Dutch debut LIGHT AS FEATHERS takes flight for Toronto
Light as Feathers introduces 15-year-old Eryk who lives with his mother, grandmother and great grandmother in a goose-pluckers’ village in Poland. His father has been out of the picture for as long as he can remember. His mother, with whom he has a close relationship, is manipulative and domineering. Erik has feelings for his 13-year-old neighbour Klaudia, and we follow him over several years, trying to win Klaudia’s heart. But Erik doesn’t know the difference between love and abuse…The film like Boyhood was filmed over three years, following the young actors as they transit their own teenage years as well as the characters they play.
Three minority Dutch co-productions are also selected for Toronto’s Discovery programme: Locarno winner Too Late to Die Young* (NL co-producer: Circe Films) by Chilean Dominga Sotomayor who received the Leopard for Best Director, Lukas Dhont’s Girl*, that won several awards in Cannes, among which the Caméra d’Or, and Rafiki* (NL co-producer: Rinkel Film) by Wanuri Kahiu, which world premiered in Cannes Un Certain regard.
Previously, the festival announced the selection of a large number of other (co-)productions from the Netherlands:
The Contemporary World Cinema programme includes the world premiere of award-winning director Esther Rots’ second feature film Retrospekt*, produced by Rots Filmwerk (NL) and Column Film (NL), in co-production with Serendipity Films (BE).
Three minority Dutch co-productions are selected for Contemporary World Cinema as well: the international premiere of Angel* by Koen Mortier (NL co-producer: Graniet Film), the world premiere of Stupid Young Heart* by Selma Vilhunen (NL co-producer: Windmill Film), and Cannes winner Donbass* by Sergei Loznitsa (NL co-pro ducers: Graniet Film and Wild at Art).
Sergei Loznitsa's The Trial*, produced by The Hague-based Atoms & Void (NL) in co-production with Wild at Art (NL), is presented in the Wavelengths section. The film will first world premiere in Venice Out of Competition.
The world premiere of minority Dutch co-production Rojo*, directed by Benjamín Naishtat (NL co-producer: Viking Film) takes place in Platform competition.
The documentaries Heartbound* by Janus Metz (NL co-producer: BALDR Film) and Freedom Fields by Naziha Arebi (supported by IDFA Bertha Fund) both world-premiere in TIFF Docs.
Short Cuts competition includes L’été et tout le reste*, directed by Sven Bresser and produced by IJswater Films (NL), which will celebrate the world premiere in Venice’s Orizzonti Short Films Competition.
Also in Short Cuts Competition is the Belgian/Dutch/French short This Magnificent Cake!* by Marc James Roels and Emma De Swaef (NL co-producer: PEDRI animation), which world-premiered in Cannes Quinzaine.
The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs 6-16 September 2018.
*supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
(source: Eye International)