THE CHILDISH FILM FESTIVAL AT M-SPIFF APRIL 1-16, 2005
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMSNew movies from the international children's film festival circuit
that tell humanist, wordly stories with universal appeal.
- THE BLIND CAMEL [ Age 6+ ]
- GETTIN' GROWN [ Age 11+ ]
- IMMEDIATE BOARDING [ Age 9+ ]
- OSEAM [ Age 8+ ]
- WATERBOMB FOR THE FAT TOMCAT [ Age 6+ ]
- T.B.A. FROM BERLIN'S KINDERFEST
(Vinod Ganatra, 2003, India, 35mm w/subtitles, 84 min.)
Recommended for Age 6+
Produced by the Children’s Film Society of India, THE BLIND CAMEL opens with a fun Bollywood-style musical number, “Topsy Turvy,” sung by the young kids. And so begins the tale of a village boy, Sonu, and his younger sister, Lakhmi, whose camels stray across the border into Pakistan. Sonu follows, illegally, and befriends a family. But when Sonu returns, he gets into trouble with their father, whose livelihood depends upon the camels. The young children of the village organize and expedition as the story concludes peacefully, with the triumph of innocence, goodwill, and affection for animals and children who do not yet see borders.
GETTIN' GROWN
(Aaron Greer, USA, 2004, Beta SP, 75 min.) [Aaron Greer's biography]
Recommended for Age 11+
DIRECTOR AARON GREER SCHEDULED TO ATTEND
Gettin’ Grown is a personal, dramatic feature about one day in the life of a young boy. Twelve year old Eric’s mother needs him to fill his grandmother’s prescription. She maps out his route across town to help keep him “out of trouble”. But Eric soon strays off his mother’s strict course and bumps into tough choices. Whether it’s deciding how long to play basketball or figuring whether or not he can trust his own uncle, Eric has to find his own way. Drawing upon his own childhood and personal experiences, director Greer (a Film Professor) was also greatly inspired by Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami’s WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOME. A conscious storyteller, Greer makes art films about African-American children that go against the mainstream media’s over sensationalized portrayal of inner-city youth. GETTIN’ GROWN is a deceptively simple everyday journey, with characters, issues, and moments all kids living in American urban neighborhoods will relate to.
(Ella Lemhagen, Sweden, 2003, 35mm w/subtitles, 89 min.)
Recommended for Age 9+
When 11 year olds, Julia and Martin, discover each other in the children’s waiting room of the Stockholm airport, they feel as if they are looking into the mirror. Julia and Martin decide they are two pieces of broken glass, cosmic twins, and decide to play a trick on their divorced, estranged parents by switching places. Martin, a quiet boy obsessed by the piano suddenly finds himself in a frilly dress with a pro-wrestling stepfather. Julia, a hip, tough little girl finds herself in a peaceful rural haven where she must cope with a father’s new lady friend and a gaggle of extended relatives who expect her to quietly perform. In trading places and switching identities, Julia and Martin find themselves in endless comic situations. But they also gain new perspectives on themselves (and their parents) by playing new roles.
(Korea, Seong Baek-yeong, 2003, Korea, 35mm w/subtitles, 75 min.)
Recommended for Age 8+
In this moving animated feature film from Korea, Gil-son, a five-year-old boy and his blind sister Gam-i find a home in a Buddhist monastery—bringing laughter and mischief to the monk’s lives. When winter begins, Gil-son follows his favorite monk, Seol-jeong, to stay at a small Buddhist temple high on the mountaintop. His hope is to attain enlightenment so that he may see his mother one last time. Tragically, the boy is stranded in a snowstorm, but achieves his otherworldly goal. A very compassionate, beautifully animated story.
(Varis Brasia, Latvia/Estonia, 2004, 78 min., Latvian with English ST)
Recommended for Age 6+
The parents of two sisters, age 8 and 4, each have to leave town for work. The rambunctious, highly imaginative girls are stuck with their strict Aunt Linda who is unaccustomed to children. Linda is trying to woo a gentleman she hopes to marry, and the girls manure collecting activities stink up the romance. The sisters and their aunt are at crossed purposes until mischievous grandpa and some water balloons save the day. WATERBOMB FOR THE FAT TOMCAT is a sweet comedy set in a small Latvian village, with hilarious modern predicaments and insights.
preceded by BELOVED DADDY
(Kristina Gazizova, 2004, USA, Beta w/subtitles, 3 min.)
A crayon-drawn sing-a-long about a Russian girl’s playful adventures with a very fun Papa.
The Berlinale Kinderfest is Europe’s premier festival for children’s cinema. See the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival’s catalogue for the announcement of a greatly anticipated children’s feature premiere, plucked fresh from this Spring’s Kinderfest.