Taiwan NewsMonday, June 30,2008
Indie directors shine at Taipei Film Festival
Hermia Lin
It's difficult for independent filmmakers to sell their movies, or even to get their money back for their production, given the fact that most audiences are more interested in big budget, eye candy films with special effects. But two international independent film directors, Andrzej Jakimowski from Poland and Delphine Kreuter from France, whose films "Tricks" and "57000km Between Us" were selected by the 10th Taipei Film Festival to compete in the "New Talent Competition" category, both said their love for filmmaking would not hold them back from the harsh realities of the industry.
"One of the most interesting part about filmmaking is that you get to know many different people. If you write a book, you have to stay alone in your room for a long time. But if you shoot a movie, you are never alone. I like that," said Jakimowski in an interview with the Taiwan News conducted yesterday afternoon.
Jakimowski's "Tricks," which tells the story of two siblings who live in the countryside of southern Poland, has won several international awards since it was released last October. "Tricks" will be shown in Taipei's Changchun Cinema starting August 1.
The film's picturesque landscape, the optimistic undertone, and the spontaneous acting between the six-year-old boy Stefek and his 18-year-old sister Elka have left a vivid impression on viewers here in Taipei during the film festival. Jakimowski said he was really happy to know that Taiwanese viewers enjoyed the film.
Being a producer, screenwriter, director for "Tricks," the director recalled that he spent one year before the film was shot, and half a year after the film was finished, knocking on doors to find investors for "Tricks."
"Making cinema is very expensive. It is not easy to sell independent films unless it's an international hit. It is very difficult to get your money back from the film production because 'Tricks' is not an American style movie," said the director, but he added that if people work really hard and are clever, it is always possible to reach their goals.
Besides facing the difficulty of getting financial support from investors, Jakimowski said it was also not easy to find the right boy to play Stefek. The whole production team stayed at four cities in Poland looking for the suitable lead character, and interviewed and auditioned more than 400 young boys.
"I want the audience who have seen the film to reach their goals and to take risks. We should not be afraid to take risks, but we should always be careful," said Jakimowski with a smile.
Kreuter, also faced the same challenge of finding sponsors to invest in her first feature-length movie "57000km Between Us."
"It took me five years to find an investor. During the five years, I waited and waited for response, and just revised the script again and again and again," said Kreuter, adding that she spent three months to shoot the film after she got the funding.
But the long wait did not stop Kreuter from creating her film, Kreuter said.
Working as a photographer before making her first feature length film, Kreuter said it is necessary for her to create, and that she enjoys speaking in different ways to explore the world and human beings.
"57000km Between Us" follows three days and four nights in the life of 14-year-old Nathalie. Nat lives in an environment in which adults around her are highly indulgent in the Internet world and are overly dependent on technology.
Nat's mom is obsessed with gaining celebrity through her website, her stepfather seems stuck behind the lens of his video camera and her real dad has just undergone transgender surgery. Enveloped by the absurd lives of adults around her, Nat withdraws into the virtual world. Her online boyfriend asks her to take her webcam around town and this leads to unexpected results as Nat rediscovers her faith in reality and grows up in just three days and four nights.
Kreuter said before she made the film, she was very interested in why people want to look at other people's lives through the Internet.
Asked why she chose a teenage girl, who is seemingly more mature than other adults in the film, to play the lead, Kreuter said she juxtaposes different elements in a film.
"Each character in the film faces one another with their own loneliness. Through the movie, I want to give the audience something that they are looking for, something that is important, even if they don't know," said Kreuter.
"57000km Between Us" has just won the "Special Jury Prize" in the Taipei Film Festival on June 28. The festival will end on July 6.
Movie and ticketing information of the festival is available at www.taipeiff.org.tw
http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=748&Itemid=235
"One of the most interesting part about filmmaking is that you get to know many different people. If you write a book, you have to stay alone in your room for a long time. But if you shoot a movie, you are never alone. I like that," said Jakimowski in an interview with the Taiwan News conducted yesterday afternoon.
Jakimowski's "Tricks," which tells the story of two siblings who live in the countryside of southern Poland, has won several international awards since it was released last October. "Tricks" will be shown in Taipei's Changchun Cinema starting August 1.
The film's picturesque landscape, the optimistic undertone, and the spontaneous acting between the six-year-old boy Stefek and his 18-year-old sister Elka have left a vivid impression on viewers here in Taipei during the film festival. Jakimowski said he was really happy to know that Taiwanese viewers enjoyed the film.
Being a producer, screenwriter, director for "Tricks," the director recalled that he spent one year before the film was shot, and half a year after the film was finished, knocking on doors to find investors for "Tricks."
"Making cinema is very expensive. It is not easy to sell independent films unless it's an international hit. It is very difficult to get your money back from the film production because 'Tricks' is not an American style movie," said the director, but he added that if people work really hard and are clever, it is always possible to reach their goals.
Besides facing the difficulty of getting financial support from investors, Jakimowski said it was also not easy to find the right boy to play Stefek. The whole production team stayed at four cities in Poland looking for the suitable lead character, and interviewed and auditioned more than 400 young boys.
"I want the audience who have seen the film to reach their goals and to take risks. We should not be afraid to take risks, but we should always be careful," said Jakimowski with a smile.
Kreuter, also faced the same challenge of finding sponsors to invest in her first feature-length movie "57000km Between Us."
"It took me five years to find an investor. During the five years, I waited and waited for response, and just revised the script again and again and again," said Kreuter, adding that she spent three months to shoot the film after she got the funding.
But the long wait did not stop Kreuter from creating her film, Kreuter said.
Working as a photographer before making her first feature length film, Kreuter said it is necessary for her to create, and that she enjoys speaking in different ways to explore the world and human beings.
"57000km Between Us" follows three days and four nights in the life of 14-year-old Nathalie. Nat lives in an environment in which adults around her are highly indulgent in the Internet world and are overly dependent on technology.
Nat's mom is obsessed with gaining celebrity through her website, her stepfather seems stuck behind the lens of his video camera and her real dad has just undergone transgender surgery. Enveloped by the absurd lives of adults around her, Nat withdraws into the virtual world. Her online boyfriend asks her to take her webcam around town and this leads to unexpected results as Nat rediscovers her faith in reality and grows up in just three days and four nights.
Kreuter said before she made the film, she was very interested in why people want to look at other people's lives through the Internet.
Asked why she chose a teenage girl, who is seemingly more mature than other adults in the film, to play the lead, Kreuter said she juxtaposes different elements in a film.
"Each character in the film faces one another with their own loneliness. Through the movie, I want to give the audience something that they are looking for, something that is important, even if they don't know," said Kreuter.
"57000km Between Us" has just won the "Special Jury Prize" in the Taipei Film Festival on June 28. The festival will end on July 6.
Movie and ticketing information of the festival is available at www.taipeiff.org.tw
http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=748&Itemid=235