The 67th Locarno Film Festival was held from 6 to 16 August 2014 in Locarno, Switzerland. There were 17 films in the main competition. The opening film, held on Piazza Grande the 8,000 seat open-air theater, was Lucy directed by Luc Besson. There was a retrospective for film studio Titanus, which has featured directors such as Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Mario Bava and Riccardo Freda. The vision award was given to Garrett Brown, the inventor of the Steadicam.
The Leopard of Honor was awarded to Agnes Varda for her career in cinema. The festival's also wanted to award Roman Polanski a lifetime achievement award and invited him to host a master class with his new film. The decision to award Polanski, who is still wanted by the U.S. government for statutory-rape charges, was met with condemnation from the public, the media, and politicians. The Swiss Democratic Party even issued a statement asking its members to refuse to be part of any ceremony recognizing Polanski. Festival director Carlo Chatrian defended his decision to invite Polanksi on artistic grounds and said, "Polanski's not a pedophile." The uproar ultimately caused Polanski to not attend the festival or collect the award.
The Golden Leopard, the festival's top prize, was awarded to From What Is Before directed by Lav Diaz. The film was noted for being over 5 and a half hours long, with a 338-minute run-time.
Official Jury
Main Competition - (Concorso Internazionale)
Gianfranco Rosi, Italian director and documentarian Alice Braga, Brazilian actress and producer Connie Nielsen, Danish actress Thomas Arslan, German-Turkish film director. Diao Yinan, Chinese director, screenwriter Official Sections
The following films were screened in these sections: Piazza Grande The following films were screened in the Piazza Grande section:
Piazza Grande: Prefestival Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Les Quatre Cents Coups The 400 Blows François Truffaut 1959 France Raiders of the Lost Ark Steven Spielberg 1981 USA
Piazza Grande English Title Original Title Director(s) Year Production CountryA Hitman's Solitude Before The Shot Florian Mischa Böder 2014 GermanyDancing Arabs Eran Riklis 2014 IsraelGeronimo Tony Gatlif 2014 France Tour de Force Hin Und Weg Christian Zübert 2014 Germany The Leopard Il Gattopardo Luchino Visconti 1963 Italy Venus in Fur La Vénus À La Fourrure Roman Polanski 2013 FranceLand Ho! Aaron Katz, Martha Stephens 2014 USA The Beaches of Agnès Les Plages D'Agnès Agnès Varda 2008 FranceLove Island Jasmila Žbanić 2014 CroatiaLucy Luc Besson 2014 FranceMarie's Story Marie Heurtin Jean-Pierre Améris 2014 FranceOne Hour Photo Mark Romanek 2002 USAPause Mathieu Urfer 2014 Switzerland Unlikely Heroes Schweizer Helden Peter Luisi 2014 SwitzerlandClouds of Sils Maria Olivier Assayas 2014 FranceThe Hundred-Foot Journey Lasse Hallström 2014 USA To Life À La Vie Jean-Jacques Zilbermann 2014 France International Competition The following films were screened in the International Competition:
Highlighted title indicates Golden Leopard winner: English Title Original Title Director(s) Production CountryA Blast Syllas Tzoumerkas GreeceAlive Park Jung-bum South Korea Horse Money Cavalo Dinheiro Pedro Costa PortugalCure - The Life Of Another Andrea Štaka Switzerland Two Shots Fired Dos Disparos Martín Rejtman Argentina The Fool Durak Yuri Bykov Russia Fidelio: Alice's Odyssey Fidelio, L'Odyssée D'Alice Lucie Borleteau FranceGyeongju Zhang Lu South Korea The Princess of France La Princesa De Francia Matías Piñeiro ArgentinaLa Sapienza Eugène Green FranceListen Up Philip Alex Ross Perry USA The Shelter L'Abri Fernand Melgar Switzerland From What Is Before Mula Sa Kung Ano Ang Noon Lav Diaz Philippines White Nights on the Pier Nuits Blanches Sur La Jetée Paul Vecchiali FrancePerfidia Bonifacio Angius ItalyThe Iron Ministry J. P. Sniadecki China August Winds Ventos De Agosto Gabriel Mascaro Brazil
Filmmakers of the Present The Concorso Cineasti del Presente, also known as the Filmmakers of the Present Competition, showcases first and second feature films from emerging filmmakers. The following films were screened in the Filmmakers of the Present Competition:
Filmmakers of the Present Original Title English Title Director(s) Production Country Buzzard Joel Potrykus USA Christmas, Again Charles Poekel USA Exit CHIENN Hsiang Taiwan Frère Et Sœur Sibling Daniel Touati France Hold Your Breath Like A Lover IGARASHI Kohei Japan La Creazione Di Significato The Creation of Meaning Simone Rapisarda Casanova Canada Lelaki Harapan Dunia The Man of the World's Hope Seng Tat Liew Malaysia Los Enemigos Del Dolor The Enemies of Pain Arauco Hernandez Uruguay Los Hongos Fungi Oscar Ruiz Navia Colombia Navajazo NAZAZO Ricardo Silva Mexico Sae-Chul-Bal JANG Woo-jin South Korea Songs From The North Soon-mi YOO USA Sud Eau Nord Déplacer South North Water Move Antoine Boutet France They Chased Me Through Arizona Matthias Huser Switzerland Un Jeune Poète A Young Poet Damien Manivel France
Out of Competition
Out of Competition: Feature Films Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Adieu Au Langage Farewell to Language Jean-Luc Godard 2014 France Creep Patrick Brice 2014 USA Dang An Zhu Rikun 2014 China Homo Faber (Trois Femmes) Homo Faber (Three Women) Richard Dindo 2014 Switzerland Kommunisten Communist Jean-Marie Straub 2014 France Le Temps Perdu Lost Time Pierre Schoeller 2014 France Lisbon Revisited Edgar Pêra 2014 Portugal Parole De Kamikaze Paro and Divine Wind Masa SAWADA 2014 France Sul Vulcano On the Volcano Gianfranco Pannone 2014 Italy Yalom'S Cure Sabine Gisiger 2014 Switzerland
Out of Competition: Shorts Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Cutaway Kazik Radwanski 2014 Canada Dialogue D'Ombres Shadow Dialogue Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub France Poder Dos Afetos Power of Affections Helena Ignez Mello 2014 Brazil The Tony Longo Trilogy Thom Andersen 2014 USA À Propos De Venise About Venice Jean-Marie Straub 2013 France
Open Doors The following films were screened in the Open Doors section:
Open Doors: Special Program Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Difret Deprive Zeresenay Berhane Mehari 2014 Ethiopia
Open Doors: Screenings Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Ezra Newton Aduaka 2007 Nigeria Fools Ramadan Suleman 1997 South Africa Half of a Yellow Sun Biyi Bandele 2013 Nigeria Heritage Africa Kwaw Ansah 1989 Ghana Mapantsula Oliver Schmitz 1988 South Africa Mueda, Memória e Massacre Mueda, Memory and Massacre Ruy Guerra 1979 Mozambico Nelisita And the Site Ruy Duarte de Carvalho 1983 Angola Nelson Mandela: The Myth & Me Khalo Matabane 2014 South Africa Por Aqui Tudo Bem All Is Well Pocas Pascoal 2011 Angola Saikati Anne Gaudencia Mungai 1992 Kenya Shirley Adams Oliver Hermanus 2009 South Africa Something Necessary Judy Kibinge 2013 Kenya Testament John Akomfrah 1988 Ghana Teza Haile Gerima 2008 Ethiopia Zamora Shamshudin Bhanji 2012 Tanzania
Open Doors: Shorts Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country African Metropolis: Berea Vincent Moloi 2013 South Africa African Metropolis: Homecoming Jim Chuchu 2013 Kenya African Metropolis: The Line-Up Folasakin Iwajomo 2013 Nigeria African Tales: Mawazo African Tales: Ideas Nina Mnaya 2008 Tanzania African Tales: The Business Trip Neema Kambona 2008 Tanzania Al Mahatta Importance Eltayeb Mahdi 1989 Sudan Arusi Ya Mariamu The Wedding of Mary Ron Mulvihill, Nangayoma Ng'oge 1985 Tanzania Jemima & Johnny Lionel N'Gakane 1966 South Africa Kwaku Ananse Akosua Adoma Owusu 2013 Ghana Pumzi Wanuri Kahiu 2009 Kenya
Leopards of Tomorrow The following films were screened in the Leopards of Tomorrow (Pardi di Domani) section:
Special Program Special Program - Leopards of Tomorrow Original titleEnglish titleDirector(s)YearProduction country Kabardino-Balkarian State University: Aleksandr Sokurov Teaching Cinema Kantemir Balagov, Vladimir Bitokov, Anzor Dokhov, Gadzhimurad Efendiev, Maryama Kalmykova, Mariana Kazancheva, Kira Kovalenko, Tina Mastafova, Malika Musaeva 2013 Russia
International Competition International Competition - Leopards of Tomorrow Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Abandoned Goods Pia Borg, Edward Lawrenson 2014 Great Britain Allt Vi Delar Everything We Share Jerry Carlsson 2014 Sweden An Hun Qu An Hu u WEN Mu Ye 2014 China Cai Putere Horsepower Daniel Sandu 2014 Romania Helix Aspersa Helix Sprayed Grégoire Graesslin 2014 France Hole Martin Edralin 2014 Canada Ii (Two) Efthimis Kosemund Sanidis 2014 Greece Kookaburra Love Sjoerd Oostrik 2013 Netherlands La Baracca The Shack Alessandro De Leo, Federico Di Corato 2014 Italy Los Invencibles The Invincible Javier Barbero, Martin Guerra 2014 Spain Lystopad Masha Kondakova 2014 Ukraina Matka Ziemia Mother Earth Piotr Zlotorowicz 2014 Poland Muerte Blanca White Death Roberto Collio 2014 Chile O Bom Comportamento The Good Behavior Eva Randolph 2014 Brazil Pussy Have The Power Lovisa Siren 2014 Sweden Rooli Role Jenni Kangasniemi, Elli Toivoniemi 2014 Finland San Siro Yuri Ancarani 2014 Italy Ser E Voltar Be and Back Xacio Baño 2014 Spain Sertres Ainara Vera 2014 Spain Shipwreck Morgan Knibbe 2014 Netherlands Single Stream Ernst Karel, Toby Lee, Pawel Wojtasik 2013 USA Sleeping Giant Andrew Cividino 2014 Canada Tahtt Al-Khazzan Under the Tank Orwa Al Mokdad, Eyas Almokdad 2014 Syria Thirst Rachel McDonald 2014 USA Triukšmadarys Noiseman Karolis Kaupinis 2014 Lithuania Unnatural History Alex Backhouse 2014 New Zealand Višak Vjetra Excess Wind Dane Komljen 2014 France
National Competition National Competition - Leopards of Tomorrow Original titleEnglish titleDirector(s)YearProduction country Abseits Der Autobahn Away from the Highway Rhona Mühlebach 2014 Switzerland Aubade Mauro Carraro 2014 Switzerland Die Hälfte Der Welt Half of the World Jérôme Furrer 2014 Switzerland Le Mal Du Citron Lemon Evil Jeremy Rosenstein, Kaspar Schiltknecht 2014 Switzerland Le Miel Est Plus Doux Que Le Sang Honey is Softer than Blood Colia Vranici 2014 Switzerland Orages D'Été Summer Storms Nadège De Benoit-Luthy 2014 Switzerland Peau Skin Marine Koenig 2014 Belgium Petit Homme Little Man Jean-guillaume Sonnier 2014 Switzerland Prose Du Transsibérien Trans -Siberian Prose David Epiney 2014 Switzerland Totems Sarah Arnold 2014 France
Signs of Life The following films were screened in the Signs of Life section: Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Al-Rakib Al-Khaled Immortal Ziad Kalthoum 2013 Syria Amori E Metamorfosi Loves and Metamorphoses Yanira Yariv 2014 France Antigona Despierta Antigona Wakes Up Lupe Perez García 2014 Spain Com Os Punhos Cerrados With the Fists Clenched Pedro Diogenes, Ricardo Pretti, Luiz Pretti 2014 Brazil El Escarabajo De Oro The Gold Beetle Alejo Moguillansky, Fia-Stina Sandlund 2014 Argentina Favula Favorite Raúl Perrone 2014 Argentina Fils De Son of HPG 2014 France Fort Buchanan Benjamin Crotty 2014 France Los Ausentes The Absent Nicolás Pereda 2014 Mexico
History (s) of Cinema The festival's Histoire(s) du Cinéma section showcases films deemed significant to the evolution of cinema. Films by the festival's career award winners are presented in this section. The following films were screened in the Histoire(s) du Cinéma section: