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Tribeca Festival · 2007

Tribeca Festival 2007

Spotlight

The organisers said: "The Spotlight category was created for unique out-of-competition films with well-known cast members, high-profile directors or timely subject matter. With themes ranging from soccer and poker to a determined shepherdess looking for the perfect husband as well as a documentary about the unsung heroes of humanitarian efforts, this year's Spotlight category sheds light on diverse issues and emotions with 17 features and documentaries from eight different countries."

Programme

17 films · 7 reviews

Jump to a film

2 Days In Paris (Two Days In Paris, Deux Jours a Paris)

Review preview for 2 Days In Paris

In the first part of the film, the script zips along with plenty of laughs but the biggest problem is that the characters, in particular Marion, become increasingly difficult to like.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
A couple try to hold their relationship together on a weekend in Paris.

(Country: Germany, France; Year: 2007; Director: Julie Delpy; Writer: Julie Delpy; Stars: Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg, Daniel Brühl, Marie Pillet, Albert Delpy, Aleksia Landeau, Adan Jodorowsky, Alexandre Nahon, Charlotte Maury-Sentier, Vanessa Seward, Thibault De Lussy) , Official site

Full review See: Julie Delpy Interview about 2 Days In Paris

North American Premiere

Chops

Each year, Jazz at Lincoln Center and its artistic director Wynton Marsalis host the prestigious Essentially Ellington Festival, a competition of high school jazz bands from across the country. This toe-tapping and empowering documentary focuses on one Florida band filled with young musicians who hit all the right notes.

(Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: Bruce Broder) , Official site

World Premiere

The Grand

Review preview for The Grand

Penn has come up trumps.

Tony Sullivan · 4 out of 5
Poker movie comes up trumps.

(Country: USA; Year: 2007; Director: Zak Penn; Writer: Zak Penn, Matt Bierman; Stars: Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, David Cross, Ray Romano, Jason Alexander, Dennis Farina, Chris Parnell, Richard Kind, Werner Herzog)

Full review See: Tribeca Film Festival diary: Days 4 and 5

World Premiere

Invisibles

Giving voice to those silenced by international indifference, Academy Award® nominated actor Javier Bardem teams with Doctors Without Borders to produce this powerful collection of short films. Five acclaimed directors shed light on heroic, yet unsung humanitarian efforts to combat international crises, which have thus far remained invisible.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2006; Director: Mariano Barroso, Isabel Coixet, Javier Corcuera, Fernando León de Aranoa, Wim Wenders) , Official site

US Premiere

The Killing Of John Lennon

Review preview for The Killing Of John Lennon

A reasonably polished film considering the minuscule budget.

Chris · 2.5 out of 5
An exploration of the experiences of Mark Chapman before and after he killed John Lennon.

(Country: UK; Year: 2006; Director: Andrew Piddington; Writer: Andrew Piddington; Stars: Jonas Ball) , Trailer

Full review

North American Premiere

My Best Friend (Mon Meilleur Ami)

Review preview for My Best Friend

Leconte’s film constantly amuses and surprises, genuinely uplifting while making very clear that people can be a bit rubbish sometimes.

Jeff Robson · 4 out of 5
A successful antiques dealer, challenged by his dinner companions to introduce his best friend for a bet, realises he doesn’t have one.

(Country: France; Year: 2006; Director: Patrice Leconte; Writer: Olivier Dazat, Patrice Leconte; Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Dany Boon, Julie Gayet, Julie Durand, Henri Garcin, Jacques Mathou, Marie Pillet, Élisabeth Bourgine, Jacques Spiesser, Audrey Marnay, Anne Le Ny) , Official site

Full review

US Premiere

The Optimists (Optimisti)

One of Central Europe's leading filmmakers follows his unforgettable A Midwinter Night's Dream (TFF 2005) with this new film whose five episodes conjure up a world where people have trouble distinguishing truth from illusions. Each segment reflects the motto of Voltaire's Candide: "Optimism is insisting everything is good, when everything is bad."

(Country: Serbia; Year: 2006; Director: Goran Paskaljevic; Writer: Goran Paskaljevic, Vladimir Paskaljevic; Stars: Lazar Ristovski, Bojana Novakovic, Petar Bozovic, Tihomir Arsic, Nebojsa Glogovac, Nebojsa Milovanovic, Slavko Stimac, Dragan Jovanovic, Mira Banjac, Viktor Savic, Lazar Milosevic)

North American Premiere

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song

Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen are two of many who attest to Seeger's importance in this compelling documentary that is more than a simple biography. Using new interviews, archival footage and home movies, Brown presents a social history through the life of one of this country's most compelling forces for change and, arguably, the most significant folk artist of our time.

(Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: Jim Brown; Stars: Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Natalie Maines, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, N. Paul Stookey, , , , )

World Premiere

The Power Of The Game

Six stories intertwine in this dramatic and moving examination of the social impact of soccer across the world. Juxtaposing thrilling footage from games leading to and throughout the 2006 World Cup, Apted highlights stories of triumph over adversity from around the globe and skillfully conveys the remarkable transformative power of this sport.

(Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: Michael Apted)

World Premiere

Purple Violets

Aspiring novelist Patti Petalson's (Selma Blair) chance encounter with her ex Brian (Patrick Wilson) turns her life upside down in this charming romance. Burns shows a new maturity both behind and in front of the lens as he also pairs with Debra Messing to round-out the foursome of college friends reuniting after years of estrangement.

(Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: Edward Burns; Writer: Edward Burns; Stars: Selma Blair, Patrick Wilson, Edward Burns, Debra Messing, Dennis Farina, Max Baker, James Biberi, George Bryant II, Orlagh Cassidy, Donal Logue, Jay Patterson)

World Premiere

Razzle Dazzle The Lost World

A frequently returning TFF filmmaker presents the world premiere of his new experimental narrative opus. Razzle Dazzle confirms Jacobs' mastery of digital filmmaking in which he treats the image as a painterly canvas, exploring the depths of cubism and abstract expressionism from source material comprising turn-of-the-century stereopticon slides and an early Edison film.

(Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: Ken Jacobs) , Official site

World Premiere

The Road To St Diego (El Camino De San Diego)

A young Argentine backwoodsman learns that soccer star Diego Maradona is ailing in a Buenos Aires hospital, and resolves to bring him a tree root he's uncovered--which he's certain looks just like his idol. Tracing a pilgrimage filled with humor, Sorin spins a delightfully offbeat tale about the roles that fate, religion and idolatry can play in life.

(Country: Argentina; Year: 2006; Director: Carlos Sorin; Writer: Carlos Sorin; Stars: Ignacio Benítez, Carlos Wagner La Bella, Paola Rotela, Silvina Fontelles, Miguel González Colman, José Armónico, Toti Rivas, Marisa Córdoba, Otto Mosdien, Claudio Uassouf, Lila Cáceres)

North American Premiere

Steep

Whether it's jumping out of a helicopter hovering above the powdery slopes of Alaska's mountain ranges, or trying to outrun an avalanche in the French Alps, Steep traces the legacy of extreme skiing from its early pioneers to the death-defying daredevils of today.

(Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: Mark Obenhaus; Writer: Mark Obenhaus; Stars: Ingrid Backstrom, Anselme Baud, Bill Briggs, Doug Coombs, Chris Davenport, Stefano De Benedetti, Shane McConkey, Andrew McLean, Seth Morrison, Eric Pehota, Glen Plake)

World Premiere

Take The Bridge

Four young strangers meet after their failed suicide attempts land each of them in the hospital on the same day. United by circumstance, they may yet discover a reason to live. This fresh, original take on city life pays tribute to the vitality and energy of the Dominican community in Washington Heights.

(Country: US, Chile; Year: 2006; Director: Sergio M Castilla; Writer: Sergio M Castilla; Stars: Adrián Castilla, Sergio M Castilla, Francisco Delgado, Mimi Pasqual, Anthony Reynoso, Angelica Rodriguez, Kathleen Rodriguez, Pedro Aponte Rosario, Yolanda Suero, Ruth Sullivan)

World Premiere

This Is England

Review preview for This Is England

This is England is, quite simply, the best British film for years. If you're underage, sneak into this film.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
A young boy adopted by a group of skinheads struggles to find his own identity in a world dominated by racism and war. Now out to own on two-disc DVD.

(Country: UK; Year: 2006; Director: Shane Meadows; Writer: Shane Meadows; Stars: Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley, Andrew Shim, Vicky McClure, Joseph Gilgun, Perry Benson, George Newton, Frank Harper, Jack O'Connell, Kieran Hardcastle)

Full review See: Interview with Thomas Turgoose and Tom Harper about The Scouting Book For Boys , Stephen Graham interview about This is England

US Premiere

Tuya's Marriage (Tu Ya De Hun Shi)

Review preview for Tuya's Marriage

Tuya is joins the ranks of other strong, female characters created by Chinese directors and writers, in this case battling against the odds to keep her family together.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
A woman faces tough choices in the Mongolian Steppe.

(Country: China; Year: 2006; Director: Quanan Wang; Writer: Wei Lu, Quanan Wang; Stars: Nan Yu, Bater, Sen'ge, Baolier, Zhaya,)

Full review

North American Premiere

You Kill Me

Review preview for You Kill Me

You Kill Me is light-hearted, never really laugh out loud funny but always amusing.

Andrew Robertson · 3.5 out of 5
An alcoholic hitman means a dangerous woman.

(Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: John Dahl; Writer: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely; Stars: Ben Kingsley, Téa Leoni, Luke Wilson, Dennis Farina, Philip Baker Hall, Bill Pullman) , Official site , Trailer

Full review See: John Dahl Interview about You Kill Me

World Premiere