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Venice Film Festival · 2018

Venice Film Festival 2018

Horizons

Programme

19 films · 7 reviews

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The 12-Year Night (La noche De 12 Años)

September 1973. Uruguay is under the control of military dictatorship. The Tupamaros guerrilla movement has been crushed and out of action for a year. Its members imprisoned and tortured. One autumn night, three Tupamaros prisoners are taken from their prison cells in a secret military operation that will last for 12years.

(Director: Álvaro Brechner; Writer: Álvaro Brechner; Stars: Antonio de la Torre, Chino Darín, Alfonso Tort, César Troncoso, Soledad Villamil, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Mirella Pascual, Nidia Telles, César Bordón, Luis Mottola, John De Luca, Rodrigo Villagrán, Luciano Ciaglia, Álvaro Armand Ugón, David Landatxe)

Amanda

Review preview for Amanda

We cry with Amanda and David and when the sun comes through again, their smiles are like a gift.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
A man assumes a new responsibility for his niece as a potential guardian.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Mikhaël Hers; Writer: Maud Ameline, Mikhaël Hers; Stars: Vincent Lacoste, Isaure Multrier, Stacy Martin, Ophélia Kolb, Marianne Basler, Jonathan Cohen, Nabiha Akkari, Greta Scacchi, Bakary Sangaré, Claire Tran, Elli Medeiros, Zoé Bruneau, Lily Bensliman, Raphaël Thiéry, Leah Lapiower)

Full review See: Mikhaël Hers ‪in conversation on‬ casting Vincent Lacoste, Isaure Multrier, Stacy Martin and Greta Scacchi for Amanda, and Serge Daney

The Announcement (Anons)

Review preview for The Announcement

Recalling the bone-dry wit of the likes of Pablo Larrain mixed with a dash of the absurdity of Samuel Beckett, this is as much a waiting game as an action plan.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Soldiers involved in a 1963 coup underestimate the invisible power of civilian life.

(Country: Turkey, Bulgaria; Year: 2018; Director: Mahmut Fazil Coskun; Writer: Mahmut Fazil Coskun, Ercan Kesal; Stars: Ali Seckiner Alici, Tarhan Karagöz, Murat Kiliç, Sencan Güleryüz, Mehmet Yilmaz Ak, Ahmet Boyacioglu, Sezin Bozaci, Serkan Ercan, Tolga Evren, Banu Fotocan, Müfit Kayacan, Nazmi Kirik, Feridun Koç, Görkem Mertsöz, Erdem Senocak)

Full review

As I Lay Dying (Hamchenan Ke Mimordam)

Drama

(Country: Iran; Year: 2018; Director: Mostafa Sayari; Stars: Nader Fallah, Elham Korda, Majid Aghakarimi, Vahid Rad, Mohammad Rabbani)

Charlie Says

Review preview for Charlie Says

The finest film of the year so far.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
Three women whose death sentences for the Manson murder case were commuted to life are taught by a graduate student, who witnesses their transformation.

(Country: US; Year: 2018; Director: Mary Harron; Writer: Guinevere Turner, Karlene Faith, Ed Sanders; Stars: Suki Waterhouse, Matt Smith, Merritt Wever, Annabeth Gish, Hannah Murray, Kimmy Shields, Sosie Bacon, Chace Crawford, Grace Van Dien, Marianne Rendón, Bridger Zadina, Kayli Carter, India Ennenga, Matt Riedy, Sol Rodriguez)

Full review

The Day I Lost My Shadow (Yom Adaatou Zouli)

(Country: Syria, Lebanon, France, Qatar; Year: 2018; Director: Soudade Kaadan)

Deslembro

Drama

(Country: Brazil, France, Qatar; Year: 2018; Director: Flavia Castro; Stars: Jeanne Boudier, Hugo Abranches, Arthur Vieira Raynaud, Sara Antunes, Eliane Giardini)

If Life Gives You Lemons (Un Giorno All'Improvviso)

Romantic drama.

(Country: Italy; Year: 2018; Director: Ciro D'Emilio; Writer: Cosimo Calamini, Ciro D'Emilio; Stars: Anna Foglietta, Fabio De Caro, Biagio Forestieri, Giampiero De Concilio, Anna Foglietta, Fabio De Caro, Biagio Forestieri, Giampiero De Concilio)

Jinpa

(Country: China; Year: 2018; Director: Pema Tseden; Writer: Pema Tseden; Stars: Jinpa, Genden Phuntsok, Sonam Wangmo, Jinpa, Genden Phuntsok, Sonam Wangmo)

Manta Ray (Kraben Rahu)

Review preview for Manta Ray

The film remains mysterious without being confusing - you don't need to grasp every detail to understand its metaphors and message and its enigmatic aura invites repeat viewings.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
A fisherman finds an injured refugee and tries to help him.

(Country: Thailand, France, China; Year: 2018; Director: Phuttiphong Aroonpheng; Writer: Phuttiphong Aroonpheng; Stars: Aphisit Hama, Wanlop Rungkamjad, Rasmee Wayrana, Aphisit Hama, Wanlop Rungkamjad, Rasmee Wayrana)

Full review

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh)

Review preview for The Man Who Surprised Everyone

All the more powerful because of its deep roots in myth.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
When a man discovers he has cancer, he tries to trick death. As a disguise, he chooses to take the identity of a woman.

(Country: Russia, Estonia, France; Year: 2018; Director: Natasha Merkulova, Aleksey Chupov; Writer: Natasha Merkulova, Aleksey Chupov; Stars: Evgeniy Tsiganov, Natalya Kudryashowa)

Full review

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku)

Drama

(Country: Indonesia; Year: 2018; Director: Garin Nugroho; Stars: Muhammad Khan, Raditya Evandra, Rianto, Randy Pangalila, Whani Darmawan)

On My Skin (Sulla Mia Pelle)

Drama

(Country: Italy; Year: 2018; Director: Alessio Cremonini; Writer: Alessio Cremonini, Lisa Nur Sultan; Stars: Jasmine Trinca, Alessandro Borghi, Walter Nestola, Paolo D Bovani, Andrea Ottavi, Emanuele Cerman, Andrea Lattanzi, Mauro Conte, Gabriele Coppola, Italo Amerighi, Mauro Mandolini, Daniele Blando, Jasmine Trinca, Alessandro Borghi, Walter Nestola)

La Profezia Dell'Armadillo

Drama

(Country: Italy; Year: 2018; Director: Emanuele Scaringi; Writer: Zerocalcare, Valerio Mastandrea, Pietro Martinelli, Oscar Glioti; Stars: Marianna Di Martino, Laura Morante, Pietro Castellitto, Claudia Pandolfi, Simone Liberati, Valerio Aprea, Diana Del Bufalo, Teco Celio, Marianna Di Martino, Laura Morante, Pietro Castellitto, Claudia Pandolfi, Simone Liberati, Valerio Aprea, Diana Del Bufalo)

The River (Ozen)

(Country: Kazakhstan, Poland, Norway; Year: 2018; Director: Emir Baigazin; Writer: Emir Baigazin; Stars: Zhalgas Klanov, Eric Tazabekov, Zhasulan Userbayev, Ruslan Userbayev)

Soni

A young policewoman and her boss have taken on a growing crisis of violent crimes against women, but their partnership suffers a setback her the woman is transferred for alleged misconduct.

(Country: India; Year: 2018; Director: Ivan Ayr; Writer: Ivan Ayr, Kislay Kislay; Stars: Kalpana Jha, Saloni Batra, Simrat Kaur, Vikas Shukla, Himanshu Kohli, Prateek Pachori, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Mohit Chauhan, Dimple Kaur, Gauri Chakraborty, Mohinder Gujral, Upasya Goswami, Kalpana Jha, Saloni Batra, Simrat Kaur)

Stripped

(Country: Israel, Germany; Year: 2018; Director: Yaron Shani; Stars: Laliv Sivan, Bar Gottfried)

Tel Aviv On Fire

Review preview for Tel Aviv On Fire

Zoabi uses farcical comedy as his warm-hearted messenger, presenting his argument with a disarming hug and a surprising dash of romance.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Salam, an inexperienced young Palestinian man, becomes a writer on a popular soap opera after a chance meeting with an Israeli soldier, but trouble brews when soldier and the show's backers disagree about how the it should end.

(Country: Luxembourg, Belgium, Israel, France; Year: 2018; Director: Sameh Zoabi; Writer: Dan Kleinman, Sameh Zoabi; Stars: Kais Nashif, Lubna Azabal, Yaniv Biton, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Nadim Sawalha, Salim Dau, Yousef 'Joe' Sweid, Amer Hlehel, Laëtitia Eïdo, Ashraf Farah, Ula Tabari, Shifi Aloni, Yazan Doubal, Negweny El Assal, Kais Nashif)

Full review See: Director Sameh Zoabi on politics and comedy in Tel Aviv On Fire

The Truk (L'Enkas)

Review preview for The Truk

Where most films of this ilk are driven by aggression, Marx instead pushes hers forward with a mix of melancholy, quiet desperation and futility.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
An ex-con makes a plan with his friend to travel from rave to rave selling water and Ketamine from their food truck.

(Country: France, Ukraine; Year: 2018; Director: Sarah Marx; Writer: Hamé Bourokba, Ekoué Labitey, Sarah Marx; Stars: Sandor Funtek, Sandrine Bonnaire, Alexis Manenti, Lauréna Thellier, Virginie Acariès)

Full review See: Sarah Marx interview about The Truk