Congratulations to Andrés Wood: ‘Machuca’ listed as top 20 Latin American film

‘A stunning film’ Film Journal International

‘Machuca’ the 2004 feature I co-wrote and co-produced with Andrés Wood has been selected for the CasAmerica, Madrid season of ‘Twenty great films of Latin American cinema” which celebrates the most notable films of the past 20 years.

I am delighted for Andrés because this lists him up there with the greatest Latin American directors of his generation.

Machuca was my first proper collaboration with Andrés – although I had helped him with the editing on his previous film Loco Fever.  Working with Andres was very enjoyable, challenging and educative.  Andrés’s next film, La Buena Vida, (my credits: screenplay and co-producer) was less straightforward and the film was affected by the limitations of the budget. Still, it won a Goya amongst many other awards. Our next collaboration has already started. La Lutte Continua:

Mamoun Hassan

Machuca will be shown at CasAmerica, Plaza de Cibeles, Madrid on Wednesday, 25 September. For the full listing visit the CasAmerica website. http://www.casamerica.es/cine/20-anos-de-cine-iberoamericano.

Buy Machuca on DVD

 Machuca / Chile-Spain-United Kingdom-France 2004 / Directed by Andres Wood. Distributed in the UK by Artificial Eye. 

Passport to Cinema: ‘La Ronde’ and ‘Persona’ at the BFI Southbank

I will be giving introductions to two great films at the National Film Theatre at the British Film Institute (BFI) Southbank next month:

La Ronde: Monday 2 September
France 1950
Max Ophul’s masterpiece – an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s controversial play Reigen.

 

Persona: Monday 23 September
Sweden 1966
Ingmar Bergman’s highly influential minimalist work. Considered by some as one of the 20th Century’s greatest works of art.

 

Passport to Cinema

The films appear as part of the National Film and Television School’s Autumn 2013 ‘Passport to Cinema’ season – the theme of which is Masquerade! Cinema and its Masks.

The screenings are open to the public and National Film and Television School students.

For current ticket prices, reservations and further information visit the BFI website – http://www.bfi.org.uk.

The Passport to Cinema schedule and accompanying essays are published on the NFTVS website.

Bill Douglas: Childhood Trilogy in Le Monde: Justified Sinner

Three of the most compelling films about childhood and adolescence – ever made – released for the first time on DVD by BFI.

Bill Douglas has always been appreciated in France but the enthusiastic response of the cinephile media to the DVD release two weeks ago of the Trilogy shows that his status is now higher than ever. He is spoken of as in the ‘pantheon’ of British directors.

It is particularly gratifying to read a glowing tribute to Bill’s work by Thomas Sotinel in Le Monde*. His piece also recognises the role the British Film Institute played in helping the young Scot get his first feature film off the ground in the early 1970’s – and contains a reference link to an account on this very website: Bill Douglas – his ain man – (as published by Sight and Sound in 1991)

It is my greatest regret that after I commissioned Bill to write a screenplay adaptation of James’ Hogg’s 19th Century Classic, Confessions of a Justified Sinner, no funding was forthcoming to make what I believe was a personal and inspired adaptation. I stand by what I said in the article more than 20 years ago:

I hope that when the film is made — and it will be — I can, in my mind at least, make peace with him.

* published at http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2013/07/30/bill-douglas-une-enfance-en-ecosse_3455298_3246.html subscription only,  but may be read in full if you put ‘Le Monde’ and ‘Bill Douglas’ into your search engine!