Germany
Running time: N/A
Start the twentieth anniversary celebration of Cinequest in its tradition of discovering electrifying cinema. Cinequest kicks off with a powerhouse, starring Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated Brian Cox (Match Point, Troy, The Bourne Identity) and emerging master Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, Gigantic). Dagur Kári (Noi the Albino) directs, nurturing flawless performances from Cox and Dano while delivering a spectacular cinematic experience. And at its core, its story, The Good Heart resonates with quirks and jabs that pack the considerable punch.
Running time: N/A
This wondrous, luminous film is more than simply the story of a family of nomads and their camels in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia; it is, in fact, a small miracle and not just another film. Occasionally, when a young cow has a particularly painful and protracted delivery, she will shun her calf, a potential disaster for the nomads, for whom every animal is precious. The Story of the Weeping Camel is the amazing story of one such birth, and the astonishing methods employed to coax the mother to accept her child.
Running time: N/A
Madrid is a gorgeous and elegant film that generates a unique brilliance through its haunting mixture of delicate ambiance, stunning, graceful cinematography and subtle emotional resonance. In Isabel's veins flow the heat and passion of Spain, the land of her ancestors. By day, an assistant manager at a local grocery store, she lives in a suburban German town, spending her evenings discouraged by her love life. After losing one ungrateful young man, Isobel is initially intrigued by the handsome businessman, Manuel, who has taken up shop in the building across from her store.
Running time: N/A
Roman has a passionless life. A good son, whose best friend is his elderly mother, Roman is always left out of the camaraderie with his boisterous colleagues at work. But when he is invited to attend the "women's carnival" masquerade party, his life changes forever. After meeting the mysterious Stella and discovering love for the first time, Roman witnesses the beating of a young man in a Zorro costume. When his offer to help is turned down, he returns to Stella, only to find that she has disappeared.
Running time: N/A
Alexander Becker is an ambitious lawyer preparing for the case of his lifetime until he gets a call from the clinic where he placed Fabian, his mentally handicapped brother years ago, at the time of the death of their mother. The clinic is undergoing renovations, and it will be necessary for Alexander to take Fabian home with him for a month. There is just one small problem-Alexander has never told his wife and kids that Fabian exists. When Fabian arrives, unannounced to the rest of the family, big changes are in store.
Running time: N/A
One tumultuous and unforgettable night in the life of a fearless, impulsive young woman makes up Sophiiiie!, German director Michael Hoffman's follow-up to his acclaimed film debut, Trouville Beach. Sophie finds her notions of life and stability shaken by the sudden news of her pregnancy. Despite assurance from her poet boyfriend, she jumps straight into the pitiless night, trying to sort out her feelings in a series of encounters with barroom bullies, sensitive theater ushers, and philosophical taxicab drivers.
Running time: N/A
Marco is leading the good life, climbing the ladder of success, and doing plenty of heavy partying. He just canÕt seem to find the time for his patient wife, Melanie, and their 6-year-old son, Benny. Unable to wait for Marco to be a part of the family, Melanie decides she wants out, and takes Benny with her. Frustrated by the lack of time he gets to spend with his son-a concern that never fazed him when they were together-Marco becomes more and more agitated, finally taking matters into his own hands.
Running time: N/A
Missing Allen is a detective story that leads the viewer into the American Heart of Darkness of Waco, Texas; Oklahoma City; UFO-believers; and religious cults. November 1995-filmmaker Allen Ross disappears without a trace. Five years later, his friend and sometimes cameraman, Christian Bauer, decides to make a movie about him. Unwittingly, what begins as homage to a missing friend becomes a riveting mystery rivaling any detective story. Leaving the security of anonymity behind the camera, Bauer becomes director and detective.
Running time: N/A
A weekend in the country isn't usually a nerve-wracking experience. Not so in Honolulu. It just so happens that in these restless lives, pandemonium is just a heartbeat away. Seven up-and-coming German directors, including Academy Award winner Florian Gallenberger (Quiero Ser, also in this year's shorts programs), present a light and breezy provincial patchwork. Rarely has the conflict between youth angst and comic abandon, the drab reality and willful dreaming been so briskly, so exuberantly balanced.
Running time: N/A
Gregor is a laconic Berlin radio host with a "thing" for Tim Hardin songs and an obsession with his former lover. Mai is a happy-go-lucky twenty-something romantic in love with her roommate's boyfriend who looks at her like a sister. About the only thing Mai and Gregor have in common is an unrequited love. After barely escaping a near fatal car accident, Mai notices Gregor's signature Tim Hardin song on the radio. This spurs her to attempt to contact Gregor, which she does via the Internet.