Ricky Rijneke’s feature debut SILENT ONES in the International Screenings section of the Holland Film Meeting.
The film tells the story of a young Hungarian woman (Orsi Tóth) whose little brother Isti has disappeared without a trace. She leaves aboard a cargo ship heading to Western Europe to keep her promise to him. The journey turns into a surreal trip along the fragile edge of life and death.
SILENT ONES premiered Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2014, where it was nominated for a Tiger Award, and was subsequently selected for several international festivals including Sarajevo, Sao Paulo, Moscow, Montreal, Los Angeles and Berlin, winning seven international awards from eleven nominations. Most recently Rijneke won Best Female Director at Toronto Independent Film Festival 2014.
The film also won the Dutch Golden Stone, Best Film at the International Debut Film Festival (Netherlands). Jury president Jos Stelling, who will introduce the film this evening, wrote: “A very secure quest for the essence of film. The only narrative basis is a cargoship at sea, a threatened woman and an old secret. The film makes no attempt to offer cheap pleasures; you keep looking at something that is harsh and stern, and yet amazing and moving. The logical cinematographic approach and beautiful acting make this film a complete universe in itself.”
Producer Dirk Rijneke pointed yesterday at the Holland Film Meeting opening that George Sluizer, who passed away last weekend, was also a fan of the film, writing in June: “Masterful film, very stylish, great cinematography, very fascinating. Bravo!”
The film will be released in The Netherlands December 14 2014.
Screenings at the Netherlands Film Festival:
Friday September 26 (Louis Hartlooper 1: 20.30 hrs, LHC1
Wednesday October 1 in Louis Hartlooper 3: 20.45 hrs, LHC3
http://www.filmfestival.nl/profs_en/news/news/silent-ones-in-utrecht/