Italian for Beginners

  • Anders W. Berthelsen: Andreas
  • Anette Støvelbæk: Olympia
  • Ann Eleonora Jørgensen: Karen
  • Peter Gantzler: Jørgen Mortensen
  • Lars Kaalund: Hal - Finn
  • Sara Indrio Jensen: Giulia
  • Rikke Wölck: Lise, nurse
  • Elsebeth Steentoft: Küsterin
  • Bent Mejding: Pastor Wredmann
  • Lene Tiemroth: Karen's mother
  • Jesper Christensen: Olympia's father

Italian for Beginners ( Original title: Italiensk for begyndere ) is a Danish film from 2000 In addition to the Danish films The festival idiots and he is considered one of the most important films that follow the requirements of the Dogma 95. . Directed by Lone Scherfig, who also wrote the screenplay.

Action

Pastor Andreas has lost his wife and tried in a new community, in a dreary suburb of Copenhagen, to take root. His predecessor was just relieved of the Office: With the death of his wife he has lost his faith in God, he treats his successor bad. The hotel porter Jørgen Mortensen struggles with its potency. His boss gave him the order, his friend, the waiter Hal - Finn to terminate. Giulia, an Italian waitress, has fallen in love with Jørgen Mortenson, but does not know how to explain this. Finally, he invites the Italian in the Italian course for beginners at the local community college. The hairdresser Karen has problems with her ​​alcoholic mother and cancer. The clumsy bakery clerk Olympics being bullied by her father.

There are five deaths and two funerals, Karen gets a new sister. Gradually, all the protagonists arrive in the Italian course for beginners. There they manage to break out of their isolation and their existential problems. In the end they will drive to Venice.

Reviews

  • Kölner Stadt Anzeiger of 16 January 2002: " Scherfig investigates the basic human needs in both the movie characters as in their wonderful actors. Therefore, the dogma method acts so convincing here. Therefore, the film revives the already largely written off movement in a great way. "
  • Filmdienst 2/2002: " It benefits the nested dramaturgy less of the " dogma "rules as the natural performance of the actors and imaginative improvisations. The melodramatic comedy revolves around the subtle themes faith, happiness, and reconciliation and convinces with soft, subtle humor, psychological density and the courage to take everyday people serious about their quirks. "
  • The Examiner January 15, 2002: "It's just to heat in Italian for Beginners, nothing more. And nothing less. A heat that flows less in the tears of emotion as a sustainable Touched awareness. "
  • The time ( issue 4/ 2002): " Italian for Beginners tells of the happiness in the dreary everyday life and havens for budget travelers. A nice little film - a bit too pretty, perhaps, and not just for a Dogma film ".
  • The default of 8 March 2002: " Italian for Beginners, directed and written by the first female Dogma activist Lone Scherfig, combines improvised drama and realistic views of a suburb of Copenhagen at an unusually bright and highly melodic work. "
  • The world of 17 January 2002: " director Lone Scherfig actually manages to lift this Leggierezza on the formal level of the movie: also the fact that their performers developed a lot of psychological credibility through improvisation. However, unlike the dogma predecessors here lacks any moral sharpness; the bitterness of life is countered with humorous sweetness. The rescue is generally close, but only if one turns to the people around you with open eyes. This is the bitter serious moral of the film, and is little to add. "

Awards

The film has won several awards, including, inter alia on the 2001 Berlinale Silver Bear Jury, the Reader's Choice Award Berliner Morgenpost, the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the FIPRESCI Prize. On the Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain, the film with a Golden Spike and Peter Gantzler Award for Best Actor. The Audience Award went to the film on the Warsaw International Film Festival.

The two major Danish film awards, Robert and Bodil, Italian for Beginners also won several awards. The Robert, the film won in the categories of Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress ( Ann Eleonora Jørgensen ), and Best Supporting Actor (Peter Gantzler ). In the categories of Best Actor (Anders W. Berthelsen ), Best Actress ( Annette Støvelbæk ), Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Lars Kaalund ), Best Supporting Actress ( Lene Tiemroth ), Best Editing and Best Cinematography of the film was also nominated. The Bodil received Lene Tiemroth for Best Supporting Actress. In the categories of Best Actor (Anders W. Berthelsen and Peter Gantzler ), Best Actress ( Ann Eleonora Jørgensen and Anette Støvelbæk ) and Best Film was beaten the other film productions.

Italian for Beginners 2001 was nominated for Best Film at the European Film Award in the category, but could not prevail against Jean -Pierre Jeunet's The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain himself. Even the Swedish Guldbagge landed Italian for Beginners behind " Amélie ". At the ceremony of the Goya 2003, the film was nominated as Best European film, but was defeated Roman Polanski's The Pianist.

2000 in film The Celebration Bodil Awards Jean-Pierre Jeunet Guldbagge Awards 17th Goya Awards The Pianist (2002 film)
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