Akin’s film unfortunately only screened at the European Film Market, Halim, so I didn’t get a chance to see it. It is playing here in NYC this month though.
Directorially, I thought Johnnie To was the most impressive (his film Sparrow was one of my favorites), although James Benning’s rigor is to be admired, and I found Wakamatsu Koji’s tension, tenacity, and thoroughness particularly great.
Danny’s right! I was one of the lucky ones to watch “The Edge of Heaven” and also Fatih Akin himself at the market screening. Let alone the movie itself, the experience was just mind-blowing. I think I am madly in love with this director.
I watched “Sparrow” with German subtitles by mistake…. As you can imagine, I didn’t get much detailed information, however, was greatly touched by it. It was almost like a musical…. couldn’t take that tune out of my head for a while. “Mad Detective” is also my favorite.
Johnny To is great.
I haven’t seen “Sparrow” yet, but I saw “Exiled” and “Election 2” at a film fest in Buenos Aires and was impressed by his storytelling precision.
“Election 2” is like an Asian “Godfather”. Awsome shit.
Halim Cillov
I was wondering among all the directors you have seen at the Berlin Film Festival who was the director that most impressed you?
Mine was definitely Fatih Akin, who is , I think, one of most talented directors of Contemporary Europe right now. I also thought “Edge of Heaven” was a fantastic movie that raises a lot of highly sophisticated philosophical and political questions about the current state of Europe and EU.