FETS has been taking care of his youngest members of the audience for several years in a row already, therefore within the programme sponsored by Plazma are unusual, authentic and carefully selected films for children and young people. On the other hand, 4 films within the Plazma Festić Selection will be screened at the 45th FEST, which address diverse audience in terms of taste and age, hence it is certain that no film in this programme will leave an adult viewer indifferent.
“The Red Turtle” is the first feature animated film by Dutch animator, director and illustrator Michael Dudok de Wit, who in his fertile career has directed many short films and animated commercials for television and film. His short animation “The Monk and the Fish” from 1994 was nominated for an Oscar and won numerous prizes including the prestigious French Award “César” for Best Short Film. His best known film “Father and Daughter” from 2000 won an Academy Award, BAFTA, the Grand Prix at Annecy, and dozens of other major awards. All of his films feature Michael's trademark brush stroke drawing style and his use of ink and watercolours, very much inspired by Chinese and Japanese art. “The Red Turtle” tells the story of a lone man shipwrecked on a deserted island, who struggles to find his place in this new world. His every escape attempt is thwarted by an enormous sea turtle that seems intent on having him stay. Enraged, he attacks the turtle, intent on killing it. What happens next is the beginning of a new chapter in the man's life, one that will instruct him in the ways of companionship and lead him to understand that nature must take its course. At last year’s Cannes Film Festival Michael Dudok won the prestigious Un Certain Regard Special Prize for his latest work “The Red Turtle”. The film also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature in 2017.
Another Academy Award-nominated film, which was screened at FEST yesterday, is “My Life as a Zucchini”, the first full-length animated feature by the Swiss director Claude Barras. Barras directed several shorts including Stigmates (2002), Le génie de la boîte de raviolis (The Genie in a Ravioli Can) (2006), Sainte barbe (2007), Au Pays des tetes (Land of the Heads) (2009), and Chambre 69 (2012). Le génie de la boîte de raviolis received numerous awards in film festivals around the world. “My Life as a Courgette” (2016) - Barras’s latest film included in the programme of the 45th FEST - received an award at last year’s San Sebastian Film Festival and it was presented at the Director's Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival. The story follows a nine-year-old Icare who is accompanied to the orphanage by kind policeman Raymond after he accidentally causes the death of his alcoholic mother. At first the boy found it difficult to adapt and was desperately homesick, but with the help of the other kids at the centre - and the gentle-hearted Raymond - Courgette begins rebuilding his life, and gradually he comes to find comfort and acceptance in his new home.
The third film in the Plazma Festić Programme coming from Canada is an animated feature “A Bag of Marbles” by Christian Duguay, which was screened this morning. Duguay directed a popular series, “Hitler - the Rise of Evil”, which received an Emmy nomination in 2003. He is widely known for his 2000 feature, “The Art of War”, starring Wesley Snipes. “A Bag of Marbles” takes place in occupied France, where Maurice and Joseph, two young Jewish brothers left to their own devices, demonstrate an incredible amount of cleverness, courage, and ingenuity to escape the enemy invasion and to try to reunite their family once again.
The last film in the selection for children and young people comes from the region, namely from Slovenia - “Nika”, directed by Slobodan Maksimović, who was born in Bosnia and Hezegovina and made his directorial debut in 2007 with the short film “1/2”. “Nika” is a story of a seventeen-year-old go-kart racer who dreams of becoming a Formula 1 driver some day. After the tragic death of her father, her mother forbids her from driving, which puts a strain on their relationship. Nika starts slacking off in school, skipping classes to go to the practices and falls in love with Alex, a tattoo artist, whilst hiding everything from her mother.
Welcome to the Plazma Festić!
