Bratislava 2007

FIPRESCI Prize: "Tricks"

In the beautiful capital of the Slovak Republic, one of the main cultural events of the city takes place every December since 1999 (just six years after the country's independence). Just a short stroll away from the old town and its charming Christmas market, crossing the river Danube, the very modern shopping center hosts a multiplex whose theaters suddenly show auteur films from around the world instead of the usual Hollywood mainstream production. Students, families, workers gather to make the event a real public success (with more than 20,000 spectators in a week).
   Alongside the premieres of new Slovak films, the festival shows the best films presented in Berlin, Cannes and Venice to the local audience. As for the competition program, it focuses on first and second features, and included this year films prize-winners in "Un certain regard" (the wonderful California Dreamin’...) or the Cannes Critics' Week (Jellyfish and XXY) as well as films fresh from the Venice sidebars, such as the subtle bittersweet Polish comedy Tricks (Sztuczki). It is this film, the second feature by Polish director Andrzej Jakimoski, which received the International Critics’ Prize. (Grégory Valens)

Bratislava International Film Festival, Slovak Republic, November 30 — December 7, 2007, www.iffbratislava.sk
FIPRESCI Prize: Tricks (Sztuczki) by Andrzej Jakimowski (Poland, 2007). Details

Reports

Challenging Fate. Grégory Valens reviews Andrzej Jakimowki’s beautiful second feature Tricks (Stuczki), which received the FIPRESCI prize. An almost choreographic bittersweet comedy, it should seduce audiences all around the world.
Bratislava Dreamin‘. Jena Opoldusová picks out some of the highlights from this year's festival, finding enough films of quality to balance the mediocre ones.
The Bartered Bride. Viktor Palák feels that Yang Li's Blind Mountain, the Grand Prix winner, "has considerable arthouse box-office potential" because of its universal appeal but also its strong local message.

top