Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Munich Film Festival 2008-MONDAY


My favourite film so far: O’Horten by Bent Hamer from Norway. I couldn't find an official website, only the imdb link and the youtube Trailer. The film opens with a beautiful and unusual title sequence following a train (the main character, Odd Horten, is a train driver). The camera dips into blacks and whites–from the dark tunnels into the bright snowy Norway. We then follow the protagonist on his last days before his retirement encountering one strange situation after another. This strange film speaks, I think, a language typical for 'northern' films (Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, I mean), similar to the genius of Aki Kaurismäki. Something I couldn't imagine in German or American cinema, which makes films like this so enjoyable and film festivals, where you get exposed to them, so great.
P.S.: Our usual 3 films a day quote was impaired by the need to attend the annual feast event of DelikatEssen. The magazine about fine Munich restaurants invites their writers, amongst them my parents, once a year to gorge on small portions of steamed asparagus, roasted wild board and cherry tomato and apple risotto etc. Tough ;)

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