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Alternative TIFF 2010 Picks: #5. Andrei Ujica’s The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
If you're like me , and have been awestruck by Romanian cinema of the past decade, then you might want to plunge into this three hour documentary film which focuses on the man who was the source for fifteen years of misery. The pic preemed in an Out of Comp slot in Cannes.
Alternative TIFF 2010 Picks: #4. Athina Rachel Tsangari’s ATTENBERG
If there is a positive repercussion from Greece's crumbling economy, it might have paved the way for a new kind of auteur cinema. If 2009, I can think of nothing more unique of an experience than Yorgos Lanthimos' Dogtooth, and my early impression with Tsangari's sophomore picture, which receives its world premiere in the Main Competition category in Venice in less than 48 hours from now, is that this will only strengthen the argument that social, political and economic shifts can make for some unique examples of art.
Alternative TIFF 2010 Picks: #3. Pia Marais’ At Ellen’s Age
Pia Marais' debut film The Unpolished (07) won Rotterdam's Tiger Award, and her sophomore film gets a slot in TIFF's Vanguard section - which basically announces that a singular vision from a South African-born Swedish director is to be expected. The project, a Cannes Cinéfondation selected film just preemed at the Locarno FF.
Alternative TIFF 2010 Picks: #2. Janus Metz’s Armadillo
This Cannes' Grand Prix Semaine de la Critique winner is an all excess pass into the madness of war -- and for once, this isn't from an American soldier's perspective. Get ready for a Danish descent into the hell - my feeling is the trailer below is only a small snippet of what we can expect. You'll want to leave the kids at home.
Alternative TIFF 2010 Picks: #1. Koen Mortier’s 22nd of May
It's a major coup that TIFF managed to land the world premiere to this sampling of dystopian madness. From the ultra talented creator behind Ex Drummer (which was shown at TIFF in 2007), the mind blowing trailer below only demonstrates that Mortier's packed tool box contains some gnarly heavy duty visual tricks.
