kreuzpaintner, colour, 120 min., 2006-08 Bavarian Film Award 2009 (Best Children/Youth film)  A voice in a dream lures the 14-year-old orphan Krabat to a mill shrouded in mystery, where he is taken on as an apprentice by a sinister master. Alongside eleven other lads, he finds himself learning not just the miller’s craft but eventually also the arts of black magic. However, this comes at a high price: every New Year’s Eve one of the students must forfeit his life since this is the only way their master, who has made a pact with Death, can extend his own life for another year. Krabat, however, begins to break away from this fateful power struggle. His inner strength, a shrewd friend and the love of a girl help him banish the dark shadows that have long been cast over this place and its inhabitants. Saturday, 21st November at 16.30hrs  -  R12
		Yella Director: Christian Petzold, colour, 88 min., 2007 German Film Award 2008 (Best Actress) Silver Bear Berlin 2007 (Best Actress)  Yella leaves. She longs for the future. She wants to leave the life she has led up until now behind her. On her travels she meets a man working in the venture capital world. Yella proves herself as his assistant. But time and again fragments of her past force their way into her new life. Saturday, 21st November at 19.00hrs  -  R16
		Emma's Bliss     (Emmas Glück) Director: Sven Taddicken, colour, 103 min., 2006 Seville Audience Award 2006   Max does not have long to live. He wants to spend his last few days far away. When he winds up on the farm of the headstrong pig breeder Emma after an accident, he learns that real happiness is closer than he thought. Saturday, 21st November at 21.00hrs  -  R18
		Krabat    Director: Marco Kreuzpaintner, colour, 120 min., 2006-08  Bavarian Film Award 2009 (Best Children/Youth film) A voice in a dream lures the 14-year-old orphan Krabat to a mill shrouded in mystery, where he is taken on as an apprentice by a sinister master. Alongside eleven other lads, he finds himself learning not just the miller’s craft but eventually also the arts of black magic. However, this comes at a high price: every New Year’s Eve one of the students must forfeit his life since this is the only way their master, who has made a pact with Death, can extend his own life for another year. Krabat, however, begins to break away from this fateful power struggle. His inner strength, a shrewd friend and the love of a girl help him banish the dark shadows that have long been cast over this place and its inhabitants. Sunday, 22nd November at 16.30hrs  -  R12
		The Edge of Heaven                 -              Film will be screened in German with subtitles in Maltese (Auf der anderen Seite) Director: Fatih Akin, colour, 120 min., 2006/07 German Film Award 2008 (Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Editing) Cannes Filmfestival 2007 (Best Screenplay) LUX Prize 2007 (Prize awarded by the European Parliament)  Fatih Akin’s trilogy “Love, death and the devil” kicked off in 2003 with the multi award-winning melodrama HEAD-ON, a tale of excessive and destructive passion. He now resumes the series with a six-character rondo of a strikingly different tone: it moves at a gentle pace, adopts a balladic narrative and explores deep philosophical questions. It is the story of six people whose lives intertwine in Hamburg and Istanbul and who mature and transform after encountering death. Akin views it as his “most spiritual film”.  Sunday, 22nd November at 19.00hrs  -  R16
		Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) Director: Chris Kraus, colour, 112 min., 2006 German Film Award 2007 (Best Film, Best leading Actress)   A most unusual story told with equally unusual conviction. Traude Krüger has been giving piano lessons in a women's prison for decades. She meets Jenny, a reserved young woman convicted of murder who was once considered a child musical prodigy. Her attempt to guide her pupil to victory in a music competition leads to a difficult, contradictory relationship between the two women which fascinates to the very last second.  Sunday, 22nd November at 21.00hrs  -  R16
Click on each picture for a full review of the film                                                                                                                                                                 Booking is now open Tickets at € 2.50 from St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta Show on Wednesday, 18th November is by invitation only Unless otherwise indicated films are in German with subtitles in English View the Official Flyer

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