Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival 2019

Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival is one of our oldest film festivals, meaning large crowds and great exposure. Set in one of Europe’s most accessible and beautiful cities, Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival showcases our filmmaker’s talents in a week-long celebration with audience choice awards. Following the event, winning films receive automatic official selections at every subsequent globally-based Lift-Off Film Festival. More details.

I attended two evenings from the Lift-Off Festival, and I chose my winners. If possible, please, try to see all the movies presented. Details here. Thank you to Natalie Daniels, General Manager, Lift-Off Global Network Limited, Pinewood Studious, England, for the kind invitation.

One, no one, 100.000 – Dir. Karlijn Milder and Lotte Milder

Human interaction. It is complex and makes the difference between you and the rest of the animals. Only if this interaction is changing the abstract. Animals work only with immediate reality and danger. Humans are exploring a fantastic parallel world, analyzing the character of an interlocutor, daily feeding with stories, surviving in large groups, setting standard rules called laws. All this to cover the primary needs. Like B&B (bed and breakfast). And look, the next moment, we are in a countryside manor sharing a table with unknown travelers, all of us gathered by a terrible storm which made “outside” a danger zone even for the forest inhabitants like deers.

Questions are raising: Who I am? Why am I here in this reality? This wounded body with bruises and cuts, it is mine? Who is the young introvert who chose to confront the storm in an escaping way? If you pray intensively, the evil is gone?

Generations plan to cross even in radio post-selection from future born to an almost pensioned teacher, lawyer, doctor, or simple explorer man who vibrates with the host Lady. Oh, the Lady of the Manor! Elegance, aristocracy, old world in one person. Unafraid to check if the storm is still there and let the sun enlighten. Storm lost her powers but not our researchings and not the life. Or maybe not for all entities because of the little deer who past the last storm.

Matthijs Roling paint, which combines the inexisting world with roman and greek influence, represents the central theme of the movie. The entire wall is covered, and the overwhelming room space is doors divided. Alice, in Wonderland, needs to pick doors, you will select one also. The paint is like a dancer who exposes himself to your eyes with a different message for every look. Karlijn Milder and Lotte Milder, two sisters, connected by birth and art, carefully take your thoughts through the firs door. Look at the main room, paint, characters, feel, and open the next one. Just do not forget. If time is disappearing, life not. Only the deer is dead. Outside.

Casting:

Lotte Milder “Lynn”

Loes Schnepper “José”

Bert Luppes “Egbert”

Mehrnoush Rahmani “Lena”

Pepijn Korfage “Timo”

Paul van der Laan “Abbe.”

Sonntag – Dir. Mariano Cabaco

Only a mother understands the child. Only accidents can defeat her protection. Things are happening, and family harmony is broken. Not by a regular illness. Mental affection is taking everything from us. One of the spread world suffering brought by age or destiny. When you are losing your best friend, the Mind needs a factory reset. Impossible. Only machines cand do that. We do therapy, ask for forgiveness, and start to enjoy, again, a Sunday with mom. A small step in healing the soul when the body works fine.

I was scared of his lake bath and remain scared if the snail shell is protection, memory, or weapon. This risk is never disappearing. Mental illness can come anytime back carried by a simple gesture, impulse, or crisis.

Casting:

What if the crows will eat your eyes? You are alive. Blind, but alive. Would you be surprised to discover that you are a monster now? One who becomes a threat to society, believing that he is an old savior one, listening to the news and decide to action just to find that the criminal is…