44th Locarno Film Festival

44th Locarno Film Festival
Opening filmCitizen Kane directed by Orson Welles
Closing filmLate Autumn directed by Yasujirō Ozu
LocationLocarno, Switzerland
Founded1946
AwardsGolden Leopard: Johnny Suede directed by Tom DiCillo
Artistic directorDavid Strieff
Festival dateOpening: 7 August 1991 (1991-08-07)
Closing: 17 August 1991 (1991-08-17)
WebsiteLFF

The 44th Locarno Film Festival was held from 7 to 17 August 1991 in Locarno, Switzerland.[1] Of the 19 film in competition, ten were world premieres, and eight were first pictures from directors, as Locarno has a focus on discovering new talent.[1]

The opening film was a brand new print of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and the closing film was a new print of Yasujiro Ozo's Late Autumn. Artistic director, David Strieff paid for the Ozo print personally as a parting gift to the festival.[1] This was his last year as head of the festival after over a decade in the role.[2][3]

A surprise screening was held for A Brigther Summer Day directed by Edward Yang, which was a big get for the festival. Yang attended the festival along with every director in competition, apart from Sean Pean.[1]

The Golden Leopard, the festival's top prize, was awarded to Johnny Suede directed by Tom DiCillo.[1][4][5]

Jury

International Jury – Main Competition (Incomplete)

Official Sections

The following films were screened in these sections:[6]

Competition

Feature Films

English Title Original Title Director(s) Year Production Country
Barbed Wire Alambrado Marco Bechis 1991 Italy, Argentina
Anna Göldin - Last Witch Anna Göldin - Letzte Hexe Gertrud Pinkus 1991 Switzerland, Germany
Cheb Rachid Bouchareb 1991 France, Algérie
Erwin and Julia Erwin Und Julia Götz Spielmann 1990 Austria
H Darrell Wasyk 1990 Canada
The Knot in the Tie Il Nodo Alla Cravatta Alessandro Di Robilant 1991 Italy
Indian Runner Sean Penn 1991 USA
Johnny Suede Tom DiCillo 1991 USA
The Year of Awakening L'Annee De L'Eveil Gérard Corbiau 1991 France
Cloud-Paradise Oblako-Rai Nikolaï Dostal 1990 Russia
Ostkreuz Michael Klier 1991 Germany
Hey, Lads and Lasses Oy, Vy Gousi Lidia Bobrova 1991 Russia
Poison Todd Haynes 1991 USA
Sprung Aus Den Wolken Nancy Rivas, Stefan Schwieter 1991 Germany, Switzerland
Fire! Ta Dona Adama Drabo 1991 Mali, France
Days of Doubt Tage Des Zweifels Bernhard Giger 1991 Switzerland
The Dove's Lost Necklace Tawk Al Hamama Al Mafkoud Nacer Khemir 1991 Tunisia, France
Tinpis Run Pengau Nengo 1990 Papua New Guinea
The Funeral Zazambo Fumiki Watanabe 1991 Japan

Leopards of Tomorrow (Pardi di Domani)

Leopards of Tomorrow (Pardi di Domani)

Program Number 1
Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country
El Saad El Sad Saber Akeed 1988 Egypt
Katok I Skripka The Steamroller and the Violin Andrei Tarkovsky 1960 Russia
La Vie Des Morts The Life of the Dead Arnaud Desplechin 1990 France
Program Number 2
Fa Minor André Tchernykh 1991 Russia
Koncert Zyczen Wishes Concert Krzysztof Kieślowski 1967 Poland
Life In A Day Gerhard Schirlo 1990 Great Britain
That Burning Question David Hamblin 1990 USA
Program Number 3
Cadillac Dreams Matia karrell 1989 USA
Ouagadougou Idrissa Ouédraogo 1984 France
Palingenesis Carlos Martinez 1990 USA
Pourquoi? For What? Idrissa Ouédraogo 1981 France
The Thruth Game Jeff Cole 1990 Great Britain
This & That David Hamblin 1990 Great Britain
Program Number 4
Eating The Last Supper Alexandra Hooper 1990 Canada
Face Facts Linda Hugues 1990 Great Britain
Last Year In Vietnam Oliver Stone 1970 USA
Sparks Robert Klenner 1989 Australia
Swimming Belinda Chayko 1990 Australia
Program Number 5
It'S Not Just You Murry Martin Scorsese 1964 USA
Les Loukoums Blaise Piguet 1990 Belgium
Pierwsza Projekcja Filmowa W Powszechnej Historii Kina The First Film Screening in the Universal History of Cinema Jaroslaw Falinski 1990 Poland
The Brooch Pin And The Sinful Clasp Jonna Woodward 1989 Great Britain
Program Number 6
Demoniad Yelena Yershova 1989 Russia
Janez Pavarotti Pavarotti Vinci Vogue Anžlovar 1990 Yugoslavia
Koncert Concert István Szabó 1961 Hungary
Mella'S Shoes Pamela Falk 1989 USA
The Green Beret Stephen Hillenburg 1991 USA
Transit Igor Shkourine 1990 Russia
Program Number 7
A Broken Horse Mike Cahill 1990 USA
Electronic Labyrinth George Lucas 1967 USA
Konservfilm Conserved Film Zlatin Radey 1990 Bulgaria
Sezon Pokhoron The Season of the Funeral Gorgij Paradzanov 1991 Russia
Sognando A Scatola Aperta Dreaming of an Open Box Sarah Webster 1990 Italy
Program Number 8
Balloon Ken Lidster 1991 Great Britain
Divertissement Or An Isolated Apartment For Chorus Line Dancer Nino Lapiashvili 1988 Russia
Elegie Bitterfeld Horst Markgraf 1991 Germany
Honeymoon Bernd Löhr, Mark Schlichter 1991 Germany
Kegyelmesek Gracious Klara Pöter 1990 Hungary
Miriam Daniel Schmid 1967 Germany
Program Number 9
E.Q.Te Stefano Argentero 1991 Italy
Ginepro Fatto Uomo Juniper Made Man Marco Bellocchio 1962 Italy
Ragout Thomas Bartels, Martin Hasen 1990 Germany
Sugarblues Nadia Anliker 1990 USA
Teena And Simon Ricardo Parilla 1990 Great Britain
Program Number 10
Another Damaging Day Stacy Cochran 1990 USA
Diplomafilm Béla Tarr Hungary
Ellie Gill Wilkinson 1991 Great Britain
Favagok Wood Members Istvan Szaladjak 1989 Hungary
Hogyan Verekedett Meg Jappe Es Do Escobar Utan A Vilag How Did you Fight Jappe and Do Escobar after the World Gábor Bódy 1974 Hungary
Toxic Andrew McEwan 1990 Great Britain

Out of Competition

Out of Competition (Hors compétition)

Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country
Barton Fink Joel Coen, Ethan Coen 1991 USA
Bianzou Bianchang Life on a String Chen Kaige 1991 China
Boyz N The Hood John Singleton 1991 USA
Caido Del Cielo Fallen from Heaven Francisco José Lombardi 1990 Spain, Peru
Citizen Kane Orson Welles 1941 USA
Dandan-E Mar Download Masoud Kimiai 1990 Iran
Es Megis It is Megis Zsolt Dézdi-Kovacs 1991 Hungary
Goudouldo Ouricherom Goudouldo Uricherom Park Kwang-su 1990 South Korea
Il Portaborse The Door Holder Daniele Luchetti 1991 Italy, France
Kohayagawa-Ke No Aki Autumn in Kobayakawa Yasujirō Ozu 1961 Japan
L'Homme Qui A Perdu Son Ombre The Man Who Lost His Shadow Alain Tanner 1991 Spain, Switzerland
La Belle Noiseuse Jacques Rivette 1991 France, Switzerland
Nazar Mani Kul 1990 India
Pegnij Pes Begushij Kraem Moria Karen Guevorkian 1990 Russia
Riff-Raff Ken Loach 1991 Great Britain
The Adjuster Atom Egoyan 1991 Canada
Toto Le Heros Toto the Hero Jaco Van Dormael 1991 Belgium, France

Special Programs

Roman Polanski in Łódź

Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country
Dwaj Ludzie Z Szafa Two People with a Wardrobe Roman Polanski 1958 Poland
Kieidi Spadaja Anioly When Angels Fall Roman Polanski 1958 Poland
Lampa Lamp Roman Polanski 1959 Poland
Mordertswo Morerttswo Roman Polanski 1957 Poland
Rozbijemy Zabawe We will Break the Fun Roman Polanski 1957 Poland
Uzmiech Zebiczny Zebo Roman Polanski 1957 Poland

Anka Schmid In Berlin (DFFB)

Die Reise Zur Südsee The Trip to the South Pacific Anka Schmid 1986 Germany
Habibi - Ein Liebesbrief Habibi - a Love Letter Anka Schmid 1986 Germany
Herzens-Freude Heart Joy Anka Schmid 1986 Switzerland
Mailma - Eine Improvisation Mailma - An Improvisation Anka Schmid 1988 Germany
Rondo - Gravitat Rondo - Weights Anka Schmid 1986 Germany
Transparenz Transparency Anka Schmid 1983 Germany

Christine Carrière In Paris (FEMIS)

Brouhaha Christine Carrière 1988 France
Les Pieds Humides The Damp Feet Christine Carrière 1990 France
Mariage Blanc White Wedding Christine Carrière 1989 France

Entrants from Moscow (VGIK)

Le Jeu The Game Abderrahmane Sissako 1990 Mauritania
Sanos Y Sanitarios Healthy and Health Xavier Berrios 1990 Cuba
Örült De Angyal Rejoiced De Angel Tamas Toth 1991 Hungary

New York Special

Amore Eterno Eternal Love Massimo Ciccioriccio 1990 USA
Coyote Mountain Stacy Cochran USA
Gold Mountain Rachel Saltz, Kryssa Schemmerl 1990 USA
Red Herring Isabel Henger 1991 USA

The Whole Latest Selection (La toute dernière sélection)

Desimt Municiu Pries Ikaro Skrydi A Minute of a Minute Before the Icaro Flight Arunas Mateils 1990 Russia
Elossa Alive Jukka-Pekka Siili 1990 Finland
Killers Connections Olivier Zimmermann 1991 Switzerland
Malchik I Golub Boy and Dove Andrei Konchalovsky 1962 Russia
Midnight Barbeque Ruedi Gerber 1991 USA
Tanulmany A Fografiarol Study is the Photografiarol Vilmos Thernesz 1990 Hungary

Aspects of the Formation (ESAV)

Au Fond Du Couloir At the Bottom of the Corridor Atelier A. Arnold 1990 Switzerland
Deux Frères Two Brothers Olivier Moeckli Moeckli 1990 Switzerland
Face Detector Vidéo-atelier M. Kaufmann 1990 Switzerland
Heroic Death By Smoking Travail collectif dirigé par K. Jacobs 1989 Switzerland
La Belle Au Bois Dormant Sleeping Beauty Sybille Bühler, Catrina Ganzoni 1991 Switzerland
Neuf Fois Saint-Antoine Nine Times Saint-Antoine Atelier D. Comtat 1990 Switzerland
Situation General Richard Vetterli 1990 Switzerland

Mona Hoel in Stockholm

Blue Mona Hoel 1987 Sudan
Brief Encounters Ii Mona Hoel 1986 Sudan
Huset The House Mona Hoel 1989 Sudan
Luciana'S Morning Mona Hoel 1984 Sudan
Nora'S Secret Mona Hoel 1985 Sudan

Tribute To

Les Films Du Losange

Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country
Celine Et Julie Vont En Bateau Celine and Julie Go by Boat Jacques Rivette 1974 France
La Marquise D'O The Marquise d'O Éric Rohmer 1975 France
Le Jour Des Rois Kings Day Marie-Claude Treilhou 1991 France
Une Sale Histoire A Dirty Story Jean Eustache 1977 France

Riccardo Freda

Beatrice Cenci Riccardo Freda 1956 Italy
I Miserabili The Miserable Riccardo Freda 1947 Italy
I Mosaici Di Ravenna The Mosaics of Ravenna Riccardo Freda Italy
Il Cavaliere Misterioso The Mysterious Knight Riccardo Freda 1948 Italy
Lo Spettro The Spectrum Riccardo Freda, Robert Hampton 1963 Italy
Teodora Imperatrice Di Bisanzio Teodora Imperatrice of Byzantium Riccardo Freda 1954 Italy

Vittorio Cottafavi

I Cento Cavalieri The Hundred Knights Vittorio Cottafavi 1965 Italy
La Donna Libera The Free Woman Vittorio Cottafavi 1954 Italy
La Fiamma Che Non Si Spegne The Flame that Does not Turn Off Vittorio Cottafavi 1949 Italy
Maria Zeef Maria Seef Vittorio Cottafavi 1981 Italy
Traviata '53 Vittorio Cottafavi 1953 Italy

Retrospective – Jacques Becker

Retrospective Jacques Becker
Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country
Ali Baba Et Les Quarante Voleurs Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Jacques Becker 1954 France
Antoine Et Antoinette Antoine and Antoinette Jacques Becker 1947 France
Casque D'Or Gold Helmet Jacques Becker 1952 France
Dernier Atout The Trump Card Jacques Becker 1942 France
Edouard Et Caroline Edward and Caroline Jacques Becker 1951 France
Falbalas Paris Frills Jacques Becker 1945 France
Goupi-Mains Rouges Red Goupi-Mayors Jacques Becker 1943 France
L'Or Du Cristobal Cristobal's Gold Jacques Becker 1940 France
La Grande Esperance The Great Expense Jacques Becker 1936 France
La Vie Est À Nous Life is Us Jean Renoir 1936 France
Le Commissaire Est Bon Enfant The Commissioner is Good Child Jacques Becker 1935 France
Le Trou The Hole Jacques Becker 1960 France
Les Aventures D'Arsene Lupin The Adventures of Arsene Lupine Jacques Becker 1957 France
Montparnasse 19 Jacques Becker 1958 France
Rendez-Vous De Juillet July Meeting Jacques Becker 1949 France
Rue De L'Estrapade T Jacques Becker 1953 France
Touchez Pas Au Grisbi Do not Touch Grisbi Jacques Becker 1954 France
The Trump Card

Special Sessions

Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country
Family Express George Nicolas Hayek 1990 Switzerland, France
Le Film Du Cinema Suisse The Film of the Swiss Cinema Jean-Francois Amiguet, Ernest Ansorge 1991 Switzerland
Visages Suisses Swiss Faces Matteo Bellinelli, Simon Edelstein 1991 Switzerland

Out of Program

Original Title English Title Director(s) Production Country
Roma Intorno A Roma Rome Around Rome Carlo Sparanero Italy

Film Surprise

Original Title English Title Director(s) Production Country
Guling Jie Shaonian Sharen Shijian A Brighter Summer Day Edward Yang Taiwan

Independent Sections

Critics Week

The Semaine de la Critique is an independent section, created in 1990 by the Swiss Association of Film Journalists in partnership with the Locarno Film Festival.[7]

Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country
Arthur Rimbaud, Une Biographie Arthur Rimbaud, a Biography Richard Dindo 1991 Switzerland
Dar Koutche-Haye Eshgh Quqshhhi House I Was Khosro Sinaie 1991 Iran
Face Value Johan van der van der Keuken 1991 Netherlands
Privilege Yvonne Rainer 1990 USA
Schmetterlingsschatten Butterfly Shadow Anne Kasper Spoerri 1991 Switzerland
Trois Jours En Grèce Three Days in Greece Jean-Daniel Pollet 1991 France

New Swiss

New Swiss Films / Feature Films
Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country
Adolf Dietrich, Kunstmaler Adolf Dietrich, Painter Friedrich Kappeler 1991 Switzerland
Chartres Heinz Bütler 1991 Switzerland
Chronique Paysanne En Gruyère Peasant Chronicle in Gruyère Friedrich Kappeler 1990 Switzerland
Der Berg The Mountain Markus Imhoof 1990 Switzerland
Hinter Verschlossenen Türen Behind Closed Doors 1991 Switzerland, Germany
Immer & Ewig Always & Forever Heinz Bütler 1991 Switzerland
Jacques & François Francis Reusser 1991 Switzerland, France
Le Cri Du Lezard Bertrand Theubet 1990 Switzerland, France
Les Carnets De Sandor Sandor's Notebooks Mark Hunyadi, Hugues Ryffel 1991 Switzerland
Männer Im Ring Men in the Ring Erich Langjahr 1990 Switzerland
Palaver, Palaver Alexander J. Seiler 1990 Switzerland
Point De Vue Point of View Bernhard Lehner, Andres Pfäffli 1991 Switzerland
Seriat Urs Graf, Marlies Graf Dätwyler 1991 Switzerland
Witschi Geht Witschi Goes Paolo Poloni Poloni 1990 Switzerland
New Swiss / Short Films
Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country
A Busy Woman Like Me Bianca Conti Rossini 1990 Switzerland
Le Bol The Bowl Nicolas Wadimoff 1990 Switzerland
Liberation Michael Peterli 1990 Switzerland

Official Awards

Official Jury

Source:[5][4][1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Elley, Derek (26 August 1991). "International: CLASSICS OPEN, CLOSE 44th LOCARNO FEST". Variety. Vol. 344, no. 7. p. 82. ProQuest 1401372138.
  2. ^ a b "Holloway, R. (1991). 'Suede' nabs golden leopard at locarno test". The Hollywood Reporter, Suppl.International. Vol. 319, no. 2. pp. I-5. ProQuest 3130693706.
  3. ^ "SWITZERLAND: A Stress on the West at Locarno Fest". Variety. Vol. 344, no. 4. 5 August 1991. pp. 47, 52. ProQuest 1286141115.
  4. ^ a b "The Festival - Palmarès". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  5. ^ a b "1991 Locarno Film Festival". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Locarno Film Festival · All the films of the Locarno Film Festival..." Locarno Film Festival. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Semaine de la Critique". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved 9 July 2024.