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ZURICH 2020

The Zurich Film Festival pays tribute to (young) French film

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- For its sixteenth edition, the ZFF has decided to shine a light on women directors and on a promising, young generation of French and Swiss filmmakers

The Zurich Film Festival pays tribute to (young) French film
Gagarine by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh

With no less than 23 world premieres on the agenda, the Zurich Film Festival is once again confirming its determination to introduce audiences to all things new in the world of film. This edition’s Covid-compatible programme, unspooling on the Limmat, boasts no less than 165 films hailing from 47 countries: 23 world premieres (many of which are of European works), 11 international premieres and 4 European premieres. And the crucial point in all this? Over half the films selected for the Festival’s competitions are coming courtesy of women directors.

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France finds itself very widely represented this year, not just in the competitive section dedicated to full-length fiction where two French productions can be found - the directorial duo Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s first film Gagarin [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Tr…
film profile
]
, focused on the Parisian suburb of the same name which was totally destroyed in 2019, and Charlène Favier’s Slalom [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Charlène Favier
film profile
]
, which allows us to enter into the psyche of a young athlete – but also in the New World View line-up, which is dedicated in its entirety to the new generation of French filmmakers. The latter section comprises 17 entertaining, adventurous and brilliant productions which perfectly capture the spirit of this exciting and upcoming form of cinematography. The cherry on the cake of this tribute will be the Golden Icon Award, set to be handed to the extraordinary Juliette Binoche, and the A Tribute to Award, which will go to the equally extraordinary Maïwenn, who will be in attendance to present her new film DNA [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
.

Similarly well-represented at the event is the Swiss film sector, thanks to a selection of films both by established authors and a fierce, new generation of national talent. In the first group we find My Wonderful Wanda [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bettina Oberli
film profile
]
by Bettina Oberli (already presented at Tribeca), Stefan Haupt’s latest offering Zurich Diary [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stefan Haupt
film profile
]
 - both of which jostling in the Gala Premieres section - and the premiere of Rolando Colla’s W.-What Remains of the Lie [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(Special Screening). Stealing attention in the second group, meanwhile, are new voices including that of Christian Johannes Koch with his first film Spagat [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christian Johannes Koch
film profile
]
, that of Nina Stefanka and her work Miraggio (world premiere) and that of Karin Heberlein who’s presenting a world premiere of Sami, Joe and I [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
. All three films are participating in the competitive Focus section dedicated to Swiss, German and Austrian titles. The Festival’s other competitive sections are also full of works (a total of 38) by young directors. Overall, upwards of 100 first, second and third films by emerging directors are set to be presented at the Festival.

And an impressive number of European films will be battling it out for this year’s Golden Eye awards in the two competitive sections dedicated to fiction and documentaries. In the first category - in addition to the afore-mentioned French works - we find three productions hailing from Nordic shores: Danish offerings Shorta [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anders Ølholm and Frederik …
film profile
]
, by Anders Ølholm and Frederik Louis Hviid, and Wildland [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jeanette Nordahl
film profile
]
by Jeanette Nordahl, and the Swedish-Norwegian-Danish co-production Charter [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Amanda Kernell
film profile
]
by Amanda Kernell. Jostling alongside these is Hungarian work Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lili Horvat
interview: Natasa Stork
film profile
]
by Lili Horvát, as well as British picture Limbo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ben Sharrock
film profile
]
by Ben Sharrock.

Finally, six of the twelve films competing in the documentary category are also of European origin: the Romanian work Acasa, My Home [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Ciorniciuc
film profile
]
by Radu Ciorniciuc, Sweden’s I Am Greta [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nathan Grossman
film profile
]
by Nathan Grossman, Dutch offering King of the Cruise [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Sophie Dros, Norway’s The Painter and The Thief [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benjamin Ree
film profile
]
by Benjamin Ree, and the co-productions Songs of Repression [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Estephan Wagner and Mariann…
film profile
]
by Estephan Wagner and Marianne Hougen-Moraga (Denmark/The Netherlands) and The Earth Is Blue as an Orange [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Iryna Tsilyk
film profile
]
by Iryna Tsilyk (Ukraine/Lithuania).

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(Translated from Italian)

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