CINEMONDO
Length: 02:00 Type of program: World Cinema
Premiering 11 entertaining and eclectic foreign films from some of the world’s most talented directors, Link TV's new world cinema series CINEMONDO offers a charming collection of films that have never before been broadcast in America.
From a South Korean dark comedy reminiscent of Dr. Strangelove to a riveting Greek thriller, CINEMONDO brings international cinema with great artistic, cultural and political value to the living rooms of Link TV’s American audiences.
Hosted by Peter Scarlet, Executive Director of the Tribeca Film Festival, the series will premiere May 6th in the regular CINEMONDO time slot this Saturday at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET. Tune in for repeats Wednesdays 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET.
The following films will receive their U.S. television premiere as part of CINEMONDO:
Stolen Life (China) directed by Li Shaohong
Yann’i, a girl abandoned at birth, achieves her goal of attending college in Beijing. But her dream quickly turns into a nightmare when she falls in love with a charming and deceitful young man and becomes pregnant. Through loss and humiliation, Yann’i must find the strength to reclaim her Stolen Life.
Beautiful City (Iran) directed by Asghar Farhadi
In this subtle tale of love and duty, headstrong young All’a is released from prison and sets out to save his friend Akbar from a death sentence by securing a pardon from a bereaved father. But as he pushes harder to get his way and falls in love with Akbar’s sister, a complex web of social mores, individual needs and private desires traps him in a moral dilemma.
Wrong Side Up (Czech Republic) directed by Petr Zelenka
An offbeat, brilliantly observed romantic comedy about Petr, a whimsical joker, who works as a package handler at the Prague airport. He's determined to win back his former girlfriend, who has taken up with someone more conventional, but given Petr's outrageously oddball collection of family and friends, the odds don't look good.
The President’s Last Bang (South Korea) directed by Im Sang-soo
Here's a dark and brilliant comedic thriller, reminiscent of "Dr. Strangelove," depicting the improvised 1979 assassination of South Korean President Park Chung Hee by his director of central intelligence. Don't miss this sardonic and riveting re-telling of a night that changed the history of South Korea.
Rana’s Wedding (Palestine) directed by Hany Abu-Assad
Rana, who lives in East Jerusalem, has decided to marry Khalil against her father's wishes. But Khalil is in Ramallah, and Rana has only 10 hours to get married. Through checkpoints, bureaucracy, family pressure and last minute jitters, this film follows a determined woman facing life's great uncertainties and negotiating the realities of life under occupation.
Fuse (Bosnia) directed by Pjer Zalica
A darkly comic and surprisingly tender film, Fuse takes place in the Bosnian village of Tesanj. It's 1999 and peace has broken out. With President Bill Clinton about to visit, Serbs and Muslims are urged to work together for this great event, but with ethnic resentments still simmering and an economy totally based on crime and corruption, the elements are combustible to say the least.
Almost Brothers (Brazil) directed by Lúcia Murat
This powerful drama explores the chasm between Brazil's social classes, cutting between the past and the present to tell the tale of two childhood friends, Miguel and Jorge. One is a middle class progressive, the other a favela gangster. When both are incarcerated in the same jail during the military dictatorship, their friendship cannot overcome the basic beliefs they live by, and they find themselves locked into roles they cannot escape.
May 6th (Holland) directed by Theo van Gogh
The assassination of right-wing Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn in 2002 shocked the famously liberal Netherlands — but who really killed him? Was it the Dutch government? Animal rights activists? Islamists? Or was it U.S. weapons dealers? Controversial filmmaker Theo Van Gogh (himself assassinated shortly after he completed this film) presents his own conspiracy theory in this gripping political thriller.
Border Café (Iran) directed by Kambozia Partovi
When Reyhan’s husband dies, his brother is more than willing to marry her, as custom dictates. But instead Reyhan re-opens the roadside café that was her husband's legacy. Her superb cooking skills eventually draw a growing (and attentive) clientele, as well as the wrath of her brother-in-law. But Reyhan’s will cannot be cowed by threats or theology, in this arresting portrait of a woman of extraordinary character.
Waiting For Happiness (Mauretania) directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. A poetic and beautifully photographed film that examines the conflict between progress and tradition in Mauritania, Africa.
Hostage (Greece) directed by Constantine Giannaris
An Albanian immigrant in Greece is brutally abused by the police. To restore his honor, he hijacks an intercity bus and demands safe passage back home and a ransom of 500,000 Euros. This film is both a riveting thriller and a powerful examination of the discrimination faced by migrant workers in Greece.
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