Bibring

‘How do you feel about intimate relations? Speak freely, don’t hold back.’ · ‘I think it’s the highest connection between two souls.’ Benny’s hair is as red as the fur of her devout father’s treasured calf – which he believes will bring salvation. But the 17-year-old feels as lonely and trapped as the calf in its enclosure. Benny’s mother died giving birth to her, and she grew up alone with her caring yet patriarchal father. He is a figure of authority and a mentor for many people in their Jerusalem religious community. Benny becomes increasingly critical of her father’s religious, utopian nationalism and then there’s Yael, the self-confident young woman who has set off a whirlwind of longing and emotions in her. Avigayil Koevary powerfully portrays the defiance and desire of a young woman in Tsivia Barkai Yacov’s debut feature film.

ITVhasgreenlitasecondseriesofcontemporarydetectivedrama,McDonald&Dodds,followingthesuccessofthefeature-lengthfilmswhichairedearlierthisyearproducedbyleadingindependentproductioncompany,MammothScreen.ThenewseriesseesTalaGouveia(ColdFeet)andBAFTAawardwinningactorJasonWatkins(TheLostHonourOfChristopherJefferies,TheCrown)reprisetheirrolesastheambitiousDCIMcDonaldandthehumble,andquietlybrilliantDSDoddsinthreenewmurdermysteries.SetinpicturesqueBath,theseriespairsfiestyDCIMcDonald,whohasrecentlytransferredfromLondon’sMetPolice,withthemodestandunassumingDSDodds,whohasbeenhappyinthebackgroundformostofhisworkinglife.Throwntogetherseeminglywithnothingincommon,theyforgearumbustious,andultimatelyhighlyeffectivecrimesolvingpartnership.CreatedandexecutiveproducedbyRobertMurphy,whoistheleadwriterfortheseries,McDonald&DoddswillonceagainbefilmedintheWestCountry.ThebrandnewepisodeswillbedirectedbyAlexPillai(ChillingAdventuresofSabrina,Riverdale),RebeccaRycroft(MaloryTowers,DannyandMick)andIanAryeh(InTheLongRun,AndyandtheBand).ThenewserieshasbeencommissionedbyITV’sDramaCommissionerHuwKennairJonesandHeadofDrama,PollyHill.Huwwilloverseeproductionofthedramafromthechannel’sperspective.CommentedHuwKennairJones:“We’redelightedwiththeaudiencereactiontothefirstseriesofMcDonaldandDodds.Thetwocharacterscouldn’tbefurtherapart,whichiswhatmakestheseriessointriguingtowatch.Theyshouldn’thavechemistry,buttheydo,andtheyworkbrilliantlyinpartnershipwhichistestimonytoRobert’sscriptandTalaandJasonforbringingMcDonald&Doddstolife.”CommentedMammothScreen’sDirectorofDrama,PreethiMavahalli:“WearethrilledthatRobertMurphy’scleverstorytellingwasahitwithaudiencesearlierthisyear.McDonald&DoddsareaquirkilyuniqueinvestigativeteambroughttolifebeautifullybyTalaGouveiaandJasonWatkins.We’rereallypleasedITVhavecommissionedmorefilmsandlookforwardtoreturningtofilminBath.”DamienTimmer(Endeavour,Noughts+Crosses,WorldonFire)andPreethiMavahalli(McDonald&Dodds,Noughts+Crosses,TheWaroftheWorlds)aretheexecutiveproducersforMammothScreen,anITVStudioscompany,alongsidewriterRobertMurphy(McDonald&Dodds,Vera,Shetland,DCIBanks).TheproducerofthenewseriesisSarahLewis(Noughts+Crosses,McDonald&Dodds,Victoria).ThefirstseriesisavailabletoviewviastreamingplatformBritbox.Seriesonelaunchedwithaconsolidatedratingof6.4manda26%shareoftheavailableaudienceandboastedanimpressiveguestcastlistalongsideTalaGouveiaandJasonWatkinswhichincludedRobertLindsay,RosalieCraig,EllieKendrick,SusannahFielding,JoannaScanlan,MicheleDotrice,FreddieFoxandHughDennis.ITVStudioswilldistributethedramainternationally.

TheunitisstunnedwhenDIMarthaBellamyismurderedinherownhome.DCIDanielDrummondleadstheinvestigation,bringinginofficersfromMajorCrimestohelp-butsomeoneknowsmorethantheyarelettingon.

DarkSpellisastoryaboutthegirlnamedZhenyawhosuffersfrombeinginlovewithherhusbandthathaslefther,soshedecidestobringhimback.Desperateheroinecastsaspellcalled"BlackWedding",whichisamagicalritualknownforitsgreatpowerandirreversibility.Aftertheritual,herbelovedhusbandcomesback,althoughhislovebecomesmorelikeanobsession:heisevenreadytokillZhenya,soasnottogivehertoanyone.Whenthemaddenedhusbanddies,thespelldoesnotstop:becauseevendeathwillnotpartthosewhowerebetrothedbythedemonofblackwedding.

Thisearly70’sgiallobyUmbertoLenziiscertainlyamongthebestinhisfilmographyandalsointhewholegenre.PersonallyIthinkLenzi’sbestfilmsarethefunnycartoon-turned-filmKriminal,thestylishgialloSevenBlood-StainedOrchids,theexplosiveNapoliviolentaandthis.IntheeightieshedidplentyoffilmtrashinformofEatenAlive,HitcherintheDarkorBlackDemons,allofwhicharerippingsomethingoffand/orverydullandslowmoving.KnifeofIcecamewhenthegialloboomwasatitshottestandtheresultisconvincing.Technicallythefilmissuperb,containinggreatcinematographyinthebeginningwhenwelearnaboutthemaincharacter’straumatowardstrains.Fromthispointon,Lenzishowsushisabilitytobenefitthewidescreenand,forexample,thebicyclerideneartheforestisgenuinelybeautiful!ThisscenealsoshowsLenzi’sabilitytobuildsuspense,veryslowlybutmeaningfully.Afterall,therearen’tsomanymurdersinthewholefilm,onlythesuspensecirculatingaroundthemurderer’sidentity.Onesuspectisadevilworshipperwhichbringsnewaspectstothemystery.Sincethefinalscenetakesplaceinachurch,onecanwonderifLenziwantedtocommentonsomething,maybethehypocriticalmoraleofchurchandsuperstition.Themaincharacter(CarrolBaker)ismutewhichdemandsalotfromherfaceandeyes.Theactressworksverywell,givingusabelievableperformancecirculatingaroundtheemotionsoffearandmentalpain.Theotheractorsaregood,too.Thefinally,however,maynotgivetoopositiveasightaboutfemalesexsincetheyallareexpressedrathernegativelyinthefilm,onewayoranother.Stillthisiseasilyamongthemostnoteworthyinthegenre,notasbloodyastheArgentofilms,forexample,butequallysuspensefulandvisuallyalsointeresting.

811AD,afamily,isolatedintheirhome,deepinthewoodsafewdaystravelfromBirka.Theyarepoor.Thehuntingandfishinghasbeenbadforsometime,andthefather,Joar,takesthedesperatemeasureofgoingonaVikingraid.Joardoesnotreturnforalongtime,andthefamilystartstofearheneverwill.Runa,theoldestdaughter,takesoverherfatherschoresinhisabsence.Shemisseshimdearlyandnourishesatenderhopethathe,onceagain,willreturntothem.Butinherheart,somehowsheknows,thatthesufferingofthefamilyhasjustbegun.Thereissomethingintheair,somethinginthewater,thewindandinthesoil.Runaisbecomingawareofsomethingvile,somethingdangerousoutintheforest.Onedaywhensheisouthunting,shefindsableedingman,awarrior,almostunconscious.Shebringshiminsideandthefamilytendtohiswounds.Asheheals,sherealizesheissenttoprotectthefamilyfromanapproachingevil.Andhebringsnewsofherfather.

Cutofffromcivilisation,asinglemotherputsherchildrenonhighalertwhentheybringhomeayounggirlcakedinclay.Shetellsofspiritsandspirithunters,butthesearenotmeresuperstitions.Asmorestrangersshowuponherdoorstep,shequicklyfindsanotherreasontofeartheforest.

When a high school senior finds out from her parents that she has to miss the town's winter dance to attend Christmas Eve service at church, she successfully wishes their faith away, bringing disastrous consequences to her family and community. To restore their faith, she is led through a series of Christmas adventures that change her heart and those around her.

　Nina is twelve years old and her world has just been shattered to smithereens: Her parents’ marriage has broken down and they are getting a divorce. After his internationally successful debut Miracle Juraj Lehotský now brings us an intimate drama in which the viewer looks upon the world and the selfish, visionless behaviour of adults through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. A girl who is resilient and belligerent, but also vulnerable and just as fragile as the miniature world she creates for herself in the garden shed.

Annie, whose married life with Laurent is a picture of harmony. Her two young kids, Maximilien and César, are brilliant and sensitive boys, and Poupi, her teenage daughter, supports her willingly and patiently in bringing up Milo, her latest arrival. It’s a perfect family that Annie controls with a firm but loving hand. Yet one morning during an apparently uneventful weekend, t...