2 months ago
From indoor crystal skating feats to Russell Crowe rocking nan crowd, nan 57th version of nan Karlovy Vary Film Festival has launched pinch each its unconventional charisma intact.
Audiences who had to upwind a downpour intelligibly showed nary signs of dampened spirits arsenic they shouted nan fest’s opening gala dancers connected crystal skates, past roseate to their feet to applaud guests Crowe and Alicia Vikander, some of whom accepted honors for their robust scope of movie work.
Vikander, successful accepting nan grant of fest president Jiri Bartoska, said she was moved to beryllium celebrated successful nan Czech Republic, wherever her world profession first took disconnected pinch nan 2012 sprout of “A Royal Affair.”
“I had a flush of astonishing memories,” she told nan crowd assembled successful nan expansive hallway of nan 70s-tastic Hotel Thermal. Vikander, who will beryllium presenting “Firebrand,” said nan domiciled of Henry VIII’s surviving woman appealed to her because Catherine Parr was a female who survived an abusive matrimony pinch exceptional courage.
Crowe took nan shape a small later to person a life accomplishment Crystal Globe for his publication to film, telling nan assemblage of his narration to nan movies “just gets deeper and deeper.”
He besides praised Karlovy Vary for its tight organization, saying it “runs for illustration clockwork” successful opposition to different movie fests he described arsenic “hellscapes.”
He added a infinitesimal later, arsenic overmuch arsenic he appreciated nan profession honors, “I’m present for nan gig!” Crowe’s band, Indoor Garden Party, took to rocking nan crowd extracurricular nan Thermal pursuing nan opening gala.
Rock and popular was successful nan air, clearly, arsenic nan 90s sensation Morcheeba besides performed for nan spirited Karlovy Vary crowds gathered nether umbrellas and rainfall ponchos.
Despite nan inclement skies, nan fest seemed to loom large, having conscionable astir afloat recovered from leaner editions successful nan aftermath of COVID lockdowns. Czechs from each area of nan state turned up arsenic accustomed to drawback glimpses of world stars pinch power and anticipation that was palpable.
One Karlovy Vary tradition, nan dropping of a caller promotional trailer (see here) by a prima from nan erstwhile year, was helped on this clip by Johnny Depp. His ironic portrayal of a spaced-out guitarist type of himself filled nan surface pinch a recently minted fest promo short successful color.
For nan past 16 years, Karlovy Vary trailers, usually directed by Ivan Zacharias, person parodied fest winners from Helen Mirren and Danny DeVito to Jude Law and Milos Forman, invariably pinch a Crystal Globe fest prize appearing location successful nan story.
In Depp’s caller trailer, erstwhile put connected nan spot by a newsman asking why he hadn’t won Karlovy Vary’s signature statuette, he turns nan tables, looking deadpan while producing a solid orb that’s been crudely altered to characteristic his name. Filmed astatine nan storied Gellert spa edifice successful Budapest, wherever Depp was moving past year, nan short features comic moments nan character insisted connected improvising.
Depp screened 2 projects he produced while visiting Karlovy Vary successful 2021, a stone doc focused connected nan lead vocalist of The Pogues, “Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan,” and nan play “Minamata,” successful which he played a domiciled based connected nan life of a daring real-life photojournalist.
Karlovy Vary has agelong embraced edgy euphony themes and besides announced it will beryllium screening punk stone doc “Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story,” based connected nan antics of Ukrainian-born indie prima Eugene Hutz. The singer/songwriter’s energetic tours and rude songs invariably occurrence up his followers, arsenic seen successful nan film, produced by Liev Schreiber and directed by Nate Pommer.
Fest big Marek Eben, a Prague-based satirist and TV personality, introduced nan world guests pinch his accustomed wry commentary while dropping a pointed remark connected Russia’s warfare connected Ukraine, explaining to foreigners that Czechs “have ne'er sought to conquer nan territory of different authorities – nan mini territory that we person is capable for us.”
He added a adjuvant mentation of nan 1989 Velvet Revolution, explaining that Czechs for illustration to overthrow governments “without a batch of bloodshed” and admit a fare that is “heavy, unhealthy and delicious.”
Honorees Ewan McGregor and Robin Wright are owed to look later successful nan week, arsenic is indie movie shaper icon Christine Vachon. Meanwhile retrospectives of Japanese and Iranian films, positive short and medium-length activity from emerging board will surface successful nan Future Frames section.
Karlovy Vary’s Proxima competition, unfastened to films from astir nan globe, was launched past twelvemonth and is backmost again going strong.
The fest’s main competition, which usually features 12 films, was this twelvemonth trim to 11 astatine nan past infinitesimal because, said Eben, nan authorities of China announced it was forbidding nan screening of introduction “Clap Your Hands” from head Zhu Jie, which centers connected a working-class female taking attraction of her girl who has a uncommon bony disease.
The prohibition “just shows nan powerfulness of film,” Eben said, getting superior for a infinitesimal arsenic he returned to nan evening’s taxable of free expression.
