Jafar Panahi arrested in Iran. Protests from across the world. Sign Cineuropa.org’s petition.

The lounge of the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel seemed a fitting setting to interview the young German director about his cautionary new film THE LIVES OF OTHERS. It had just been screened in AFI FEST, but the story is an old one: political paranoia and suppression of civil liberties. The walls of this hotel, if they had ears and voices, could tell similar tales from Hollywood’s darkest hour… the Blacklist years. I had the chance to discuss it with Florian Henckle von Donnersmarck.

Innovative filmmaker John Sayles reveals his process in conversation with Stephen Ashton

Seminal independent filmmaker John Sayles has just finished his 16th feature film, “Honeydripper”. His first feature, “The Return of the Secaucus Seven,” made 29 years ago, was a ground-breaking low budget independent feature that became a model for future filmmakers. His films have run the gamut from the Spanish language “Men With Guns” to the woman’s story “Lianna” and the popular Oscar Nominated “Lone Star.” Nonetheless, even though he is a highly respected director and sought after screenwriter who is brought in by studios to write or rewrite, he is not satisfied with the way his own films have been distributed. Interviewed in Spain at the San Sebastian International Film Festival Sayles’ long time producer Maggie Renzie shared their strategy.

Interviewed at San Sebastian Film Festival
 

John Boorman has never been one to mince his words. His films cover a vast range of genres and subjects, but all contain emotional impact in the service of ideas. Boorman has a distinctive relationship to landscape and how a social milieu effects the individual. Unlike many Hollywood films, his [...]

Interviewed at AFI Film Festival

The lounge of the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel seemed a fitting setting to interview the young German director about his cautionary new film THE LIVES OF OTHERS. It had just been screened in AFI FEST, but the story is an old one: political paranoia and suppression of civil liberties. The walls [...]

Doris Dörrie is more than just one of the leading German directors. She is also a writer of novels, short stories, children’s books and has directed several operas. Dörrie joins Margarethe von Trotta as Germany’s preeminent woman directors of modern times. Her most recent film “Cherry Blossoms” (“Hanami”) marks her return to Japan to tell the story of Rudi and his wife Trudi, a German elderly couple.