Cinema Releases - Western
A group of German construction workers start a tough job at a remote site in the Bulgarian countryside. The foreign land awakens the men's sense of adventure, but they are also confronted with their own prejudices and mistrust due to the language barrier and cultural differences with the native villagers. The foreman Vincent and the mysterious Meinhard also start to fall out.
The stage is quickly set for a showdown when the German workers begin to compete for recognition and favour from the local villagers.
Preview with a Q&A with Valeska Grisebach April 10 BFI Southbank
Week Commencing 13th April
ICA Cinema |
The Mall |
London, SW1Y 5AH |
020 7930 3647 | all week |
Curzon Bloomsbury | The Brunswick Centre | London, WC1N 1AW | 0333 321 0104 | all week |
Arthouse Crouch End | 159a Tottenham Lane | London N8 9BT | 020 8245 3099 | all week |
Picturehouse Central | Piccadilly Circus | London W1D 7DH | 0871 902 5755 | all week |
HOME | 2 Tony Wilson Place | Manchester, M15 4FN | 0161 200 1500 | all week |
Watershed | 1 Canon's Rd |
Bristol, BS1 5TX | 0117 927 5100 | all week |
Tyneside | 10 Pilgrim Street | Newcastle, NE1 6QG | 0191 227 5500 | all week |
Showroom | 15 Paternoster Square | Sheffield, S1 2BX | 0114 275 7727 | all week |
Arts Picturehouse | 38-39 St. Andrew's Street | Cambridge, CB2 3AR | 0871 902 5720 | all week |
Broadway | 14-18 Broad St | Nottingham NG1 3AL | 0115 9526 611 | all week |
Depot Lewes | Pinwell Road | Lewes, BN7 2JS | 01273 525354 | all week |
IFI |
6 Eustace St, Temple Bar, | Dublin 2 | 1 679 3477 | all week |
Week Commencing 20th April
BFI Southbank |
Belvedere Rd |
London, SE1 8XT |
020 7928 3232 |
all week |
Curzon Bloomsbury | The Brunswick Centre | London, WC1N 1AW | 0333 321 0104 | all week |
ICA Cinema | The Mall | London, SW1Y 5AH | 020 7930 3647 | all week |
Picturehouse Central | Piccadilly Circus | London W1D 7DH | 0871 902 5755 | all week |
HOME | 2 Tony Wilson Place | Manchester, M15 4FN | 0161 200 1500 | all week |
Phoenix Leicester | 4 Midland St |
Leicester, LE1 1TG |
0661 242 2800 |
all week |
Showroom | 15 Paternoster Square | Sheffield, S1 2BX | 0114 275 7727 | all week |
Tyneside | 10 Pilgrim Street | Newcastle, NE1 6QG | 0191 227 5500 | 21-24, 26 Apr |
Watershed | 1 Canon's Rd | Bristol, BS1 5TX | 0117 927 5100 | all week |
Depot Lewes | Pinwell Road | Lewes, BN7 2JS | 01273 525354 | all week |
Barbican Cinema | Beech St | London EC2Y 8AE | 020 7861 3515 | 21,26 April |
Arthouse Crouch End | 159a Tottenham Lane | London N8 9BT | 020 8245 3099 | 23,25 April |
Week Commencing 27th April |
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Lexi Cinema |
194b Chamberlayne Rd |
London NW10 3JU |
020 3011 5523 |
29 Ap, 1,2 May |
BFI Southbank |
Belvedere Rd |
London, SE1 8XT |
020 7928 3232 |
all week | |
Midlands Arts Centre | Cannon Hill Park |
Birmingham B12 9QH |
0121 446 3232 |
27 -30 April |
|
Glasgow Film Theatre | 12 Rose St | Glasgow G3 6RB | 0141 332 6535 | all week | |
Quad Cinema | Market Place | Derby DE1 3AS | 01332 290606 | all week |
|
Picturehouse | 23-31 The Coombe | Newlyn TR18 5HS | 01736 332222 | all week | |
Phoenix Picturehouse | 57 Walton St, | Oxford OX2 6AE | 0871 902 5736 | Sun 29 Apr |
|
Dominion Cinema | Newbattle Terrace |
Edinburgh EH10 4RT | 0131 447 4771 | all week | |
Week Commencing 4th May
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Exeter Phoenix | Gandy St | Exeter EX4 3LS | 01392 667080 | 7 - 9 May |
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Cube | Dove St South | Bristol BS2 8JD | 0117 907 4190 | 8 - 9 May |
|
QFT Queens Film Theatre |
20 University Square |
Belfast BT7 1PA | 028 9097 1097 | 5 - 7 May | |
ICA Cinema | The Mall | London, SW1Y 5AH |
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6 May only |
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Week Commencing 11th May |
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Hippodrome | Bognor Regis | 11,12,13,17 May | |||
First Site | Colchester | 13 May |
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Filmhouse | 88 Lothian Rd |
Edinburgh EH3 9BZ |
0131 228 2688 |
15-17 May |
|
Barn Cinema | Dartington | 16-17 May |
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Palace Cinema | Broadstairs | 12,15,17 May | |||
Belmont | Aberdeen | 15-17 May | |||
Week Commencing 18th May |
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Guildhall |
Gloucester |
all week |
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Errol Flynn |
Northampton |
19,22 May |
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Film Theatre |
Ipswich |
18/19, 22-24 May |
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Week Commencing 8th Junr
|
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Whirled Cinema |
259/260 Hardess Rd |
Loughborough Junct. SE24 0HN |
020 7737 6153 |
10 June |
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Week Commencing 15th June
|
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Saffron Screen | Audley End Rd | Saffron Walden CB11 4UH | 01799 500238 | 18 June only | |
Valeska Grisebach studied Philosophy and German Studies in Berlin, Munich and Vienna.
In 1993 she began studying to be a director at the Viennese Film Academy under Peter Patzak, Wolfgang Gluck and Michael Haneke. Her graduation film BE MY STAR was nominated for the Adolf-Grimme-Award in 2002 and received the Critics' Award at the Toronto International Film Festival as well as the Grand Jury Award at the Turin Film Festival.
Her second feature film, LONGING, premiered in 2006 in the Berlinale Competition. The film received several awards, including the Special Jury Award in Buenos Aires, the Grand Prix Asturias at the Gijon International Film Festival and the Special Jury Award at the Warsaw International Film Festival.
2017 WESTERN - Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2017
2006 SEHNSUCHT / LONGING - Berlinale Competition 2006
2001 MEIN STERN / BE MY STAR
CAST |
|
Meinhard |
Meinhard Neumann |
Vincent |
Reinhardt Wetrek |
Adrian |
Syuleyman Alilov Letifov |
Veneta |
Veneta Francova |
Vyara |
Vyara Borisova |
Vanko |
Kevin Bashev |
Mancho |
Aliosman Deliev |
Tommy |
Robert Gawallek |
Jens |
Jens Klein |
Boris |
Waldemar Zang |
Helmuth |
Detlef Schaich |
Marcel |
Sascha Diener |
Wolle |
Enrico Mantei |
CREW |
|
Script and Director |
Valeska Grisebach |
Producers |
Jonas Dornbach, Janine Jackowski, Maren Ade |
Valeska Grisebach, Michel Merkt |
|
Co-Producers |
Boris Chouchkov, Viktor Chouchkov, |
Antonin Svoboda, Bruno Wagner |
|
Line Producer |
Ben von Dobeneck |
Production Manager |
David Keitsch |
Commissioning Editors |
Claudia Tronnier, ZDF - Das kleine Fernsehspiel |
Meinolf Zurhorst, ZDF/ARTE |
|
Assistant Director |
Lisa Bierwirth |
Director of Photography |
Bernhard Keller |
Production Design |
Beatrice Schultz |
Costume Design |
Veronika Albert |
Casting |
Katrin Vorderw�lbecke |
Original Sound Recordist |
Uve Haussig |
Sound Design |
Fabian Schmidt |
Re- Recording Mixer |
Martin Steyer |
Editor |
Bettina Boehler |
Production |
FILMS BOUTIQUE PRESENTS A KOMPLIZEN FILM PRODUCTION |
In Co-production with |
CHOUCHKOV BROTHERS (BULGARIA) COOP99 (AUSTRIA) |
KNM AND ZDF-DAS KLEINE FERNSEHSPIEL |
|
In collaboration with |
ARTE |
Funded by |
MEDIENBOARD BERLIN-BRANDENBURG, MINISTER OF STATE FOR |
CULTURE AND MEDIA, MDM MITTELDEUTSCHE MEDIENF�RDERUNG |
|
GERMAN FEDERAL FILM FUND, BULGARIAN NATIONAL FILM CENTRE |
|
AUSTRIAN FILM INSTITUTE, MEDIA AND GERMAN FEDERAL FILM BOARD |
|
2017 - DCP - 1:1,85 - 5.1 - 119 Min |
|
German/Bulgarian/English |
|
with English, French or German subtitles |
|
Certificate 12A |
★★★★★
'One of the films of the year has arrived – maybe the best of the year – a work of unmatched subtlety, complexity and artistry...
Valeska Grisebach’s striking drama constantly subverts genre expectations. Grisebach has not, in fact, made many movies, but on the strength of this one, she deserves to be considered a major film-maker.'
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
★★★★★
'Grisebach has an observational grasp of the male psyche – especially its pathological obsession with pride – that fairly takes the breath away.
'...(a) mesmerising psychological drama.'
Tim Robey, The Daily Telegraph
★★★★★
'Boasts a vibrant realism and humanism that translate into a delicate miracle.'
Manuela Lazic, Little White Lies
★★★★'As lean as its leading character, Western beguiles with its sharp intelligence and understated emotions.'
Allan Hunter, The List
★★★★
'Compellingly drawn story'
Trevor Johnston, Time Out
★★★★ The Daily Express
★★★★ Radio Times
'Valeska Grisebach's stunning existential study of masculinity tips its hat to classic genre cinema even as it casts an extraordinary troupe of non-professional actors as its grizzled migrant construction workers in a foreign land.'
Giovanni Marchini Camia, Sight & Sound
'Just because a film features horses, guns and the great outdoors doesn't mean that it's a Western; just because it's set in Bulgaria doesn't mean that it's not one. Western, the third feature by German director Valeska Grisebach (Be My Star, Longing) deals with certain classic oater tropes - notably, the figure of the strong, silent loner hero - in the context of cultural and economic relations in contemporary Europe.'
Jonathan Romney, Screen International
'This brilliantly observed mood piece about a German road crew arriving in rural Bulgaria centres on one lone quietly watchful man doing his best to assimilate.'
Nick James, Sight & Sound
'One of the best films to premiere last year, Western is probably also the best film since Claire Denis' Beau Travail to be made by a woman about men.'
Jonathan Romney, Film Comment
'About the interactions of a motley group of German construction workers, both with each other and with the inhabitants of a remote Bulgarian village where they�re working for the summer, the film is an utterly credible, brilliantly insightful study of a certain kind of masculinity.'
Geoff Andrew, BFI online
'For those with a sudden interest in new German cinema thanks to last years Toni Erdmann, the Cannes Film Festival has again selected another powerful, deeply human and intricately political drama in Valeska Grisebach's terrific Western.'
Daniel Kasman Mubi Notebook
'The closest this festival came to a major work - Western shares the slow-building intensity of Grisebach's shattering previous feature Longing (2006).'
Dennis Lim, Film Comment
Interview with Valeska Grisebach in Criterion
Download Pressbook
Download quad poster high res jpg
Download fullsize trailer (.mov format)
Trailer on Vimeo - can be downloaded as .mp4
Trailer on YouTube - can be embedded
Download Teaser for social media
Interview with Valeska Grisebach on Westerns, Kaleem Aftab, The Independent
Interview in Film CommentInterview (video) on CineEuropa
Interview on FourThreeFilm
Interview in Mubi Notebook
Interview in Cinema Scope
Listen to the end titles music
Article by the production designer, Beatrice Schultz
Download Lux Film Days Educational Guide
Download the Cannes Press Book