Most of the juries at the Locarno Film Festival met the audience’s expectations. The German co-production “The revenge is mine, everyone else pays cash” wins the main prize.
Locarno – At the finale of the 74th International Film Festival in Locarno, the feature film “Revenge is mine, everyone else pays cash” by the Indonesian director Edwin won the Golden Leopard.
The historical drama, co-financed by German producers, captivates with artistic originality and a thoughtful reflection of the history of Indonesia as well as exciting questions of gender equality.
As with the main prize, the juries predominantly recognized films and individual achievements that cleverly combine audience appeal and aspiration. In the young talent competition “Cineasti del presente” (“Filmmakers of the present”) Saskia Rosendahl (“Fabian or the walk to the dogs”) won the award for best actress. In the sensitive film adaptation of the novel “Nobody is with the calves” by the German-Iranian author and director Sabrina Sarabi, she embodies a young woman who struggles with life in the country.
Producers from Germany were able to record another success with the international joint production “Zeros and Ones”. Hollywood legend Abel Ferrara (“Bad Lieutenant”) received the award for best director, even if this political thriller starring Ethan Hawke (“Boyhood”) in the lead role was received very controversially by the audience and critics in Locarno because of its tight narrative style.
The award of the special prize by the jury of the main competition to the historical painting “A New Old Play” by the Chinese director Qiu Jiongjiong met with more unanimous approval. Qiu Jiongjiong, previously known as a visual artist and documentary filmmaker, is making his debut as a feature film director. He surprises with an almost magical poetry in that he does not offer realistic images, but only scenes in theater sets.
The Russian newcomer Anastasiya Krasovskaya was named best actress in the main competition, which includes 17 films, in the hearty “Gerda” milieu study by director Natalya Kudryashova (Russia). This, too, is a price that has met with great approval. Likewise, the honor of Mohamed Mellali and Valero Escolar in the punchy workers’ comedy “Sis dies corrents” (“The Odd-Job Men”) by the Spanish film director Neus Ballús (“The Plague”).
The ceremonial awarding of all honors is to take place on Saturday evening in the open air on the Piazza Grande of the holiday resort on the Swiss shores of Lake Maggiore. It can also be seen as an appreciation of the work of the new artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro.
Despite the difficult conditions caused by the pandemic, the Italian film critic managed to address not only proven film art lovers, but a large audience with his first edition of the festival in Locarno. And it clearly showed: however good digital offers may be – they cannot replace the real cinema experience. dpa
