Athens International Film Festival

The Festival : Awards

2005

Golden Athena Best Film Award

Something Like Happiness

Czech Republic Genre: Comedy

2005 120min

Directed by: Bohdan Sláma

Language: Czech

Color: Color

SYNOPSIS

In the depressing suburbs of Bohemia, people struggle to put the pieces of their broken pasts back together and dream of a better life. Monica works in a super-market and dreams of the day she will join her boyfriend in America. Tonik, raised in a conservative family, is secretly in love with Monica since childhood and leads a non-conformist life lining with his bohemian aunt in a dilapidated house. Dasa, mother of two, is after a married man and slowly drifts away into her own world. Award-winning Bohdan Slama’s new film is a wry record of people chasing after impossible dreams inevitably leading to bitter disappointment. Split up in four parts, one for each seasons , and featuring powerful performances by a superb cast, Slama’s film is ringing with the echo of something long-forgotten, something like happiness

Cast & Crew

Directo :
Bohdan Slama

Producers:
Karl Baumgartner, Thanassis Karathanos

Cinematographer:
Divis Marek

Editor:
Jan Danhel

Art Director:
Jan Novotný....

Music:
Leonid Soybelman

Cast:
Pavel Liska, Tatiana Vilhelmová, Anna Geislerová

Director’s Filmography

2005 Something Like Happiness

2001 Wild Bees

1996 White Acacia

City of Athens Best Director Award

4-Chetyre

Russian Genre: Drama

2005 126min

Directed by: Ilya Khrjanovsky

Language: Russian

Color: Color

SYNOPSIS

After one of the most imposing and enigmatic opening sequences in cinematic history, Khrzhanovsky cuts to an empty all-night bar. Two men and a woman are introduced, yet they persistently lie about themselves. As they go their separate ways, the director unfolds a vivid and nightmarish portrait of contemporary Russia: clones, bizarre round piglets and doll faces moulded out of bread, chewed by grannies with a serious alcohol problem are only a few of the grotesque images that will parade before your eyes. Pursuing cryptical numerical symbolisms and abolishing all cinematic rules, Khrzhanovsky exposes the sheer irrationality of our civilization in all its crude nakedness.

Cast & Crew

Directo :

Ilya Khrjanovsky

Producers:
Yelena Yatsura

Cinematographer:
Sandor Berkesi

Editor:
Igor Malakhov

Cast:
Shavkat Abdusalamov, Anatoli Adoskin, Aleksei Khvostenko

Director’s Biography / Filmography

Ilya Khrzhanovsky was born in 1975 in Moscow. He studied at the Bonn Academy of Fine Arts and graduated from top Russian film school VGIK. He has directed theatrical productions and a short film with Artem Mikhalkov. 4 is his first full feature film.

FILMOGRAPHY

2004 Chetyre

Best Screenplay Award

Frozen Land

Finland Genre: Drama

2005 130min

Directed by: Aku Louhimies

Language: Finnish

Color: Color

SYNOPSIS

Frozen Land is a mighty blow to the roots of the contemporary Finnish establishment, powerful enough to shatter all your snowy Scandinavian illusions. Tuomas and Elina, a couple of young political activists, are expecting a child. Niko is in love. Hurskainen overcomes his addiction to alcohol. Hanele has a loving husband and two children. Refreshingly irreverent to the traditional linear narrative, director Aku Luhimies lets his characters’ lives spin wildly around a counterfeit note, pausing momentarily to collect their pieces. FIPRESCI Award at Goteborg and Special Jury Prize Award at Moscow Film Festival.

Cast & Crew

Director:
Aku Louhimies

Producer :
Jukka Helle

Cinematographe :
Rauno Ronkainen

Editor:
Samu Heikkilä

Cast:
Jasper Pääkkönen, Mikko Leppilampi, Pamela Tola

Director’s Biography / Filmography

Born in 1968, Aku Luhimies is considered one of the most prominent Finnish directors. His career took off during the 90s, when he directed several popular TV series. He made his cinematic debut five years ago with Restless. Frozen Land is his third feature film.

FILMOGRAPHY

2005 Frozen Land

2002 Lovers & Leavers

2000 Restless

Audience Award

The Wake

Greece Genre: Drama

2004 112min

Directed by: Nikos Grammatikos

Language: Greek / Russian

Color: Color

SYNOPSIS

Two brothers are separated by a large difference in age and opinions. The elder brother Andreas, is a corrupted policeman and the younger, Nikos, a priest. The two have nothing in common and nothing to offer each another, until Andreas accidentally shoots his wife with his police gun. The two brothers will have to spend the most painful night of their lives together, dredging up the past and getting to know each other all over again. Nikos Grammatikos delivers a nocturnal road movie of disarming realism. Just like in past efforts, the director feels for his characters but refuses to go easy on them, revealing both their weaknesses and their fears. The path to redemption could never be easy.

Cast & Crew

Directo :
Nikos Grammatikos

Producers:
Dimitris Birbilis

Cinematographer:
Simon Sarketzis

Cast:
Vangelis Mourikis, Michalis Tsourounakis

Director’s Biography / Filmography

He was born on Salamina in 1963. He has studied film and mathematics. From 1984 until 1994 he produced the radio show "Cinema on the 3rd Programme". His feature films have won awards at the Thessaloniki Film Festival and at the State Awards of the Greek Ministry of Culture.

FILMOGRAPHY

2005 The Wake

2002 The King

1998 Nightfrowers

1996 Truants

1993 A Time to Kill

1991 U-Turn