When you see the name Cristi Puiu attached to a film, there are a large number of film fans that don’t care what it’s about or who stars in it, the project is an instant must-see. That comes from the fact that Puiu, with only 6 features in the last 20 years, has established himself as one of the best international filmmakers working today. And with that in mind, we’re happy to share the new trailer for “Malmkrog,” the latest Puiu film, which is debuting soon in Berlin.
The trailer does a great job of setting up the premise of the film, which follows an aristocratic landowner that invites an eclectic group of people to his mansion for a special dinner event. Over the course of the event, the guests will converse and dine, discussing some hefty moral and existential questions. Of course, there is a bit more going on than any of them realize.
The film stars Frédéric Schulz-Richard, Agathe Bosch, Diana Sakalauskaité, Marina Palii, Ugo Broussot, and István Téglás. As mentioned above, “Malmkrog” is from writer-director Cristi Puiu, who is probably best known for his film “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu.” That film earned the Un Certain Regard award from the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, as well as acclaim from various outlets. He also won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival for his project, “Cigarettes & Coffee.”
“Malmkrog” will have its world premiere as part of this year’s Berlin Film Festival, as part of the Encounters section.
Here’s the synopsis (courtesy of the Berlin Film Festival listing):
The guests who come to the mansion of aristocratic landowner and man of the world Nikolai over the Christmas holidays are hand-picked. Among them is a politician, a young countess and a general with his wife. They converse and dine – what a wonderful, much-missed way of life – indulge in parlour games and discuss the right form of authority in the face of political impotence as well as progress and morality, death and the Antichrist. As the debate becomes more heated, cultural differences become increasingly apparent and the mood grows tense. In the end, everyone will become a victim of his or her own discourse.
