31/03/2010

It’s a busy week in Belgian theatres, with 12 new releases in the line-up.

First up is a local co-production: Axelle Ropert’s The Wolberg Family [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Acclaimed in the Directors’ Fortnight, the film stars Belgian audience favourite François Damiens (better known here as François l’Embrouille) in his first dramatic role. The actor is also currently on screens in Heartbreaker [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile], in a role closer to his usual style.

The Wolberg Family is co-produced by France’s Les Films Pelleas and Belgium’s Versus Production. The latter is releasing the film on a three-print run via its recently-created distribution arm, O’Brother.

Another French film, Anne Le Ny’s My Father’s Guests [+see also:
trailer
film profile], is also being launched this week by Les Films de l’Elysée on 12 screens.

Besides the usual French fare, this week viewers will also get a chance to discover two sides of German cinema. Cinéart is releasing Fatih Akin’s new film on a generous 11-print run across the country. The festival darling, who won honours at Berlin for Head-On [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and at Cannes for The Edge of Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fatih Akin
interview: Klaus Maeck
film profile], returns with Venice prize-winner Soul Kitchen [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which proves he’s also a dab hand at comedy.

A long way from Akin’s film, Kinepolis is releasing a 17-print run of German comic star Michael Herbig’s film for children Vicky the Viking [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which enjoyed box office success in Germany in late 2009. This Viking’s mission is to win over young Flemish cinemagoers, who are also the target audience of Dreamworks’ Viking-themed 3D mega-production How To Train Your Dragon, which is flooding into Belgian theatres this week (71 screens).

If they’re fed up with Vikings, young Flemish viewers can always opt for Thomas Nielsen’s upbeat and zany Danish film Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms [+see also:
trailer
film profile], about an earthworm who dreams of being a disco star.

Finally, this week also sees the release of Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel’s La Pivellina [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which recently won Best Austrian Film at the Diagonale Festival in Graz, and the Grand Prize at the Premiers Plans Festival in Angers.

(Translated from French)