38th Locarno Film Festival

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38th Locarno Film Festival
Opening film When Father Was Away on Business directed by Emir Kusturica
Location Locarno, Switzerland
Founded1946
AwardsGolden Leopard: Alpine Fire directed by Fredi M. Murer
Artistic directorDavid Strieff
Festival dateOpening: 8 August 1985 (1985-08-08)
Closing: 18 August 1985 (1985-08-18)
Website LFF
Locarno Film Festival

The 38th Locarno Film Festival was held from 8 to 18 August 1985 in Locarno, Switzerland. [1] [2] The opening film was the Cannes Palme D'or winner When Father Was Away on Business directed by Emir Kusturica. [1] It was shown in the Piazza Grande, the 5,000 seat open-air theater, along with films such as The Official Story and Desperately Seeking Susan , which drew the largest festival crowd of over 5,000 people. [1] [3] The festival also screened all 16 hours of the German film Heimat directed by Edgar Reitz. [4]

Contents

It was a record year for Locarno with the highest levels of attendance in its history, over 50,000 people, and a budget of around $600,000. Most of the money came from the local and state government. The only non-state sponsor was the Swiss Bank Union. In response to this growth, the Locarno festival organization expressed a desire to build a new 950-seat theater for future festivals. Artistic director David Strieff also wanted to add one day to the festival in order to re-screen all the winning films, as the festival did this year. [5]

The TV competition also grew with 17 television films in competition, another 77 in an information section, and 23 countries represented. Two additional screening rooms were needed, along with the original three, to accommodate the audience. [6]

One noteworthy attendee was guest of honor Elisabeth Kopp, the first woman to serve in the Swiss Federal Council the executive governing body of Switzerland. [4]

The Golden Leopard, the festival's top prize, was awarded to Alpine Fire directed by Fredi M. Murer. [7] [8] The film also won the Ecumenical award for best film, but Murer rejected that award saying that the ecumenical jury didn't understand the movie. [3]

Official Sections

The following films were screened in these sections: [9]

Main Competition

Feature Films

Feature Films In Competition / Main Program
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
Desert Hearts Donna Deitch 1985USA
Dongdong De Jiaqi A Summer at Grandpa's Hou Hsiao-Hsien 1984Taiwan
Elsa, Elsa Didier Haudepin 1985France
Fast Talking Ken Cameron 1984Australia
Fetish & Dreams Steff Gruber 1985Switzerland
Himatsuri Fire Festival Mitsuo Yanagamachi 1984Japan
Huang Tudi Yellow Earth Chen Kaige 1984China
Höhenfeuer Alpine Fire Fredi M. Murer 1985Switzerland
InganniLuigi Faccini1985Italia
La Sonata A KreutzerThe Kreutzer SonantaGabriella Rosaleva1985Italia
Le Medecin De GafireThe Doctor from GafireMustapha Diop1984Niger
Liebe Und TodLove and DeathNanna Rélia1985Germany
Mukhamukham Adoor Gopalakrishnan 1984India
Signal 7 Rob Nilsson 1984USA
Sladkii Sok Vnuti TraviSweet Juice Inside the GrassAmanbek Alpiev, Serguei Bodrov 1985Russia
Tagediebe Marcel Gisler 1985Germany
The Way It Is Eric Mitchell 1984USA

Television Movies

Television Movies In Competition
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
ContactAlan Clarke1985Great Britain
Cztery Pory RokuFour SeasonsAndrzej Kondratiuk1985Poland
Die AbschiebungThe DeportationMarianne Lüdcke1985Germany
Do You Remember LoveJeff Bleckner1985USA
Finnegan Begin AgainJoan Micklin Silver1984Great Britain
ForbiddenAnthony Page1985USA
Gentle SinnersEric Till1985Canada
Go Tell It On The MountainStan Lathan1985USA
Kids Don'T TellSam O'Steel1985USA
La Città Di MiriamThe City of MiriamAldo Lado1983Italia
Malkiyat SodomLittle SodomDimitar Avramov1985Bulgaria
Meurtres Pour MemoireMemory MurdersLaurent Heynemann1985France
Queen Of The RoadBruce Best1985Australia
Summer LghtningPaul Joyce1985Iceland
TestamentLynne Littman1984USA
The Joy That KillsTina Rathborne1985USA

Out of Competition (Fuori Concorso)

Out of Competition — Main Program / Feature Films
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
A Test Of LoveGil Brealey1985Australia
Desperately Seeking SusanSusan Seidelman1985USA
Gyakufunsha-KazoukuReverse Injection is FloatingSogo Ishii1984Japan
HeimatHometownEdgar Reitz1984Germany
HurleventHowlJacques Rivette1985France
Il Giocatore InvisibileThe Invisible PlayerSergio Genni1985Switzerland
La Historia OficialThe Official HistoryLicia Punzo1984Argentina
Les EnfantsChildrenMarguerite Duras, Jean Marc Turin1984France
MaskPeter Bogdanovich1985USA
Maya MirigaNirad N. Mohapatra1984India
MishimaPaul Schrader1985USA
Moj Otac Na Sluzbenom PutuMy Father on the Official PathEmir Kusturica1985Yugoslavia
My First WifePaul Cox1984Australia
Notre MariageOur MarriageValeria Sarmiento1984France
Redl EzredesColonel RedlIstvan Szabo1985Hungary, Austria
Segreti SegretiSecret SecretsGiuseppe Bertolucci1985Italia
WetherbyDavid Hare1985Great Britain

Special Sections

Out-of-Program

Out-of-Program Films
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
BianchengBI AnchengLing ZifengChina
Die Büchse Der PandoraThe Pandora's BoxGeorg Wilhelm Pabst1929Germany
El Pueblo Nunca MuereThe People Never DieMathias KnauerSwitzerland
L'Ecole Du FlamencoThe Flamenco SchoolWalter Marti, Reni MertensSwitzerland
SchlangenzauberSnake MagicIsa Hesse-RabinovitchSwitzerland
Trains SpeciauxSpecial TrainsKrsto PapicYugoslavia

Special Program

Special Program
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
BorderlineKenneth Macpherson1930Switzerland
De TijdTimeJohan van der van der Keuken1984Netherlands
Diles Que No Me MatenTell Them not to Kill MeFreddy Siso1984Venezuela
GregorioFernando Espinosa, Stefan Kaspar1984Peru
Han YeHan Y'EQue Wen1984China
Kaiser Und Eine NachtEmperor and One NightMarkus Fischer1985Germany, Switzerland
Laska V PasaziLaska in the PassageJaroslav Soukup1984Czech Republic
Le The Au Harem D'ArchimedeThe the Au Harem d'ArchimedeMehdi Charef1985France
Lily In LoveKaroly Makk1985USA
Mister MirrorFranco Cavani1985Switzerland
Pier PaoloMatteo Emery1985Switzerland
The Time Of Harvey MilkRobert Epstein, Richard Schmiechen1984USA
Tokyo MelodyElisabeth Lennard1984France
Tokyo-GaWim Wenders1985Germany
Vakantie Van De FilmerHoliday from the FilmmakerJohan van der van der Keuken1974Netherlands

Carte Blanche to Umberto Eco

Carte Blanche Selections from Umberto Eco
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
Bad Day At Black BockJohn Sturges1954USA
PaisàCountrymanRoberto Rossellini1946Italia
StagecoachJohn Ford1939USA
The Invasion Of The Body SnatchersDon Siegel1956USA
Way Out WestJames W. Home1937USA
Yankee Doodle DandyMichael Curtiz1942USA
You Can'T Take It With YouFrank Capra1938USA

Retrospective - Boris Barnet

Retrospective Boris Barnet (1902-1965) - Boris Barnet Actor
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
Chakhmatnaïa GoriatchkaChakhmatnaïa GoriachkaVsevolod Poudovkine1925Russia
Neobytchaïnye Priklutcheniya Mistera Westa V Strnye BolschevikovLev Kouléchov1924Russia
Retrospective Boris Barnet (1902-1965) - Boris Barnet Director
Alienka Boris Barnet 1962Russia
Annouchka Boris Barnet 1959Russia
Borietz I KloounBoripet the Clown Boris Barnet 1957Russia
Dievouchka S KorobkoïDIEVOCHKA S Korobkoï Boris Barnet 1927Russia
Dom Na TroubnoïHouse on the Troubno Boris Barnet 1928Russia
I Podvig Razv EdtchikaAnd a Feat in the Edcechika Boris Barnet 1947Russia
Miss Mend Boris Barnet 1926Russia
OkraïnaZokraïna Boris Barnet 1933Russia
Ou Samovo Sinevo MoriaSilence Has a Blue Sea Boris Barnet 1936Russia
Poet Boris Barnet 1957Russia
PoloustanokPelustanok Boris Barnet 1963Russia
Starii NaezdnikOld Rider Boris Barnet 1959Russia

Tribute To Cinecittà

Tribute To Cinecittà from 1935-1985
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
CleopatraJoseph L. Mankiewicz1961USA
I Promessi SposiMario Camerini1941Italia
Il Casanova Di Federico FelliniFederico Fellini's CasanovaFederico Fellini1976Italia

Yugoslavian National Cinema Week

Yugoslavia National Week
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
Covek Nije TicaCovek is not a TickDusan Makavejev1964Yugoslavia
Davitel Y Protiv DaviteljaDavitel Y Against the DonorSlobodan Sijan1984Yugoslavia
Drouga GeneracijaThe Second GenerationZelimir Zilnik1983Yugoslavia
Nesto IzmeduSomething BetweenSrdan Karanovic1982Yugoslavia
Rdeci Boogie Ali Kaj Ti Je DeklicaRed Boogie or What is your GirlfriendKarpo Acimovic-Godina1982Yugoslavia
Samo Jednom Se LjubiOnly Once Kisses youRajko Grlic1981Yugoslavia
Sjecas Li Se Dolly BellDo you Remember Dolly BellEmir Kusturica1981Yugoslavia
Slike Iz Zivota UdarnikaImages from the Life of the StrikerBahrudin Cengic1972Yugoslavia
ZasedaAmbushZivojin Pavlovic1969Yugoslavia

Parallel Sections

Film Critics Week

FIPRESCI - International Federation of Film Critics Week
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
Lieber KarlDear KarlMaria Knilli1984Germany
Los Motivos De BertaBerta's ReasonsJosé Luis Guerin1983Spain
Noah Und Der Cow-BoyNoah and the Cow-BoyHansueli Schenkel, Felix Tissi1985Switzerland
Orinoko - Nuevo MundoOrinoko - New WorldDiego Risquez1984Venezuela
Qingmei ZhumaTaipei StoryEdward Yang1985Taiwan
Szirmok, Viragok, KoszorukPetals, Virags, their WreathsLaszlo Lugossy1984Hungary
Windy CityArmyan Bernstein1984USA

Swiss Information

Swiss Information - Feature Films
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirector(s)YearProduction Country
After DarknessSergio Guerrez, Dominique Othenin-Girard1985Switzerland
Akropolis NowHans Liechti1984Switzerland
Der Ruf Der SibyllaThe Call of the SibyllaClemens KlopfensteinSwitzerland
DerborenceFrancis Reusser1985Switzerland
Er Moretto: Von Liebe LebenHe Moretto: Live of LoveSimon Bischoff1984Switzerland
Freeze: Videoladen Z!Urich, 1976-1985 Dokumentation Einer GeschichteFreeze: Video Show! Urich, 1976-1985 Documentation of a StoryRené Baumann, Marcel MüllerSwitzerland
Je Vous Salue MarieI Greet you MarieJean-Luc Godard1985Switzerland
The Land Of William Tell1984Switzerland
Swiss Information - Short And Medium-Length Films
78 ToursGeorges Schwizgebel1985Switzerland
AeliaDominique De Rivaz1985Switzerland
Altmanns RegelAltmann's RuleManuel Siebenmann, Benno Wenz1984Switzerland
Ave&Amp;MariaBianca Conti Rossini1984Switzerland
CachemireCashmereEva Ceccaroli1985Switzerland
Futur InterieurAnterior FutureAlain Nicolet1985Switzerland
La Quatrième VeilleThe Fourth WatchJosé Michel Buhler1985Switzerland
Le Livre De MarieMarie's BookAnne-Marie Miéville1985Switzerland
Lettre MortelleMortal LetterPier Blattner1985Switzerland

Official Awards

International Jury

FIPRESCI Critics Jury

Ecumenical Jury

Source: [8] [7] [10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pictures: LOCARNO FILM FEST BOWS THIS THURSDAY". Variety. Vol. 320, no. 2. 7 August 1985. pp. 7, 26.
  2. "International calendar of film festivals and markets". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 286, no. 1. 5 March 1985. pp. 74, 76, 79.
  3. 1 2 3 Lane, John Francis (31 August 1985). "EUROPEAN NEWS: Swiss enjoy salad days after locarno closes on high note. (1985, Aug 31)". Screen International. No. 512. London. p. 10.
  4. 1 2 "Pictures: Learned at locarno". Variety. Vol. 320, no. 5. 28 August 1985. p. 30.
  5. Fainaru, Edna (21 August 1985). "Pictures: Locarno fest attendance soars; overcrowding mars new success". Variety. Vol. 320, no. 4. pp. 5, 29.
  6. Fainaru, Edna (21 August 1985). "Radio-television: TV films A hit at locarno fest, but has event grown too big?". Variety. Vol. 320, no. 4. p. 103.
  7. 1 2 "The Festival - Palmarès". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  8. 1 2 "1985 Locarno Film Festival". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  9. "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.
  10. "Pictures: Locarno fest prizewinners". Variety. Vol. 320, no. 4. 21 August 1985. p. 5.