With over 160 films to choose from at the Visions du Réel film festival this year, there is a lot on offer with films being screened from around the world. Many of the films are either shown in English or subtitled in English. Alongside the films, there are film workshops and conferences which are open to the public, even the local shopkeepers have got in the act by decorating their windows in the theme of the festival. Directors, producers, journalists, film reviewers, film buyers from TV stations and cinemas descend on the town for eight days of film related events. Tickets to all films can be booked online or at the box office.
As in previous years, Living in Nyon will be reporting back from the festival over the next eight days and reviewing a selection of films.
Film reviews – “Cyclique” – A fascinating insight into the bike courier world with a local perspective.
“Die Letzen Gigolos – The Last Gigolos” – A touching, funny and poignant film.
“I sometimes feel like I am flying”, reflects Caroline (bike “number 67”), one of the bike couriers in “Cyclique” a documentary focussing on the world of bike messengers in Lausanne. In the film we see the couriers shooting red lights, getting shouted at, chasing deadlines, picking up parcels from CFF trains, from local offices, large corporations and deluxe hotels whilst cycling up and down the hilly streets of the city. They struggle to find addresses or pick up points and work both day and night.
This film which concentrates mainly on two long standing couriers, Caroline and Raphaël. The latter, a maverick as shown by his home life, he doesn’t hide his heavy dope smoking from the camera or that he wants a change and wants out from his current situation. Yet the appeal of biking keeps hims on the road. “I love the idea of being on a mission”. Caroline, although she too loves biking, “the feeling of freedom is addictive” is looking for a job that has more long term potential and continues the search for a job in journalism in between making deliveries. We also follows the training of a new recruit and see him learning the ropes. The film is superbly shot. The director Frédéric Favre was a courier himself for ten years and from the opening scene, the camera follows the bikers at their level, criss-crossing the city in all conditions, you can hear the wet pavements, the wheels of their bikes, the wind as they whizz to make deliveries and you can an almost feel the cold yourself as the bikers make deliveries in all weathers and return back to base, cold, wet and shivering. As to whether Caroline and Raphaël stay in the job that they have a love/ hate relationship with, you will have to watch the film itself. A fascinating insight into the bike courier world with a local perspective.
Cyclique is in the Helvetique section of the film festival.
Screenings Tuesday 21st April at 14:00 at the Théâtre de Marens and on Wednesday the 22nd at 16:30 at Grande Salle Colombière. Click here for tickets
The two main protoganists in Cyclique, if not exactly at the start of their working lives, they are still young and have a lifetime of experiences ahead of them, whereas the two main male characters in “Die Letzen Gigolos – The Last Gigolos” directed by Stephan Bergmann are men in the third stage of their life. Retired with successful careers behind them, due to various personal circumstances these men have found themselves alone and lonely in their twilight years. However they discover that a new lease of life awaits them as they can be in great demand as hosts on luxury cruise ships, their job being to entertain the ladies on board by dancing with them each night.
The superb opening sequence of the film shows one of the gentleman laying out a selection of ties for an upcoming cruise. “Light blue tie with pink stripes – youthful. Beige – modest and classy. Orange/ Blue – a club tie. Dark blue with green stripes -modest and refined”. The film itself focusses on two particular men as we see them doing the rhumba, foxtrot and tango and other dances each night with a selection of different ladies. Life on board is a daily round of cocktails or wine in the afternoon, on board games, dips in the pool, trips out to various port of call and then dressing for dinner followed by dancing. We also see life below deck, staff cooking the guests’ meals, ironing laundry, and taking German lessons so they can communicate with the guests.
Not all of the men on board are ship’s hosts, Some are there just for a holiday, but in conversation they reveal their loneliness. The men in particular, miss their careers and status that came with it. “I was a judge for 40 years “says one passenger “and in Germany I presided over major terrorism processes. When you turn 65, judges have to retire whether they like it or not. On the one hand you have a position that you curse, because you have body guards and such things, on the other hand you enjoy the importance and then one day, it’s gone”.
“I was an attorney” says another, “and a good one, now I just whittle away my time going on cruises”.
Yet not everyone on board is melancholy, one guest, a mature lady is much more pragmatic about her situation, she embraces life on board by chatting to everyone, taking part in all the activities, dressing to the nines, dancing and flirting the night away. She catches the eye of one of the hosts and they make a handsome pair whirling and twirling across the dance floor. However, there are strict rules on the comportment of the hosts and above deck at least, flirting is a far as it can go and everything has to be “above board”. What happens below deck and away from the camera’s eye is left to the viewers’ imagination.
This is a touching, funny and poignant film and although perhaps a tad too long, is one definitely worth seeing.
Screenings Tuesday 21st April at 16:15 at the Théâtre de Marens in Nyon and on Wednesday the 22nd at 18:00 at the Théâtre de Grands Champs in Gland. Click here for tickets
Note there are free navette buses running between Nyon and Gland before and after the screenings. Full details on the festival website.