In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.
Inspired by real events, five friends struggle to cope with their frustrations and are compelled to violence as Weltstadt, a once-popular tourist spot, falls onto hard times following the reunification of Germany.
Teacher Anne and policeman Georg are thought of as the perfect couple. However, appearances are deceptive: one of them is covered with scars and bruises. But which one is the abuser?
Director:
Jan Bonny
Stars:
Matthias Brandt,
Victoria Trauttmansdorff,
Wotan Wilke Möhring
Becky, Maik and Tommi, a group of right-wing radical youths, aim to establish a terrorist cell in Germany. Seeking national attention, they commit a range of escalating crimes whilst facing disorientation and their appetite for murder.
Director:
Jan Bonny
Stars:
Thomas Schubert,
Ricarda Seifried,
Jean-Luc Bubert
The shadows of screams climb beyond the hills. It has happened before. But this will be the last time. The last few sense it, withdrawing deep into the forest. They cry out into the black, as the shadows pass away, into the ground.
A psychiatrist and his blind girlfriend, bound by sinister interest. A school doctor, who lost more than work with her dismissal. Her brother, who will do everything for her. A desperate ... See full summary »
Director:
Sebastian Brauneis
Stars:
Sarah Victoria Frick,
Regina Fritsch,
Gerhard Kasal
Martha is in a happy relationship with Paul. She shares her life with him, and she trusts him and feels she knows him inside out. But one day two policewomen appear at her door and suddenly... See full summary »
Director:
Jan Schomburg
Stars:
Sandra Hüller,
Georg Friedrich,
Felix Schmidt-Knopp
On the stage of her high school drama class 17-year-old Sarah gives it all. When she performs, there is an instant of suspense in which she appears to transform completely into her ... See full summary »
Director:
Katharina Wyss
Stars:
Loane Balthasar,
Manuela Biedermann,
Simon Bonvin
A 50-year-old housewife, Manana, struggles with her dilemma - she has to choose between her family life and her passion, writing, which she had repressed for years - she decides to follow ... See full summary »
Director:
Ana Urushadze
Stars:
Nato Murvanidze,
Ramaz Ioseliani,
Dimitri Tatishvili
In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.Written by
Ana Lily Amirpour
Director Ana Lily Amirpour, who bears a somewhat similar resemblance to the Sheila Vand (The Girl) actually performed the skateboarding sequences in the film for the the long shots. Amirpour is a lifelong skateboarder. See more »
Goofs
Although the movie is set in the Iranian ghost-town Bad City. Two locomotives from the California area are seen at the power plant after The Girl gets her ears pierced. Two engines, one marked CEFX 3048 and one marked Railink RLK 2121 are seen pulling some GATX corporation cars. CEFX 3048's and RLK 2121's normal area of operations would be in California. See more »
Quotes
Arash:
If there was a storm coming right now, a big storm, from behind those mountains, would it matter? Would it change anything?
See more »
Greetings again from the darkness. This is my third "first feature" from a writer/director this week, but there endeth any similarities. Ana Lily Amirpour presents the first ever Iranian romantic vampire thriller that blends the styles of Spaghetti Westerns, graphic novels and 1950's rebel flicks, while making a social statement regarding Muslim women.
This festival favorite is an expanded version of Ms. Amirpour's 2011 short film of the same title, and the use of black and white, combined with cinematographer Lyle Vincent's extraordinary photography, delivers a beautifully stark dream-like atmosphere that lends itself well to the sparse dialogue approach.
Despite minimal conversation, we quickly recognize Saeed (Dominic Rains) as the ultra-arrogant drug dealer and bullying pimp, Arash (Arash Marandi) as the hard-working dutiful nice guy who sees himself as a would-be James Dean, Hossein (Marshall Manash) as the drug-addicted dad who burdens his son, and Atti (Mozhan Marno) as the aging, powerless prostitute with little hope. There is even the street boy (Milad Eghbali) who sees all and says little and is the target of the film's most terrifying scene (and maybe one of the most terrifying bloodless scenes of any horror film).
What really stands out about this low-budget gem is the seamless and effective mixing of genres. In addition to the "vampire" moments, there are a couple of the most quietly erotic scenes that I can recall (including an ear-piercing), and even a quite humorous scene with an under-the-influence Arash mesmerized by a lamp post while wearing a Dracula costume and being observed by a real vampire.
The vampire is played perfectly by Sheila Vand, whose intoxicating eyes and subtle facial gestures convey all whether she is feeding her appetite, being gently seduced by Arash, or slowly coasting on her skateboard. Her only time to unleash pent-up emotions is the previously mentioned scene when she warns "Be a good boy". Otherwise, she is the lonesome vampire in search of connection who periodically weeds out the bad men – simultaneously improving society and empowering women.
It's an odd production as the characters speak Farsi, but filming took place outside Bakersfield, California in a locale that fits the story town's name, Bad City. Any influence of Iranian culture is only evident through interpretation and the excellent cast. The beautiful camera work is complemented by an outstanding and unusual soundtrack a combination that proves Ms. Amirpour's eye and feel for storytelling. The minimal dialogue approach is successful thanks to the atmospheric style and the talents of the cast (many of whom will be familiar to American TV and film audiences). It's an exciting first feature and has many anxiously awaiting the next project from Ana Lily Amirpour.
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Greetings again from the darkness. This is my third "first feature" from a writer/director this week, but there endeth any similarities. Ana Lily Amirpour presents the first ever Iranian romantic vampire thriller that blends the styles of Spaghetti Westerns, graphic novels and 1950's rebel flicks, while making a social statement regarding Muslim women.
This festival favorite is an expanded version of Ms. Amirpour's 2011 short film of the same title, and the use of black and white, combined with cinematographer Lyle Vincent's extraordinary photography, delivers a beautifully stark dream-like atmosphere that lends itself well to the sparse dialogue approach.
Despite minimal conversation, we quickly recognize Saeed (Dominic Rains) as the ultra-arrogant drug dealer and bullying pimp, Arash (Arash Marandi) as the hard-working dutiful nice guy who sees himself as a would-be James Dean, Hossein (Marshall Manash) as the drug-addicted dad who burdens his son, and Atti (Mozhan Marno) as the aging, powerless prostitute with little hope. There is even the street boy (Milad Eghbali) who sees all and says little and is the target of the film's most terrifying scene (and maybe one of the most terrifying bloodless scenes of any horror film).
What really stands out about this low-budget gem is the seamless and effective mixing of genres. In addition to the "vampire" moments, there are a couple of the most quietly erotic scenes that I can recall (including an ear-piercing), and even a quite humorous scene with an under-the-influence Arash mesmerized by a lamp post while wearing a Dracula costume and being observed by a real vampire.
The vampire is played perfectly by Sheila Vand, whose intoxicating eyes and subtle facial gestures convey all whether she is feeding her appetite, being gently seduced by Arash, or slowly coasting on her skateboard. Her only time to unleash pent-up emotions is the previously mentioned scene when she warns "Be a good boy". Otherwise, she is the lonesome vampire in search of connection who periodically weeds out the bad men – simultaneously improving society and empowering women.
It's an odd production as the characters speak Farsi, but filming took place outside Bakersfield, California in a locale that fits the story town's name, Bad City. Any influence of Iranian culture is only evident through interpretation and the excellent cast. The beautiful camera work is complemented by an outstanding and unusual soundtrack a combination that proves Ms. Amirpour's eye and feel for storytelling. The minimal dialogue approach is successful thanks to the atmospheric style and the talents of the cast (many of whom will be familiar to American TV and film audiences). It's an exciting first feature and has many anxiously awaiting the next project from Ana Lily Amirpour.