The National Youth Film Academy roundtable luncheon at Brasserie Blanc, Southbank

The London Diaries: the National Youth Film Academy helps cinema professionals find their working community

E. Nina Rothe February 18, 2019

When he founded the National Youth Film Academy back in 2011, Chief Executive Rob Earnshaw spotted a gap within the cinema industry in the UK. There were jobs being offered, and people craving to fill those positions both in front and behind the camera, yet absolutely no bridge between them. In fact, in his mission statement Earnshaw talks about building that bridge.

““The National Youth Film Academy is dedicated to building bridges between education and employment in film. Our team works tirelessly to locate, nurture and promote talented, aspirational actors and filmmakers. But most importantly we discover people with the right attitude to be employed in British film.””

— Rob Earnshaw, Chief Executive, National Youth Film Academy

In the last eight years, the National Youth Film Academy has become the most important community to which aspiring film professionals in the UK can belong. And beyond, because of course, the film community — once bridges are formed to connect the jobs with the job seekers — is the largest open circle of artists in the world.

Hanaa Issa with filmmaker Elia Suleiman at a DFI event

"This is the environment where films flourish": Talking Qumra 2019 with Hanaa Issa in Berlin

E. Nina Rothe February 11, 2019

Ever since its creation in 2010 on the peninsular country of Qatar, the Doha Film Institute has been revolutionizing cinema in the Region. The word “revolution” is never a sign of good things in the Arab world and yet at DFI, they should welcome the term when it comes to describing the work they’ve been doing almost singlehandedly to create and foster a healthy cinema culture in the Arab world. And beyond.

Inspired: Highlights from the 2019 International Film Festival Rotterdam

E. Nina Rothe February 2, 2019

I’d long heard about the Rotterdam International Film Festival and yet had never personally been here. IFFR will hereafter be a much craved stop on my itinerary of world cinema events. I can’t wait to see what next year has in store.

So what makes this cinephiles’ festival filled with independent gems, languid culture-filled days and inspiring evening talks by the masters so addictive? Well, that — what I just said. Turns out there is no festival in the world quite like IFFR.

And here are a few favorites of mine from this year’s edition.

FOOD at IFFR

Those who know me also know that food is an essential part of my festival experience. Now that my beloved friend is no longer around to share a meal with and cook together (we would do that in Cannes, at the end of a stressful day of junkets) my meals have become a solitary, much needed contemplative rest from the hustle and bustle of film festivals. At IFFR, as a journalist you are handed food vouchers so you can have breakfast at selected venues around the city, with anything from vegan to sweet toast on offering.

Photo courtesy of Sneakers and Smoothies

I chose Bertmans because of its proximity to both de Doelen, the festival’s headquarters, and my hotel The James. I’ll admit I never tried another place for breakfast and never strayed from their yummy avocado and egg toast, topped with a ginger and scallion vinaigrette. It looks like this photo above, taken from the website Sneakers and Smoothies since I didn’t get a chance to photograph mine, I was too busy eating…

For lunch, I ventured away from cinema, and indulged in my other passion — fashion. I checked out the world famous de Bijenkorf, a grand department store just steps from my hotel and featuring a fantastic self service cafeteria on the second floor. The selection offered anything from a bowl of soup to sweets and salads, but I craved some spicy stir fry with noodles which a charming chef from Aruba prepared for me from scratch. Right in front of my eyes.

Yes, they were as good as they look and with the addition of some red hot sliced chilies, I felt like I was in Asian heaven.

For those who didn’t feel like venturing too far away from the main IFFR hub, there were food stalls and bar stands in the lobby of de Doelen which offered cake, coffees and I even spotted some dim sum. I tried a cappuccino and it was out of this world — done just the way I like it, with lots of foam and no mingling between milk and coffee.

INSPIRATION AT IFFR

From sitting in the recreated living room of the legendary Jean-Luc Godard, complete with a dog bed for his beloved pet to watch ‘The Image Book’, to listening to the Maestro, writer and director Guillermo Arriaga talk about his passions, films and novels; from a newfound favorite filmmaker from Peru, Miguel Angel Moulet and his haunting ‘Todos Somos Marineros’, to discovering some brilliant cinema made by my fellow women sisters — like ‘The Best of Dorien B.’ ‘Indemnes’ and 2019 Special Jury Prize winner at IFFR ‘Take Me Somewhere Nice’ — Rotterdam provided material to write and inspiration to ponder for months to come. Read my piece on Thrive Global about the female presence at IFFR.

As a personal favorite, after reading Arriaga’s latest novel ‘El Savaje’ (‘The Savage’) and following the Mexican writer on a journey through two separate storylines that he masterfully weaves to come full circle within the 600+ pages of his book, I chuckled at his admission that he has ADD. And that his parents were told by the schoolmaster that little Guillermo had a very low IQ and was possibly “retarded.” This is a man who manages to find his way out of the darkest corners of a writer’s mind to bring his readers along with him on an immense journey of culture, possibilities and self discovery. A humanist who hunts with bow and arrows. And who admits that a particular deer has becomes his own “Moby Dick.”

Contradictions make a genius. Guillermo Arriaga has convinced me of that.

FILMS AT IFFR

Phaim Bhuiyan in ‘Bangla’

Well, there aren’t enough hours in the day, days in a week and energy within a person to watch everything that is on offer at this festival. But I will say that I found several gems, those listed above, but also ‘Bangla’ (‘Bengali’), a charming romantic comedy co-written and directed by Phaim Bhuiyan an Italian filmmaker of Bangladeshi background, who also stars as, well, himself basically. Phaim, played by Phaim, hails from Torpignattara, a neighborhood in Rome that, as he states at the beginning of ‘Bangla’, is home to three tribes — the foreigners, the hipsters and the old people. Phaim considers himself “50% Italian, 50% Bengali” and his misadventures in romance and life are at once charmingly funny but also poignant and important to learn from, in this age of populism and the Far Right in Italy. As a country, we’ve never been so diverse and yet Italians have never been so covertly racist. ‘Bangla’ hits close to home, and without preaching or teaching, manages to impress.

Then there were the winners on closing night, anything from Nadine Labaki’s ‘Capernaum’ — which won the Audience Choice Award — to Alice Rohrwacher’s ‘Happy as Lazzaro’ which won the IFFR Youth Jury Award, always the most special since the younger audience ARE the audience of tomorrow and a filmmaker like Rohrwacher is definitely the future of Italian cinema. Both films you’ve read about on this blog of course, as well as in my writing on The National.

Susanna Nicchiarelli, jury member, hands out the 2019 IFFR Tiger Award to filmmaker Zhu Shengze and her producer Zhengfang Yang

Other awards went to ‘Too Late to Die Young’ by Dominga Sotomayor, which received the KNF Award, presented by the Circle of Dutch Film Journalists, and another personal discovery, from Cannes in 2014 Elmar Imanov, from Azerbaijan, won the FIPRESCI prize with his latest, ‘End of Season’ — featuring the same perfect cast of his earlier film.

The top prize, the Tiger Award went to ‘Present.Perfect’. by Zhu Shengze (USA/Hong Kong) while ‘Take Me Somewhere Nice’ by Ena Sendijarević (Netherlands/Bosnia and Herzegovina) received the Special Jury Prize. The jury was comprised of Alfredo Jaar, Daniela Michel, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Pimpaka Towira and Katriel Schory.

FASHION AND STYLE AT IFFR

Well, my award for best dressed at the festival goes to IFFR Artistic Director Bero Beyer, of course. With a silhouette that would make most Hugo Boss models jealous and a unique, understated yet daring sense of style, his taste in both fashion and film is obviously impeccable. On awards night he wore a three piece pinstriped dark blue suit that was simple elegance. And he inspired with his words about the film industry and filmmakers in general.

My only, teeny tiny negative comment while in Rotterdam — and at all film festivals for that matter! — has to do with the cinema community at large, those covering the festival as well as those presenting and accepting on awards night. I mean, film is undeniably a visual art, so why the gloomy, ill fitting outfits, Ladies? And the mismatched, discolored looks, Gentlemen?

Lets make cinema great again (to misquote our unfortunate US President). You know, the glamorous community it has always been and should always deserve to be. I say, for the next one, lets make an effort to dress up. Or if not that, to at least wear what makes us look better. And feel better.

“Cinema is art,” as Beyer said on closing night. And being a part of this envy-inducing community holds a responsibility.

The Rome Diaries: The OnStage! Festival features Aizzah Fatima's perfect show and a play about Hedy Lamarr

E. Nina Rothe January 20, 2019

In a 2014 article in The Guardian, Pakistani-American comedian Aizzah Fatima described one of her first auditions. “One of the roles I auditioned for was ‘Terrorist No 2’s girlfriend,” she admitted tongue in cheek.

Of course, that’s the destiny of most actors who don’t fulfill the blue-eyed-blond-hair requirements of playing your average “as good as apple pie” American. Yet time and time again, while our leaders fight it and even try to build up walls to prevent it, the very greatness of our good ol’ U.S. of A. lies in its immigrant population as well as its indigenous tribes. And the culture that is most often exported and celebrated around the world as “American” is a mixture of African, tribal, native and otherwise ethic music, dance and art. And that’s never vanilla in flavor now, is it?!

Photo by © Massimo Sestini

The Rome Diaries: Photographer Massimo Sestini at WeGil shows us humanity, from above

E. Nina Rothe January 4, 2019

Back in the fascist era of the 30s, an Italian Youth Center was opened in Trastevere, these days considered a cool, but also touristic side of Rome. Then a more popular neighborhood, which also consisted of housing projects. Architect Luigi Moretti was in charge of the structure and what is today the WeGil was inaugurated in 1937. Imposing and clearly fascist look and feel, the structure was supposed to house equipment to train Italian youths for sports but also battle. WeGil therefore has a strange, complicated background to contend with and the feel within the structure is at once one of awe and discomfort.

The Cairo International Film Festival Diaries: And to think I almost missed this!

E. Nina Rothe November 23, 2018

One of the most beautifully mysterious actors of our time, Mr. Ralph Fiennes will be in Cairo, presenting his latest directorial project ‘The White Crow’ — about a childhood idol of mine, ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev — and for a conversation with the audience inside the massive Cairo Opera House. Moderated by yours truly.

It’s a momentous event, but I almost missed it.

Guillermo Del Toro, courtesy of the Marrakech International Film Festival

In "Conversation With" Scorsese, Del Toro, Nasrallah and more at the Marrakech Film Fest!

E. Nina Rothe October 24, 2018

If ever there was an upcoming event that felt outrageously exciting, almost too jam packed with greatness (could there ever be such a thing!) it’s the Marrakech International Film Festival — which will take place from November 30th to December 8th, 2018 in the beautiful Moroccan city. Now in its 17th edition, the festival took a year off in 2017 and is coming back stronger, better and more action-packed than ever.

Exceptional Women: Agnes Varda and Robin Wright honored at this year's Marrakech Film Festival

E. Nina Rothe October 15, 2018

You talk exceptional women and few garner as much unanimous adoration as legendary filmmaker, photographer and artist Agnes Varda. Then you think versatile actresses, women who have transformed themselves from super popular soap opera stars to beloved movie icons and the name Robin Wright immediately comes to mind.

Well, as it turns out both of these legendary women in their own right, or “Wright” if you pardon the pun, will be honored with the Etoile d’Or Award under the starry sky of the Moroccan city of Marrakech this December.

James Gray at 2018 Marrakech Film Festival, as Head of Competition Jury

E. Nina Rothe September 20, 2018

That I’m excited about the upcoming Marrakech Film Festival — which will take over the Moroccan city from November 30th to December 8th — is no secret. Apart from loving this country of spices, colors and incredible food, the Marrakech Film Fest has always held a special kind mystique for me. And with their new reorganized staff and crew, some of the most prestigious names in cinema circles (see all of them listed at the bottom of this post) my excitement has only grown stronger.

But this morning, when the festival announced director James Gray at the helm of their Competition Jury, I burst into downright joy. Let me explain.

Nebbia — Filippo Sorcinelli

City of Fragrances, Part Two: Scents, Art and Sensibility

E. Nina Rothe September 18, 2018

Sight and sound are definitely a part of our earliest memories. They say children can remember only from the age of three and a half upward and I have to say, my first memory has to do with sticking my finger in the electric socket and feeling the jolt. I remember feeling like someone had pushed me and apparently — this is my parents’ memory of the event — I ran to the living room crying holding my index finger, utterly frightened.

But how much does scent, the smells around us, have to do with our individual memory bank? Personally, I can’t help but remember my favorite uncle Pippo every time I smell a certain brand of cigarette smoking up the air. And I go back to my childhood quickly, as soon as I step off the train in Florence and smell the city’s distinctive scent of, well how do I put it nicely, sewer… Just recently I was told why that smell is so intrinsically Florentine and it has to do with the lack of a sewage system dating back to Medici time. Apparently, every time the system fills up, giant trucks come to gather up the goodies and carry them away. There are serious studies done on it!

So it’s no surprise that the Florentines were some of the first people to use scents, ambiance fragrances and perfume to change the air around them.

Frescoes by Mariotto di Nardo, inside the Santa Maria Novella shop in Florence

City of Fragrances, Part One: Florence at the scent-er of this year's Pitti Fragranze

E. Nina Rothe September 17, 2018

This year, the iconic once-a-year fragrance fair Pitti Fragranze, which is held in Florence every September, incorporated the entire city into its scent design. Thus, in the process, let the select audience of buyers and journalists that attended the event, in on the secret nooks and crannies of the great renaissance town. From the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, to the church of San Miniato al Monte, from the center to the outskirts, Florence became the “City of Fragrances” and in the process, reclaimed its scent, health and beauty heritage.

Following are a few personal highlights from this incredible journey of scent.

A still from ‘The Man Who Surprised Everyone’ by Natalya Merkulova and Alexey Chupov

The Venice Diaries: 'The Man Who Surprised Everyone' is the antidote to intolerance

E. Nina Rothe September 11, 2018

How would you cope with being told you have a terminal illness?

That is a question I’ve asked myself often these days, as I deal with people I love getting ill and the recent death of my father. Where do you find the strength to go on, when you know the days are numbered and how do you continue to be a functioning member of society when probably all you wish to do is go into the woods and hide?

Well, in Natalya Merkulova’s and Alexey Chupov’s haunting, beautiful and at times painfully truthful film ‘The Man Who Surprised Everyone’ which screened in the Orizzonti section in Venice, the real life husband and wife team tackle the difficult question.

A still from 'Roma' the Venice Golden Lion winning film by Alfonso Cuarón which will be in theater and on Netflix in December 2018

The Venice Diaries: The mixtape of Venezia 75 is an homage to creativity's soundtrack

E. Nina Rothe September 10, 2018

This year's Venice Film Festival seemed to carry a special soundtrack, like a mixtape of our collective thoughts and hopes and wishes. For a future where we are finally able to learn from our past and stop thinking that our opinions count individually. For a world where we will discover, finally, a middle ground in shades of grey, instead of living everything in either black or white.

Here is my Venezia 75 Mixtape.

Sawsan Arsheed in a still from Soudade Kaadan's 'The Day I Lost My Shadow'

The Venice Diaries: Lion of the Future winner Soudade Kaadan's 'The Day I Lost My Shadow'

E. Nina Rothe September 9, 2018

'The Day I Lost My Shadow' by Soudade Kaadan won the Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film Jury at the 75th Venice Film Festival. It's a win to be celebrated for all women filmmakers, of course, but also for Syrian filmmakers who, since the start of the war in 2011 have all but disappeared. Scattered around foreign lands, their voices and visions have become the true casualties of this conflict.

In her film, which world premiered at the festival in the Orizzonti section, Kaadan uses the metaphor of personal shadows as a way to show how the war strips people of their humanity and hope. When Sana, played by the beautiful Sawsan Arsheed, goes out looking for a gas canister so she can cook for her son, she is pulled into a three day nightmare that eventually ends the way everything ends in Syria... I'll leave that to your imagination and perhaps your first viewing of the film.

Bouli Lanners, flanked by Justine Lacroix, right and Sarah Henochsberg in Claire Burger's 'C'est ça l'amour'

The Venice Diaries: Giornate degli Autori winner Claire Burger on her film 'C’est ça l’amour' (Real Love)

E. Nina Rothe September 8, 2018

Think back to the last time a film redefined love for you. That felt like a magical discovery then, didn't it? For me, cinema exists at its best when it does something that changes me -- and of course I want that change to be for the better.

In Claire Burger's touching follow up to her Cannes Camera d'Or winner 'Party Girl' -- which she co-directed with Marie Amachoukeli and Samuel Theis -- I found a new fatherhood role model. For a woman whose own father was at best unavailable throughout my teenage years and beyond, Burger's wondrous father figure Mario (played by the spellbinding Bouli Lanners) is a revelation and offers a sense of newfound hope. His quest to be a good father to the young Frida (the perfectly rebellious Justine Lacroix) and the teenage Kiki (cool and flirty Sarah Henochsberg) takes the audience on a journey of discovery along with the characters.

But 'C'est ça l'amour' is a multilayered film and so it's no surprise that, among quite a few strong and beautiful stories featured in this year's Giornate degli Autori line up, Burger's film ended up walking away with the top prize -- the GdA Director's Award.

The Venice Diaries: Sudabeh Mortezai's 'Joy' wins multiple awards, and conquers hearts, in Venice

E. Nina Rothe September 7, 2018

As we watch our nightly dose of immigration porn fed to us by the local news channels, particularly those of us who live in Europe we see row after row of young men stepping off boats and assorted vessels. We could be mistaken into thinking that they left their women safe at home, in their country of origin, the wives and girlfriends and mothers awaiting their return, as well as their paycheck. That's so far from the truth and if you ever held such a wrong opinion, 'Joy' by Sudabeh Mortezai will set you straight.

In her beautifully shot and perfectly told film premiering in the Giornate degli Autori, Venice Days sidebar at the Venice Film Festival, Mortezai shows us the complex network of Nigerian women who virtually invisibly inhabit our European streets. 'Joy' is as much about the oldest profession in the world, the prostitution networks these women get sucked into and then, once they have paid off their debts, also manage and run in Europe, as it is about womanhood itself. We follow the story of these young women from the juju ritual they are subjected to at home, in Benin City Nigeria, to the streets of Vienna where they owe their traffickers the kind of money one wouldn't spend traveling around the world for a year and staying at the best hotels.

Vincent Lacoste and Isaure Multrier in 'Amanda' by Mikhaël Hers

The Venice Diaries: Stacy Martin and Vincent Lacoste redefine family in Mikhaël Hers' 'Amanda'

E. Nina Rothe September 6, 2018

I'm a sucker for a great love story. But often, the films that hit me deepest aren't filled with happily ever after endings and the perfect romance between a handsome boy and a beautiful girl. It's the redefinition of true love that gets me to my core.

In Mikhaël Hers' latest 'Amanda' which premiered in the Orizzonti section at this year's Venice Film Festival, the filmmaker reworks the idea of family and in the process, also rewrites the perfect romance. Of course Hers' film is not missing out on a handsome boy -- the charming Vincent Lacoste breaks hearts as David -- and a pretty girl -- with the striking Stacy Martin playing his love interest Léna. But at the center of 'Amanda' is the title character, a little girl played beautifully by Isaure Multrier, a child who suddenly goes from being an occasional playmate in the life of her somewhat immature uncle David, to being entrusted to him permanently.

Judy in a still from Roberto Minervini's 'What You Gonna Do When the World's On Fire?'

The Venice Diaries: Roberto Minervini's 'What You Gonna Do When the World's On Fire?'

E. Nina Rothe September 5, 2018

Of all the films we watched at this year's Venice Film Festival Roberto Minervini's was the most important.

For two very specific reasons. One, it's a documentary, and while many narrative films did explain my own personal struggle as a modern woman in today's world, those fictional stories can be dismissed by their critics as simply made up. 'What You Gonna Do When the World's On Fire?' cannot, since it's real life, it's in your face and it's downright true.

Point number two follows closely my first point, in that while watching the press preview of Minervini's film, which premiered in Competition at the festival, I saw more of my colleagues shift in their seat and -- after what appeared like much inner debate and a prolonged anxiety -- leave the theater than ever before. The answer is not a reflection on the quality of 'What You Gonna Do...' which is visually stunning, features a terrific soundtrack and makes its two hours duration fly by in what seemed like fifteen minutes.

The Venice Diaries: Creativity decoded by Schnabel's 'At Eternity's Gate', Assayas' 'Non-Fiction' and 'Why Are We Creative?'

E. Nina Rothe September 4, 2018

The first ever Venice Film Festival was held in 1932, from the 6th to the 21st of August and it opened with 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' -- the Fredric March version. March went on to win favorite actor and since there were no official prizes, he was picked by the audience.

In that magical moment, during the first edition of the first ever world film festival our own profession -- film criticism and film writing -- was also born. There hadn't been a true need for it before, think about it.

When I come to Venice, I realize this is where it all comes from, and despite some problematic years in our history, we should remember the heritage of the Venice Film Festival. All journalists should take a moment and think about that when they first set foot on the Lido. Without Venice, we probably wouldn't be here. They started it. All.

Robert Mitchum photographed by Bruce Weber

The Venice Diaries: Bruce Weber paints a daring portrait of Robert Mitchum in 'Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast'

E. Nina Rothe September 3, 2018

As I sat down to meet legendary fashion photographer Bruce Weber I said "Mr. Weber, I can't say I grew up with your photographs because I'm older than I look, but I definitely grew into my sexuality thanks to your iconic images." It's true. Those NYC billboards in Times Square of underwear models for Calvin Klein, the Ralph Lauren "out of Africa" campaign, Kate Moss in the bathtub, the beach scenes, the catalogues I devoured before the advent of the internet, I grew into my skin thanks to Weber's images.

Today, Weber has helped me to rediscover the beauty and genius of classic American actor Robert Mitchum. 'Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast' screens at the Venice Film Festival in the Venice Classics section and is co-produced by Weber's wife Nan Bush. In the documentary, Mitchum is shown as never before, a singer, a lover and a poet, aided in part by cameos by Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Polly Bergen, Brenda Vaccaro and Liam Neeson, among many many more.

So why a film about Mitchum, why from Weber and why now?

The Diaries, because sometimes life needs more.