French documentary, Spanish girl clinch top prizes at Berlinale

BERLIN, Germany - The Berlin film festival on Saturday awarded its Golden Bear top prize to a documentary by French director Nicolas Philibert and its best acting award to an eight-year-old girl in what jury chief Kristen Stewart described as a "boundary-pushing" event.

"On the Adamant", coming more than 20 years after Philibert's acclaimed education documentary "To Be and To Have", is about a floating day-care centre for people with psychiatric problems on the Seine in Paris.

Thanking the jury, Philibert, 72, said "that documentary can be considered to be cinema in its own right touches me deeply".

On a night full of surprises, the festival's gender-neutral acting prize was awarded to an eight-year-old, Spain's Sofia Otero.

The young actress won the prize for playing a transgender child in "20,000 Species of Bees," the feature debut from Spanish director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. 

Critics have lavished praise on the film. Screen Daily, for one, predicted that "arthouse audiences worldwide should respond to the pathos, breadth and humanity of a film that takes a while to build but, when it does, never loses its grip".

Otero, who fought back tears when collecting the award, later told journalists she was "very grateful, very happy".

'Invisible parameters'

Stewart, at 32 the youngest president in the festival's history, said the jury had been asking themselves all week "what makes a movie a movie".

They had set aside "invisible parameters" in awarding the Golden Bear, she said, because "when you focus too much on what something is you tend to lose track of what it does.

"This is a boundary-pushing festival and so it offers us the opportunity to be expansive in how we define those things, how we value works of art, how we categorise them," she said.

There was more success for France as Philippe Garrel, 74, won the Silver Bear for best director for "The Plough", a drama about three siblings from a family of puppeteers coping with the death of their father.

Garrel dedicated the prize to his children and to French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard, "a great master for many of us", who died last September.

Second prize went to "Afire" from German director Christian Petzold, about a group of friends whose holiday retreat to the Baltic coast goes horribly wrong.

Variety called it "wincingly well-observed and acidly funny", while the Hollywood Reporter said it was "a deceptively simple and straightforward but emotionally layered film".

Star power

Coming in third was "Bad Living" by Portugal's Joao Canijo, about several female members of the same family who run a dilapidated hotel and are also struggling with their relationships to one another. 

"On the Adamant" offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of adults and their carers in the Parisian day-care centre, which puts an accent on offering them a creative outlet.

The film is "an attempt to overturn the image we have" of people with psychiatric problems, Philibert said. 

"The cliches are deep rooted. The film tries to unravel them (but) there is a long way to go," he said.

The Hollywood Reporter praised the film's "warmth and enthusiasm", calling it "a portrait of several individuals who, despite their noticeable disabilities, are capable of producing original and moving works of art".

Documentaries are regularly selected in major international film competitions, but rarely win awards.

Last year, the Venice Film Festival awarded its Golden Lion to a documentary about the opiate crisis in the United States by Laura Poitras ("All The Beauty And The Bloodshed").

After two years of a reduced format due to pandemic restrictions, the 11-day Berlinale got back in full swing this year, with A-listers such as Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren and Steven Spielberg walking the red carpet.

The festival, which ranks alongside Cannes and Venice among Europe's top cinema showcases, also marked the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and highlighted anti-government protests in Iran with new feature films and documentaries.

There were 19 films from around the world vying for this year's Golden Bear, which was awarded at a gala ceremony by a jury led by Stewart.

Agence France Presse

Obamas make their Hollywood movie debut with 'American Factory'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Barack and Michelle Obama made their Hollywood debut on Wednesday with a documentary set in industrial Ohio that film reviewers are calling compelling and timely.

“American Factory,” the story of what happened when a Chinese company took over an abandoned General Motors plant, is the first product of a multi-year collaboration between Netflix and Higher Ground, the production company formed last year by the former U.S. president and first lady.

“A good story gives you the chance to better understand someone else’s life. It can help you find common ground. And it’s why Michelle and I were drawn to Higher Ground’s first film,” Obama said in a Twitter posting on Wednesday.

The documentary traces the lives of thousands of workers laid off from their auto jobs in Moraine, Ohio, in the 2008 recession, some of whom were hired six years later by Chinese company Fuyao Glass America to make automotive glass in the same plant.

The Washington Post called “American Factory,” which arrived on Netflix on Wednesday, “a perfect vehicle for (Higher Ground’s) mission to lift up stories from underrepresented groups.”

“We want people to be able to get outside of themselves and experience and understand the lives of somebody else,” Obama told filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar in a promotional video released by Netflix.

Michelle Obama told the filmmakers she was particularly struck by the opening scenes of workers on the factory floor.

“That was my background, that was my father,” she said.

“One of the many things I love about this film... is that you let people tell their own story. “American Factory’ doesn’t come in with a perspective; it’s not an editorial.”

The Los Angeles Times called the documentary “compelling,” and pop culture website Vox.com said it was “a fascinating peek into the challenges of globalization.” It received a 97% approval rate on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Under the Netflix deal, Higher Ground will produce, curate and acquire content for distribution on the streaming service. The value of the deal is not known.

Upcoming programming will include an adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom” by David W. Blight about the slavery abolitionist, a period drama set in the fashion world and a series for pre-schoolers focusing on healthy eating.

Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Ron Howard frames Pavarotti story through arias for new documentary

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Director Ron Howard did not know much about opera, but he understands drama when he sees it, and Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti’s life was packed with it.

So when it came to making a documentary about the late, beloved “king of the high C’s,” Howard decided to tell Pavarotti’s story largely through some of his most famous arias.

“I didn’t know very much about opera,” said Howard. “I love throwing myself into subjects where I have a fascination and a real curiosity.”

“Pavarotti,” arriving in U.S. movie theaters on Friday, uses rarely seen performances, home video and interviews with the singer’s family and friends, including his second wife Nicoletta Mantovani, as well as archive material with some of his famous friends such as Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, and Irish rock singer Bono.

The film traces Pavarotti’s early life as the soccer-loving son of a baker in wartime Italy to his beginnings as an opera singer in the 1960s and his rise to become one of most famous tenors in the world.

“I knew that operas were very dramatic and that his life was very dramatic and so it was pretty easy early on to say ‘Hey, I wonder if we can actually understand these performances of particular arias and use them in the film so in a way we’re kind of telling his story’,” said Howard.

“We’re almost making an opera about Pavarotti using these arias and these great performances because the performances are just staggering,” he added.

Howard is better known for dramatic films, such as Oscar-winning “A Beautiful Mind,” space movie “Apollo 13” and thriller “The Da Vinci Code.”

For “Pavarotti,” Howard said he worked hard to discover the spirit of the Italian singer and the challenges he overcame.

“It’s unbelievably difficult to become that kind of tenor at that level. That’s not just a gift but years of passion, focus and work.

“Food was important to him, women were important to him, love! It was just that passion which really drove him,” he said.

Pavarotti died of pancreatic cancer in 2007 at the age of 71.

Reporting by Reuters Television; Editing by Matthew Lewis

source: news.abs-cbn.com

From 'Rings' to Ringo: Peter Jackson helms Beatles documentary

WELLINGTON -- Acclaimed "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson announced Thursday he is working on a documentary detailing the making of The Beatles' classic album "Let It Be" 50 years ago.

The New Zealander said the film was based on 55 hours of never-before-seen footage and 140 hours of audio from the Fab Four's recording sessions.

Jackson said it provided an unprecedented insight into to band's creative process and their interactions in the studio.

"This movie will be the ultimate fly-on-the-wall experience that Beatles fans have long dreamt about," he said in a statement. "It's like a time machine transports us back to 1969 and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together."

"Let It Be" was recorded in January 1969 but not released until May the following year after The Beatles put out "Abbey Road" and subsequently split, making it the final album the band released.

The footage was originally shot for a television special that never materialized. Instead, some of it was used in a Michael Lindsay-Hogg documentary also titled "Let It Be."

Fans have long believed the album's creation was marred by the rivalries and infighting that eventually tore the band apart but Jackson said that was a myth.

"Sure, there's moments of drama, but none of the discord this project has long been associated with," he said. "Watching John, Paul, George, and Ringo work together, creating now-classic songs from scratch, is not only fascinating -- it's funny, uplifting and surprisingly intimate."

Jackson's Wellington film studio will restore the old footage using techniques perfected on his BAFTA-nominated World War I documentary "They Shall Not Grow Old."

The Beatles film is being made with the cooperation of surviving band members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as the families of George Harrison and John Lennon.

A release date has not been finalized.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Atom's documentary gets bronze at New York Festivals

MANILA – Atom Araullo's documentary "Warmer" won a bronze world medal at the New York Festivals Awards for international TV programs and films.

 The documentary, which delves into grave climate conditions as experienced in two different parts of the world, was a winner in the climate change and sustainability category.

Other ABS-CBN programs and productions that got a finalist certificate were: "Lando's Wrath" (best coverage of a continuing news story); "Typhoon Lando" (best newscast); and "Mukha: Serbisyo" (current affairs).

ABS-CBN Integrated News head Ging Reyes presented an award in this year's NYF, a competition that aims to honor the world's best television and film work from more than 40 countries.

Reyes took the stage at the awards gala held in Las Vegas on April 25, alongside other prominent industry executives and international award-winners such as NAB executive vice president of conventions and business operations Chris Brown, CBS Sports' Ken Aagaard, and Clayton Conservani and Carolina Barcellos of Brazil's TV Globo.

"This year more than ever before, content creators across all platforms and all genres engaged viewers in an immersive conversation about the important topics and critical issues facing us today," said NYF vice president and executive director Rose Anderson.

"From climate change documentaries to primetime drama to major sports events, the art of storytelling and the science of new technology gave audiences new ways to experience and to navigate our ever-changing world."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Loved and lost, Heath Ledger shows carefree side in new documentary

NEW YORK -- Nine years after his death at age 28, audiences are seeing a different side of Australian actor Heath Ledger through the lens of his own camera.

The documentary "I Am Heath Ledger" uses thousands of hours of self video shot by Ledger, as well as his art work and music videos, to paint a portrait of the young actor who took Hollywood by storm in roles like "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Dark Knight."

The film also seeks to counteract the lingering perception that Ledger was severely depressed when he accidentally overdosed on painkillers, anxiety and insomnia medication.

"He was super happy and he was loving life. He struggled with some demons, but he wasn't one to go anywhere but forward," Ledger's Hollywood agent Steve Alexander says in the film, which was launched at the Tribeca film festival this week.

Rather than dwell on his January 2008 death in New York, the film uses Ledger's video archives and interviews with his family and closest friends to "celebrate Heath's life and to tell the story of this multi-faceted artist," director and producer Derik Murray told Reuters Television.

It portrays Ledger as a force of nature who longed for adventure, was generous with his friends, and whose passions ranged from chess to making music videos. His non-stop energy also meant he rarely slept a full night.

While Ledger's friends including Naomi Watts and director Ang Lee were interviewed for the film, Michelle Williams' -- Ledger's former fiance and mother of his daughter Matilda -- chose not to take part, said her spokeswoman.

Murray said Williams' support was integral to the film "but she really didn't feel she wanted to be in front of the camera."

Ledger was found dead a few months after the couple split up and shortly after filming his role as the manic Joker in "The Dark Knight," for which he won a posthumous Oscar.

"There was a lot of conversation and chatter around the fact that his passing was a byproduct of his role as the Joker and that he spiraled down this path and couldn't pull himself out of it," said Murray.

But Murray said everyone the filmmakers spoke to said this was untrue. "He had the best time making it... The Joker was a role. He was enthralled by it. He was proud of it."

"I Am Heath Ledger" will get a one-night showing in 300 U.S. movie theaters on May 3 and premiere on Spike TV on May 17.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

What NY Times says on Palace's 'demolition job' claim vs Duterte

The producer of the New York Times documentary that is critical of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs denies the newspaper is part of a conspiracy to topple the Duterte administration. - The World Tonight, ANC, March 29, 2017

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Atom Araullo documentary a finalist in New York international TV, film fest

Atom Araullo's "Warmer," a documentary that delves into grave climate conditions as experienced in two different parts of the world, made it as a finalist in the climate change and sustainability category in the New York Festivals Awards for international TV programs and films.

Other ABS-CBN programs and productions that reached the final lists of their respective categories include "Lando's Wrath" (best coverage of a continuing news story), Typhoon Lando (best newscast), Mukha: Serbisyo (current affairs).

The awards gala will be held in Las Vegas on April 25.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

DiCaprio teams with Netflix on gorilla documentary

LOS ANGELES - Hollywood A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio has teamed up with online streaming service Netflix for a documentary about endangered mountain gorillas in east Africa, filmmakers said Friday.

The "Titanic" star is an executive producer on "Virunga," described as "part investigative journalism and part nature documentary" and directed by Orlando von Einsiedel.

The documentary follows an embattled team of park rangers in the Democratic Republic of Congo "as they are caught in the crossfire of poachers, militia and industry in Africa's oldest national park," Netflix said in a statement.

Eastern Congo's protected Virunga sanctuary is home to about a quarter of the world's critically endangered mountain gorillas.

The film will be released in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 7, and via Netflix on the same day.

DiCaprio said films like "Virunga" offer "a window into the incredible cultural and natural diversity of our world, the forces that are threatening to destroy it, and the people who are fighting to protect it.

"Partnering with Netflix on this film is an exciting opportunity to inform and inspire individuals to engage on this topic."

Netflix has pioneered the streaming of original content, including TV shows and films, to rival traditional network and cable broadcasters.

Earlier this month it announced it had signed comic actor Adam Sandler to produce four films to be exclusively distributed to its subscribers, expanding its foray into cinema.

Netflix also recently unveiled plans for a sequel to the Oscar-winning film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" that will simultaneously premiere on the online streaming service and in selected theaters next year.

The streaming content giant claims some 50 million subscribers in nearly 50 countries, following an expansion into several European nations.

In its latest announcement, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said DiCaprio "intuitively understands that there is nothing like the power of film to reach people's hearts and minds.

"With 'Virunga,' we'll work with Leo to introduce viewers around the world to an incredible, gripping story that will have audiences guessing right up until the final act."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao welcomes praise for documentary

MANILA, Philippines – Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao is all smiles for the praise he is getting regarding his documentary.

The documentary, titled “Manny,” opened in Philippine theaters on Wednesday.

“Maganda naman 'yung movie daw, maraming nanood, at nakapagbigay inspirasyon sa ating mga kababayan,” said Pacquiao in an interview with ABS-CBN North America Bureau’s Steve Angeles.

The film features the life of the Filipino boxing icon, his rise to fame, and even his misfortunes.

It was narrated by Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson and directed by Academy Award winner Leon Gast and Ryan Moore.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao continued his training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles on Tuesday as part of his preparations for his upcoming rematch against Timothy Bradley.

The fighting congressman even bloodied the nose of one of his sparring partners, despite having jetlag from his long flight to the US.

“Ayos naman ang first day [of training] natin dito sa America. May jetlag pa tayo so adjust adjust pa ng konti," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cheche Lazaro probes LGBT issues in docu

MANILA -- Veteran broadcast journalist Cheche Lazaro tackles homosexuality and its many permutations in a two-hour documentary that weaves the points of view of people with same-sex attraction, their families, and the sectors that either support or reject them.

According to study of two nationwide surveys eight years ago, one in every four Filipinos would not want to have lesbians and gay men as neighbors.

Twenty eight percent of the respondents also considered their sexuality as something "unjustifiable."

The following year, 2006, and three years later, 2009, a government institution gave flesh to the negative attitude of many Filipinos toward the gay community.
Gay CO
The Commission on Elections shut the door on the Filipino lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) by denying the application for accreditation of the party-list group Ang Ladlad, the LGBT political party.

Ladlad was disqualified to run in the 2007 elections for failing to prove its nationwide membership, while their petition in 2010 was junked on grounds of immorality.

But the Supreme Court intervened and gave Ladlad the go-signal to join the 2010 elections. The LGBT political party, whose advocacy equal rights among all Filipinos, failed to make it.

Over the years, the Filipino perception of the gay community has found expression in a number of ways – discrimination in terms of employment, bullying in schools, harassment in work places, and in some cases, grisly murders.

Yet, despite the risks, a number of personalities have come out of the closet to be counted as part of a “growing” community in search of their own truths after years of living a lie.

In time with the an internationally observed National Coming Out Day this month, "Cheche Lazaro Presents" takes a deeper look into the world of the LGBTs and their struggle for acceptance in the special documentary, which airs on Sunday after "Gandang Gabi Vice" on ABS-CBN.

Former child star and singer Aiza Seguerra talks about her journey of acceptance, while gay comedian Ogie Diaz gives a peek into his 13-year blissful marriage that has produced four daughters.

A woman narrates how science has helped her own transformation into a man while her very conservative father looks back at how his family dealt with the situation.

A bisexual ordained as a minister and will be installed as a pastor, and a married lesbian couple share their views about love and family. Eight gay men way past their prime complete the tales of joys and pains of being “different.”

Joining the discourse are experts from various fields – a psychologist, geneticist, sex realignment doctor, human rights activist and priests.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

The Eagles share story through documentary

LONDON -- With more than 120 million albums sold worldwide, five No. 1 U.S. singles, six Grammy awards and more than four eventful decades in the music industry, is there anything more that an iconic rock band like The Eagles could wish for?

The band, composed of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy Schmit, still wants to make music but on top of that, they also want to share their story -- from their humble beginnings to their journey to stardom.

A select crew of filmmakers put together a documentary dubbed "History of The Eagles," an intimate look into the history of the band and the legacy of its music. It recently premiered at the Sundance Institute shindig in London.

The documentary is directed by Alison Ellwood and produced by Alex Gibney. It boasts of never-before-seen home videos, archival footage, personal photos, memorabilia, and, amassed by one of the most enduring and world-renown American bands. It is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

ABS-CBN Europe was invited to take part in the exclusive Q and A session during the premiere screening of the film where the band answered interesting questions from the media.

On lessons learned as a band member:

Glenn Frey: Things started to change for this band when people started having kids. And I find that the job I do in the band is the same job I do at home: Be consistent, be fair, listen and understand that, sometimes, it’s just gonna be impossible.

Don Henley: Men grow up slowly.. (laughs) If at all, especially men in the entertainment industry. We've learnt a lot. We have that wonderful thing now called perspective, which we didn't have quite so much of then, and perspective is wonderful thing. We have more gratitude for how fortunate we are. And we've learnt to accept and tolerate one another.

On selecting the documentary film crew:

Glenn Frey: I went to New York and I said to him, I just thought his reel was riveting. He became the producer of the project, and he, in turn, introduce Allison into the process as editor/director. Essentially, they just unearthed these incredible historical footage on us and we proceeded to do interviews with them as they interviewed everybody else that people we thought we're close to at that time. They did a terrific job.

Don Henley: We said to our management to go and find me somebody who's won a lot of awards and doing documentaries about things other than bands. And so that's how it came to be.

On coming to London for Sundance:

Glenn Frey: We feel very comfortable coming here. We always have. We have a terrific fan base. And for us, it's not like there's gonna be another Eagles movie coming out next year. This is a one time thing for us, so you know, it's important.

Don Henley: We've had a very successful premiere in the States at the Sundance Film Festival, so when they offered - I didn't even know they we're doing Sundance over here, I think this is their second - so when they offered to premiere it here we said great.

On overcoming obstacles:

Glenn Frey: I feel a little bit more objective than I could have at other times. I was surprised at how many obstacles we had to overcome in the short 9 year period, from 1971 to 1980. It include a change of producers, change of band members, changing managers, changing business managers, changing agents, changing record companies. There was always something standing in our way, challenging us to overcome it, to get beyond it, and I think that's what we're caught up with everyday. It wasn't like we're gonna be a band that gonna last a lifetime. It wasn't anything like that, but we certainly wanted to be a band that was a good band and a band that was respected by its peers.

Don Henley: There were a great many obstacles as Glenn said, and we were learning as we went. We started out knowing very little about the music business, and we learnt some lessons the hard way.

On advice to other bands:

Glenn Frey: I only know what works for me. Every band has its own road to follow. I just know that when things get difficult, it helps to take a couple of deep breaths.

On excessive lifestyle in previous years:

Joe Walsh: When we stopped, I didn't really have a life and I didn't know what to do, and I was sad. So I pretended that we didn't stop and I kept going, and basically I ended up alcoholic and dependent on substances and those things gradually convince you that you can't do anything without them.

Don then came to me in 1993, and said we're thinking about trying it again and we can't really do it without you, and we can't do it unless you're sober. And I was at the bottom right then. I really took it as far as I could go. And that was the reason I've been waiting for all those years.

Don Henley: I think the lesson that we can take from this is that we all survived, we're all alive and well. We've been through the fire, and many people didn't make it both in the States and here in Britain. We've lost a lot of people in the business. But for one reason or another -- good genetics, will power or good fortune or whatever -- we're all fine, and we intend to stay that way, and we're grateful for that.

On lesson from documentary:

Glenn Frey: Part of what this documentary has taught me is I need to be more generous with myself. And you gotta look at yourself and your past, and you have to accept who you are and what you did, and thankful anyone did not get hurt, say you're sorry for the things you did that were wrong, and get on with it. And I feel that we're pretty comfortable with who we are up here now.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Brazilian Student Sells Her Virginity For $780,000 Online

A Brazilian student has sold her virginity in an online auction for $780,000 as part of a documentary organised by an Australian filmmaker, according to reports.

Catarina Migliorini, 20, was the subject of 15 bids, with a Japanese man named only as Natsu winning on Wednesday night, Australian media reported.

They said Miss Migliorini would be "delivered" to her buyer on board a plane to Australia and that she would be interviewed before and after losing her virginity at a secret location.

Filmmaker Jason Sisely, who reportedly began his project in 2009 and caused outrage when he put posters up in Sydney and Melbourne saying "Virgins Wanted", said Miss Migliorini was ecstatic and had not expected such a high level of interest.

"The auction closed last night and Catarina is extremely excited. She was speaking to her family in Brazil online and they were extremely happy for her," he told Australian online news site Ninemsn.

"But I guess they didn't expect her to do something like this."

He said the act would be consummated, but not filmed, in the next few weeks.

"We will fly over the winner to Australia and obviously, for the sake of the film and privacy, we can't disclose where and when the act will take place," he said. "I have to leave some details for the documentary."

Miss Migliorini defended the move.

"I saw this as a business. I have the opportunity to travel, to be part of a movie and get a bonus with it," she told Folha newspaper.

"If you only do it once in your life then you are not a prostitute, just like if you take one amazing photograph it does not automatically make you a photographer."

Sisely told Ninemsn that under the terms of the auction a condom was compulsory and Natsu must be tested beforehand for any sexually transmitted diseases.

"I'm looking forward to my audience's response to the film," he said.

source: businessinsider.com