Sometimes, stories of love, abduction, and espionage don’t have to be concocted by a screenwriter because they already exist. Directors Ross Adam and Robert Cannan (who made his debut in 2008 with Three Miles North of Molkom) have teamed up for the documentary The Lovers and the Despot, a bizarre story about an actress and director who are taken hostage by Kim Jong-il. Looking equal parts a tale of undying love and espionage thriller, the first trailer promises a story that is stranger than fiction.
Unfortunately, the film itself falls back onto tired documentary formulas, as we said in our review, “The doc still relies on a parade of basic interviews to tell its story, and presents them without an iota of imagination. Why have so few realized that this is the essence of telling instead of showing, that it is awfully difficult to make dramatically engaging, much less satisfying?...
Unfortunately, the film itself falls back onto tired documentary formulas, as we said in our review, “The doc still relies on a parade of basic interviews to tell its story, and presents them without an iota of imagination. Why have so few realized that this is the essence of telling instead of showing, that it is awfully difficult to make dramatically engaging, much less satisfying?...
- 6/17/2016
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
Read: Sundance Exclusive: Clip From ‘The Lovers And The Despot’ Goes Over The Border Into North Korea Magnolia Pictures has acquired worldwide distribution rights to the documentary "The Lovers and the Despot," which saw its premiere this week at the Sundance Film Festival. Co-directors Rob Cannan ("Three Miles North of Molkom") and Ross Adams' stranger-than-fiction documentary chronicles the bizarre circumstances in which filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and actress Choi Eun-hee, South Korea's darling celebrity couple, were kidnapped and forced to be Kim Jong-il's personal filmmakers. While imprisoned and planning their escape, the filmmaking duo was forced to produce 17 movies for the film-obsessed despot. But while working for the megalomaniacal leader, the cunning couple began fostering a trusting relationship with the dictator as a means of gaining an opportunity to flee back to their native South Korea. "Rob and Ross have captured a...
- 1/29/2016
- by Riyad Mammadyarov
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Dan Mazer, all-around comic whiz and long-time Sacha Baron Cohen collaborator, has come on-board to co-write, direct and exec produce Three Miles North Of Molkom for Euro film major StudioCanal. Graham Broadbent and Czernin’s Blueprint Pictures are producing. Also writing the script is Jamie Minoprio & Jonathan Stern. StudioCanal will finance and distribute in its territories and handle international sales. The feature project is inspired by Robert Cannan and…...
- 1/11/2016
- Deadline
Exclusive: Writer-director Corinna McFarlane and producer Nicky Bentham talk about working with Eon’s Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson on The Silent Storm and their upcoming psychological thriller.
UK writer-director Corinna McFarlane, producer Nicky Bentham of Neon Films and executive producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson of Eon Productions are reuniting after their work on drama The Silent Storm to develop a new psychological thriller set in the California desert.
That project, set in the present day, is now at second draft script stage and Bentham says of Broccoli and Wilson, “it’s great to be working with them again.”
The Silent Storm, McFarlane’s fictional feature debut, premieres tonight at the BFI London Film Festival (WestEnd handles sales). Set on a remote Scottish island in the 1950s, it follows a 30-year-old woman (Andrea Riseborough) who is caught between her overbearing minister husband (Damian Lewis) and a charismatic 17-year old criminal (Ross Anderson) who is delivered...
UK writer-director Corinna McFarlane, producer Nicky Bentham of Neon Films and executive producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson of Eon Productions are reuniting after their work on drama The Silent Storm to develop a new psychological thriller set in the California desert.
That project, set in the present day, is now at second draft script stage and Bentham says of Broccoli and Wilson, “it’s great to be working with them again.”
The Silent Storm, McFarlane’s fictional feature debut, premieres tonight at the BFI London Film Festival (WestEnd handles sales). Set on a remote Scottish island in the 1950s, it follows a 30-year-old woman (Andrea Riseborough) who is caught between her overbearing minister husband (Damian Lewis) and a charismatic 17-year old criminal (Ross Anderson) who is delivered...
- 10/14/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Documentary is about filmmaking team whose lives are changed by Kim Jong-il.
Directors Rob Cannan (Three Miles North of Molkom) and Ross Adam are starting the shoot this week in Seoul for feature documentary The Lovers And The Despot.
The romantic story is about young filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and his actress wife Choi Eun-hee who built strong careers in post-war South Korea.
But when their careers are cut short after a scandal, they divorce and the actress is kidnapped by movie-obsessed Kim Jong-il and Shin is thrown into a North Korean concentration camp. They are reunited but with Kim dictating their career path.
The UK’s Tigerlily Films and Hellflower Film are producing in association with the Netherlands-based Submarine Films and France-based Pumpernickel Films.
The filmmaking team said: “With North Korea ever more present in the news, this is a timely film that will offer an insider’s perspective on the crazy world of the Kim dynasty...
Directors Rob Cannan (Three Miles North of Molkom) and Ross Adam are starting the shoot this week in Seoul for feature documentary The Lovers And The Despot.
The romantic story is about young filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and his actress wife Choi Eun-hee who built strong careers in post-war South Korea.
But when their careers are cut short after a scandal, they divorce and the actress is kidnapped by movie-obsessed Kim Jong-il and Shin is thrown into a North Korean concentration camp. They are reunited but with Kim dictating their career path.
The UK’s Tigerlily Films and Hellflower Film are producing in association with the Netherlands-based Submarine Films and France-based Pumpernickel Films.
The filmmaking team said: “With North Korea ever more present in the news, this is a timely film that will offer an insider’s perspective on the crazy world of the Kim dynasty...
- 6/20/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Eon Productions is a British company that has been involved with almost every James Bond film since 1962.s Dr. No, and it.s rarely strayed from its 007 roots. Seeing as how there probably won.t be another Bond film until 2016, though, Eon is doing some branching out. ScreenDaily reports Eon.s Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are teaming with WestEnd and Neon Film to shop the romantic drama The Silent Storm around the Cannes Film Festival. Set to star in the film are Andrea Riseborough, who recently went sci-fi with Tom Cruise in Oblivion, and Damian Lewis, who is a major reason why Homeland is one of the best shows on television right now. The Silent Storm would be the first feature film for Corinna McFarlane, whose 2008 doc Three Miles North of Molkom was nominated for a BAFTA for Best British Documentary. She would direct from a script she...
- 5/17/2013
- cinemablend.com
House (Hausu)
DVD, Eureka
To get a good idea of just how unhinged and bizarre this lost 1977 classic is, one only needs to look at the DVD's chapter headings. They start off quite innocently - "Summer Holiday", "Journey", "Supper" - but for the closing quarters of the film they are reduced to: "Not Good", "Blimey", "Indescribable" and "...!!!". When you watch the film you'll see these descriptions are perfectly accurate. Director Nobuhiko Obayashi managed to convince producers that his debut movie would be as entertaining as Jaws, hence the vogueish one-word title. Instead of a shark, though, he relied on suggestions from his 13-year-old daughter as to what would supply the scares. Her list included a piano that bites fingers off and a severed head dropped down a well. He did the right thing listening to her. The story concerns a group of schoolgirls with names that sum up their character traits – Prof,...
DVD, Eureka
To get a good idea of just how unhinged and bizarre this lost 1977 classic is, one only needs to look at the DVD's chapter headings. They start off quite innocently - "Summer Holiday", "Journey", "Supper" - but for the closing quarters of the film they are reduced to: "Not Good", "Blimey", "Indescribable" and "...!!!". When you watch the film you'll see these descriptions are perfectly accurate. Director Nobuhiko Obayashi managed to convince producers that his debut movie would be as entertaining as Jaws, hence the vogueish one-word title. Instead of a shark, though, he relied on suggestions from his 13-year-old daughter as to what would supply the scares. Her list included a piano that bites fingers off and a severed head dropped down a well. He did the right thing listening to her. The story concerns a group of schoolgirls with names that sum up their character traits – Prof,...
- 1/23/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
London -- Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" is among the latest roll call of movies to get a financial boost from the U.K. Film Council's prints and advertising fund to support distribution.
The Council said Friday distributor Artificial Eye has fished out £70,000 ($115,000) from the fund to see if Arnold's Cannes competition title can attract larger audiences. The cash will mean its release later this month here will double to 40 screens.
Other beneficiaries from the fund include Pathe Productions, which put its arms out for £125,000 ($205,000) for Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces" and Adventure Pictures which secured £67,050 ($110,000) for Sally Potter's Berlin entry "Rage."
Metrodome Distribution picked up £49,800 ($81,000) for documentary "Three Miles North of Molkom."...
The Council said Friday distributor Artificial Eye has fished out £70,000 ($115,000) from the fund to see if Arnold's Cannes competition title can attract larger audiences. The cash will mean its release later this month here will double to 40 screens.
Other beneficiaries from the fund include Pathe Productions, which put its arms out for £125,000 ($205,000) for Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces" and Adventure Pictures which secured £67,050 ($110,000) for Sally Potter's Berlin entry "Rage."
Metrodome Distribution picked up £49,800 ($81,000) for documentary "Three Miles North of Molkom."...
- 9/4/2009
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The nominees for the eleventh annual British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) have been announced. On Tuesday, October 28, at Soho House in London, it is unveiled that IRA prison drama "Hunger" and crime comedy "In Bruges" have dominated the list by collecting seven nominations each.
Both of them will battle it out for the title of Best British Independent Film, contending also with "Slumdog Millionaire", "Man on Wire" and "Somers Town". They will also go head-to-head for Best Screenplay and Best Debut Director. The latter is also known as The Douglas Hickox Award.
On the performers' category, past Variety Award recipient Keira Knightley has been nominated for Best Actress for her performance in "The Duchess". She will be facing Vera Farmiga, Samantha Morton, Kelly Reilly and Sally Hawkins. Moreover, "In Bruges" star Colin Farrell will be up against Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson, Riz Ahmed and Thomas Turgoose for the Best Actor.
Both of them will battle it out for the title of Best British Independent Film, contending also with "Slumdog Millionaire", "Man on Wire" and "Somers Town". They will also go head-to-head for Best Screenplay and Best Debut Director. The latter is also known as The Douglas Hickox Award.
On the performers' category, past Variety Award recipient Keira Knightley has been nominated for Best Actress for her performance in "The Duchess". She will be facing Vera Farmiga, Samantha Morton, Kelly Reilly and Sally Hawkins. Moreover, "In Bruges" star Colin Farrell will be up against Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson, Riz Ahmed and Thomas Turgoose for the Best Actor.
- 10/29/2008
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
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