Rotterdam 2007

Among the films competiting in the Tiger awards section of this renowned international festival emphansizing on independent filmmaking, our jury chose to distinguish the Spanish debut feature by Rafa Cortés, Yo, for its intense depiction of one man's struggle to acquire an identity, its confident direction, and the well articulated, engaging performance of its lead.

36th Rotterdam International Film Festival, January 24 — February 4
Details of the International Critics' Prize
The festival's official website

We publish reports not only of our jury members but also of the young trainee critics which worked under our jury's supervision:

The Spirit of Poe. A film with a very short title belies a strange tale about identity from a first time director. Rafa Cortes tries to unravel the enigma in this extremely compelling Poe-like scenario.
Apocalyptic teenage girls. Strikingly present in this year's Tiger Award Competition of the International Filmfestival Rotterdam: teenage girls of an apocalyptic nature.
The Potential Cult Movie. One of the surprises of the festival was the unusual entry Ex-Drummer. Tomislav Kurelec explains how Koen Mortier takes his lead from theatre in showing that the depiction of tragedy in modern times has been superseded by the grotesque.
Copy-pasting the world onto the screen. One of this year's Tiger Awards was the impressively thorough "mockumentary" AFR, about the killing of Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Pamela Biénzobas talks to filmmaker Morten Hartz Kaplers about his multi-layered reflection on society and the media.
Family Disasters: An interview with Ragnar Bragasson. The Icelandic director Ragnar Bragasson had two films screened at the festival, both dealing with relationships in the family. In this interview the director tells Mariana Hristova his influences from Cassavetes to Mike Leigh, how most human dramas take place at home and the role of parents in Iceland.

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