‘Sparrows’, ‘Gang’ rule Les Arcs – Berlin fest reveals first films in Generation section

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LOS ANGELES, Dec 19, (RTRS): Runar Runarsson’s Icelandic coming-of-age drama “Sparrows” has won the Crystal Arrow and two more awards at the 7th edition of Les Arcs European film festival. Sold by Versatile, “Sparrows”, which world premiered at San Sebastian and won the Golden Seashell, nabbed three kudos at Les Arcs: The Crystal Arrow for best film as well as the nods best actor (Atli Óskar Fjalarsson) and cinematography (Sophia Olsson). The movie marks Runarsson’s second feature after “Volcano”, which bowed at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2011. Lushly filmed in summertime Iceland, “Sparrows” follows a 16-year-old who has been living in Reykjavik with his mother and is sent back to live with his estranged father in an Icelandic fishing village.

Eva Husson’s steamy “Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)” which premiered at Toronto’s new Platform selection, won the Grand Jury prize and the music nod for the pic’s song, White Sea. Husson, who has been compared to Sofia Coppola and was recently signed by UTA, wrote and directed “Bang Gang,” which turns on privileged suburban teens who engage in a group game to push the limits of their sexuality. Films Distribution is handling international sales. ‘“Gang Bang” also snatched up the Cineuropa Prize and the award selected by high-school students of Les Arcs’s surrounding regions.

Meanwhile, Manal Issa won best actress for her performance as a young Lebanese woman who struggles to fend for herself in Paris in “Peur de rien”, a semi-autobiographical film by Danielle Arbid.

Sylvie Pialat, the producer of “Timbuktu” and “Stranger By The Lake”, presided the jury, which was comprised of actress Clotilde Hesme, the composer Ludovic Bource, the Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska, Norvegian actor Anders Danielsen Lie and Italian director Saverio Costanzo.

The Berlin Film Festival has revealed the first 13 titles in the Generation section. The lineup is divided into Generation Kplus, for films targeted at younger kids, and Generation 14plus, for movies made for teenagers.

“The films selected thus far feature young individuals whose inner lives are in turmoil. The protagonists’ often fragile states of mind find heightened expression in anxious spaces, dream worlds, landscapes of desire and surreal apparitions,” the festival said in a statement.

The full program for Generation will be announced in mid-January.

Generation 14PLUS

“Ani ve snu!” (In Your Dreams!) — Czech Republic; Athletic, fast and fearless, 16-year-old Laura has little trouble conquering her hometown’s parkour routes and none at all keeping up with the boys in the process. However, she can only express her feelings for Luky, the parkour king, in her vivid dreams. When he suddenly disappears, the line between dream and reality begins to blur.

“Born to Dance” — New Zealand; For the Maori teenager, Tu, it appears that hip-hop dance is the only hope for him to escape from a predestined career in the military. Tammy Davis (“Ebony Society”, Generation 2010) is back again with fat beats and spectacular moves, choreographed by hip-hop dance world champion Parris Goebel.

“Girl Asleep” — Australia; It’s the 1970s and Greta should be celebrating at her 15th birthday party. Instead she descends into a bizarre and dangerous dream world full of strange creatures. Thus begins an absurd and both terrifying and beautiful trip, into the mind of a teenager. Featuring Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Imogen Archer (“52 Tuesdays”, Generation 2014).

“Las Plantas” (Plants) — Chile; Moments awash in shimmering grey and the distorted sounds of a guitar: for Florencia night beckons and threatens at the same time. She reads aloud to her comatose brother, from a comic book about the evolving souls of plants. At the same time, she starts to explore her curiosity about sex with online acquaintances.

“Sairat” (Wild) — India; The love that binds clever Parshya and beautiful and self-confident Archie is as passionate as it is socially taboo. Breaking away from the narrow-mindedness and violence of convention is the only way out for the young couple. With powerful imagery and epic scope, Nagraj Manjule tells the story of an impossible love.

“Triapichniy Soyuz” (Rag Union) — Russia; Vania’s introspective teenage existence takes a radical turn when he joins up with an anarchistic group of young men that call themselves the “Rag Union.” They want to set the world on fire with art and violence. A debut film told with breakneck pacing and exuberant energy.

“What’s in the Darkness” — China; Qu’s world is one full of riddles, contradictions and forensic science. Her parents don’t seem to like each other at all. Her friend disappears suddenly and then there’s a serial killer on the loose to top things off. Coming-of-age meets chilling thriller.

Generation KPLUS

“ENTE GUT! Madchen allein zu Haus” (Fortune Favors the Brave) — Germany; Because her mother had to go back to Vietnam, 11 year-old Linh now has to take care of her little sister and the take-away restaurant on her own. Nobody is supposed to know, but nothing gets past Pauline who lives in the same neighborhood. Will the self-appointed “spy” blow the whistle on the two sisters?

“Genc Pehlivanlar” (Young Wrestlers) — Turkey/Netherlands; Living, learning, suffering for their passion: the 26 boys living at the sports academy in the Turkish province of Amasya will endure a lot to realize their wrestling dream. This documentary’s observational camera remains unobtrusive while still allowing us to experience an everyday life at close range — somewhere between camaraderie and competition.

“Rauf” — Turkey; Rauf hopes to win over his big crush, the older Zana, with the help of the color pink. But what does pink really look like anyways, and will he even be able to find it in his snowy little Kurdish village up in the mountains? Meanwhile, disturbing rumors sweep in from the outside world.

“Siv sover vilse” (Siv Sleeps Astray) — Sweden/Netherlands; Little Siv (Astrid Lovgren) is supposed to sleep over at Cerisia’s (Lilly Brown) place, but the later it gets the stranger things start to appear in her new friend’s odd home. An original adaptation of Pija Lindenbaum’s children’s book.

“Ted Sieger’s Molly Monster” — Der Kinofilm (Ted Sieger’s Molly Monster) — Germany/Switzerland/Sweden; There’s quite a stir in Monsterland: the little monster, Molly, is going to get a brother or sister. But before the new baby finally hatches, Molly and her best friend Edison have to make it through a number of adventures. Colorful animation fun for the youngest festivalgoers, adapted for the big screen from the popular TV series “Ted Sieger’s Molly Monster.”

“Zud” — Germany/Poland; In the barren steppes of Mongolia, 11-year-old Sukhbat is training hard for a win at the horse races and hoping thus to gain his father’s recognition. With its panoramic landscape shots and observational documental style, this feature film tells the story of a nomadic childhood.

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