A father wants his daughters to reach the top, a nine-year-old survives the civil war in Northern Ireland and a refugee sells his skin: this week’s theatrical releases.
“King Richard” starring Will Smith as the tennis dad
Los Angeles – The family and sports drama ‘King Richard’ tells the story of ambitious family man Richard Williams, who molds his daughters Venus and Serena into tennis champions. He follows a strict plan to take the girls from poor Compton, California to the top of the world tennis game. Hollywood star Will Smith convinces as a father who, despite many obstacles, pursues his goal undeterred. The legendary tennis sisters served as executive producers on director Reinaldo Marcus Green’s gripping film project. Upcoming actresses Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton play the sisters as teenagers.
King Richard, USA 2021, 145 min., FSK 12+, by Reinaldo Marcus Green, with Will Smith, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal
“Belfast”: A Childhood in the Northern Ireland Conflict
With the film “Belfast”, nominated for seven Oscars, director Kenneth Branagh brings parts of his own childhood to the big screen. The coming-of-age drama is set against the backdrop of the Northern Ireland conflict in the 1960s and is told from the point of view of nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill). The little boy witnesses how an aggressive mob of Protestants attacked the houses and shops of Catholics on his street, where everyone had previously lived peacefully together. The residents then build a protective wall. As tensions mount, Buddy’s father (Jamie Dornan) plans to move the family away. But Buddy, his brother and his mother (Caitriona Balfe) want to stay in Belfast, where their loving grandparents (Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds) also live. Branagh, who witnessed the Troubles first hand as a child, brought in fantastic actors for his very personal film. The atmospheric film music comes from one of Belfast’s most famous sons: Van Morrison.
Belfast, UK 2021, 97 mins, FSK 12+, by Kenneth Branagh, with Jude Hill, Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, Jamie Dornan
Art satire: “The man who sold his skin”
Berlin (AP) – This production, as the title suggests, is about a man who sells his skin. However, this is not only in a figurative sense, but in a sense that is actually to be taken literally. The film tells the story of a Syrian refugee who does everything he can to finally get to his ex-fiancé in Brussels – and makes himself available as a living screen: he has a replica of a Schengen visa tattooed on his back. A renowned artist wants to turn it into a work of art. Sam Ali, as the Syrian is called, also undertakes to regularly exhibit himself and his tattooed rear view in art contexts. The film is based on an artwork by Belgian conceptual artist Wim Delvoye. The Man Who Sold His Skin was the first Tunisian film to be nominated for an Oscar in 2021.
The man who sold his skin, Tunisia/France/Sweden/D/Belgium 2020, 104 min., FSK from 12, by Kaouther Ben Hania, with Yahya Mahayni, Monica Bellucci, Husam Chadat, Dea Liane dpa
