CINE FAN SHOWCASES THE HUMANIST CINEMAS OF MIKE LEIGH AND OTAR IOSSELIANI
Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre
Date: 2025.05.17 - 2025.07.20
Price: $75
Presented by: Hong Kong International Film Festival Society
Cine Fan launched an exciting programme in its upcoming May/June/July edition. The programme will showcase the social comedy-drama of Britain's critically acclaimed auteur Mike Leigh, alongside the abstract comedies of Georgian cinematic poet Otar Iosseliani.
Complementing his latest feature, Hard Truths, screened at HKIFF49, the Leigh retrospective, titled Sweet Lie, Bitter Truth – The Cinema of Mike Leigh, revisits ten seminal works from recent decades. Known for his bracing realism, Leigh connects audiences with the realities of those on the fringes of an alienated society, fusing comedy with tragedy and the personal with the universal. Compassionate, incisive and strikingly true to life, he brings stories of ordinary working-class people to the screen with honesty and empathy.
The selection takes the audience on a cinematic journey through Leigh's career, presenting his sophomore feature Meantime alongside style-defining, award-winning works such as Naked, for which he won the Cannes Best Director award, Secrets & Lies, which won the Palme d'Or, and Vera Drake, recipient of the Venice Golden Lion for Best Film. David Thewlis, Brenda Blethyn, and Imelda Staunton have all been recognised as Best Actor/Actress for their distinctive performances in these films.
Famous for his organic improvisational approach in guiding actors to develop plotlines and characters, Leigh anchors his works with powerful performances from his cast. Ruth Sheen from High Hopes, Jim Broadbent from Topsy-Turvy, and Timothy Spall from Mr. Turner all received accolades at major festivals under his direction.
Equally leaving an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape, Georgian director Otar Iosseliani's films are steadfastly concerned with truthfulness. He achieved his artistic vision through affectionate, and sometimes ironic, observations of characters and quiet contemplation on life. Regarded as the true heir to Jean Renoir, Jacques Tati, and Luis Buñuel, Iosseliani's cinema is infused with poetic realism, comic rhythm, and a subversive vision that explores the vast panorama of human existence.
Equally leaving an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape, Georgian director Otar Iosseliani's films are steadfastly concerned with truthfulness. He achieved his artistic vision through affectionate, and sometimes ironic, observations of characters and quiet contemplation on life. Regarded as the true heir to Jean Renoir, Jacques Tati, and Luis Buñuel, Iosseliani's cinema is infused with poetic realism, comic rhythm, and a subversive vision that explores the vast panorama of human existence.
Titled Of Levity and Humanity – The Otar Iosseliani Retrospective, the programme features nine feature films and three short films, covering his most original works from the Soviet and French periods. Although banned in the USSR, Falling Leaves and Pastorale gained recognition in international festivals. Four of his most important works - Favourites of the Moon and Brigands Chapter VII, both mocking the perennial follies of humanity; And Then There Was Light and Chasing Butterflies, meditating on modern civilisation and the past already lost - won prestigious awards at Venice. With Monday Morning, he received the Silver Bear for Best Director at Berlinale.
Cine Fan will present four of Gene Hackman's finest films, showcasing his nuanced and exceptional acting skills as a tribute to the late legendary actor. The selection includes Jerry Schatzberg's Palme d'Or-winning Scarecrow, featuring the only collaboration between Hackman and Al Pacino; Alan Parker's Mississippi Burning, co-starring Willem Dafoe, for which he was named Berlinale Best Actor; Francis Ford Coppola's Palme d'Or-winning The Conversation; and Clint Eastwood's Oscar-winning Unforgiven, which earned Hackman the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
On the 100th anniversary of Mai Zetterling's birth, Cine Fan will feature The Girls and her debut feature, Loving Couples, offering a glimpse into the extraordinary vision of the Swedish feminist film pioneer. In contrast, The Golden Age section showcases captivating performances by two Hollywood leading men – Cary Grant enchants with his comic sensibility in George Stevens’ The Talk of the Town, while Gregory Peck shines as a bewitched lawyer in Alfred Hitchcock's The Paradine Case. Completing the programme is legendary director Bahram Beyzaie's The Stranger and the Fog, an oneiric parable that remains one of the most mysterious films of the Iranian New Wave.
Programme enquiry：(852) 2970 3300 / info@hkiff.org.hk
Website：https://cinefan.hkiff.org.hk/
Ticketing：
URBTIX
Counter Booking: URBTIX Outlets
Internet Booking – www.urbtix.hk
Telephone Booking – 3166 1288 (10am-8pm)
Mobile App: URBTIX (Android, HarmonyOS and iPhone/iPad)
Ticketing Enquiries and Customer Service: 3166 1100 (10am-8pm)
URBTIX
Counter Booking: URBTIX Outlets
Internet Booking – www.urbtix.hk
Telephone Booking – 3166 1288 (10am-8pm)
Mobile App: URBTIX (Android, HarmonyOS and iPhone/iPad)
Ticketing Enquiries and Customer Service: 3166 1100 (10am-8pm)
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