By Merle Exit
There are still a few days to experience Panorama Europe, a unique showcase of contemporary features that are being co-presented by Museum of the Moving Image and the European Union National Institutes for Culture. Panorama Europe gives New York audiences what may be their only chance to see acclaimed films from the festival circuit on the big screen.
Here is a list of movies shown Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14.
Saturday brings two films starting with “Breathe” at 2 p.m. by director Mélanie Laurent.
Actress-turned-director Laurent’s impressive sophomore feature is a gripping portrait of teenage friendship turned toxic. High-school senior Charlie is immediately drawn to the effortlessly cool, confident new girl in school, Sarah. But what starts as a seemingly perfect friendship sours as it grows into something dangerous, obsessive and ultimately tragic.
“Breathe” captures the turbulence of the adolescent years with raw emotional honesty.
“The Unexpected Life” screens at 4 p.m., directed by Jorge Torregrossa.
One of Spain’s most esteemed actors, Javier Cámara, delivers a winning performance in this bittersweet romantic comedy. He stars as a Spanish ex-pat trying to make it as an actor in New York City. When his more conventional cousin arrives for a visit, the pair initially seem to have little in common. But as they bond over their shared Spanish heritage, each makes surprising discoveries about life and love. A charming valentine to New York City, “The Unexpected Life” offers wise and witty insights into what it means to be a foreigner in a new country.
The European flavor continues Sunday, June 14, with “Magical Girl” at noon, directed by Carlos Vermut.
This mind-bending neo-noir begins as a tale of a father desperate to fulfill his dying daughter’s last wish: to own an extravagantly expensive dress from her favorite Japanese anime. The lengths to which he goes to secure the garment lead him down a rabbit hole of depravity. The film won the Golden Shell award for Best Film and the Silver Shell for Best Director at the 62nd International Film Festival in San Sebastian, Spain.
That is followed by “Age of Cannibals” at 3 p.m., directed by Johannes Naber.
Corporate greed runs amok in this scorching satire of capitalism at its dirtiest. Set exclusively within the claustrophobic confines of luxury hotel rooms—with only a vaguely defined cityscape outside the windows to suggest a wider world — “Age of Cannibals” follows two business consultants whose sole objective is to make more money for their international clients. But when they’re passed over for a promotion and assigned a new, no-nonsense female partner, the men wind up headed for a breakdown of epic proportions. Propelled by tour-de-force performances, this ultra-dark comedy goes deliriously off the rails as it exposes the dehumanizing effects of the corporate rat race. The film won multiple German Film Critics Awards, including Best Feature Film.
“Violet” is the closing night film. It is preceded by live music by the Flemish band St. Grandson in the museum’s courtyard, starting at 5:45 p.m., The 7 p.m. screening will be followed by a reception.
Belgian director Bas Devos immediately grabs viewers with his film’s startling opening: the stabbing death of a teen as recorded by a mall’s CCTV cameras. What follows is a senses-shattering exploration of grief, as the victim’s friend, a troubled BMX biker who witnessed the murder, deals with the emotional fallout.
For tickets and further information: www.movin
