From the diary of Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King a fictional drama of the political rise, love affairs and private drama. Matthew Rankin present his wonderful and prize worth first feature film at Berlinale 70.
The Twentieth Century is Matthew Rankin's first feature film, the film written and directed by Rankin is comic-drama. The film is a fictionalized portrait of the rise to power of former Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King as Dan Beirne.
The Canadian story is here transformed and re-proposed, mixing real elements with fictitious facts, in an adventurous journey that the protagonist Mackenzie King has to face. The sets and sets are deliberately unrealistically influenced by German expressionism, 1940s melodrama and war propaganda films. It has an almost Orwellian aesthetic and is also reminiscent of Guy Maddin's films.
Although most of the film's main characters are at least vaguely based on real protagonists of Canadian history, not all their careers are actually coexisted.
Mattew Rankin says that everything in the film is taken and reworked from Mackenzie King's diary. The story is described in the film as a nightmare that Mackenzie may have had in 1899. The film could also be seen as a satire of the overly serious way in which Canadian history is often presented in films and on television.
In addition, the film uses a cross-gender representation, with three significant characters (King's mother, J. Israël Tarte and Lady Violet). These are performances with a playful, school-like approach where anyone can play someone without necessarily linking the actor to their ethnic or gender profile.
Director and Screenplay: Matthew Rankin
Starring: Dan Beine, Catherine St-Laurent, Brent Skagford, Louis Negin
Country: Canada
Year: 2019
Duration: 90 min
ITA --->
The Twentieth Century è il primo lungometraggio di Matthew Rankin, il film scritto e diretto da Rankin è di genere comico-drammatico. La pellicola rappresenta in modo tutto artificioso un ritratto romanzato dell'ascesa al potere dell'ex primo ministro canadese William Lyon Mackenzie King nel ruolo di Dan Beirne.
La storia canadese viene qui trasformata e riproposta, mescolando elementi reali a fatti del tutto fittizzi, in un percorso avventuroso che il protagonista Mackenzie King deve affrontare. Le scenografie e i set sono deliberatamente irrealistici influenzati dall'espressionismo tedesco, dal melodramma degli anni '40 e dai film di propaganda bellica. Ha un estetica quasi Orwelliana e ricorda anche i film di Guy Maddin.
Anche se gran parte dei personaggi principali del film si basano almeno vagamente su veri e propri protagonisti della storia canadese, non tutte le loro carriere sono effettivamente coesistite.
Mattew Rankin afferma che tutto nel film è tratto e rielaborato dal diario di Mackenzie King. La vicenda viene nel film descritta come un incubo che Mackenzie potrebbe aver avuto nel 1899. Il film potrebbe essere viato anche come una satira sul modo eccessivamente serio in cui la storia canadese viene spesso presentata al cinema e alla televisione.
Inoltre il film si avvale di una rappresentazione cross-gender, con tre personaggi significativi (la madre di King's mother, J. Israël Tarte e Lady Violet). Si tratta d'interpretazioni con un approccio giocoso di tipo scolastico dove chiunque può interpretare qualcuno senza per forza collegare l’attore al suo profilo etnico o di genere.
Regia e Sceneggiatura: Matthew Rankin
Interpreti: Dan Beine, Catherine St-Laurent, Brent Skagford, Louis Negin
Paese: Canada
Anno: 2019
Durata: 90 min
Wow! Thanks you @variety for listing not only my films title, but my name. I feel like a real boy 😊#variety #themethodfest #themethodfestfilmfestival #partywithme #firstfeaturefilm #feelinggood https://www.instagram.com/p/B8iEXHFA8y6/?igshid=1fv1mdddket89
Look Ma I'm a movie star! Lol The movie we filmed almost 3 years ago has finally been released to Amazon Prime. Had a watch party last night and tried to make themed food. Had a lot of fun hanging out with friends last night #FirstFeatureFilm #WatchParty #ImInAMovie #Horror #GoodFood #GreatFriends https://www.instagram.com/p/B0uCKj5FRwf/?igshid=1hwultfltoy5a
Never thought I’d have my name in a movie theater... life is full of amazing surprises #missinglink #laika #cameraassistant #firstfeaturefilm #family #filmlife #theater #bigscreen #cameracrew #stopmotion #womeninanimation #cantbelieveit #sostoked #motioncontrol #arielspaugh https://www.instagram.com/p/BwOGWERAiuM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=knuwtsaqwci2
Today I got to watch Missing Link in theaters with my family! I still can’t believe I had the honor of working on such an amazing project with some of the most talented and good hearted crew I’ve ever met. I loved working with all of you and am over whelmed seeing all our names up on that screen. I can’t believe this is what I get to do with my time, thank you to everyone! This is freakin awesome :) #missinglink #laika #cameraassistant #firstfeaturefilm #family #filmlife #theater #bigscreen #cameracrew #stopmotion #womeninanimation #cantbelieveit #sostoked #motioncontrol #arielspaugh https://www.instagram.com/p/BwOF2OmgT04/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1aatlsw21dxgu
Today I got to watch Missing Link in theaters with my family! I still can’t believe I had the honor of working on such an amazing project with some of the most talented and good hearted crew I’ve ever met. I loved working with all of you and am over whelmed seeing all our names up on that screen. I can’t believe this is what I get to do with my time, thank you to everyone! This is freakin awesome :) #missinglink #laika #cameraassistant #firstfeaturefilm #family #filmlife #theater #bigscreen #cameracrew #stopmotion #womeninanimation #cantbelieveit #sostoked #motioncontrol #arielspaugh https://www.instagram.com/p/BwOFovqgHAw/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1dlqco5v7w0rx
Who had her first pre-production meeting on her first feature film today? And also has a new selfie stick? And also is exhausted and has a giant zit on her chin? ME!!! IT’S ME!!! What a day, y’all! I’m STOKED about the film, ambiguous about the selfie stick, bummed about the zit, and unsurprised about the exhaustion. ❤️ #firstfeaturefilm #screenwriter #director #stoked #preproduction #preproductionhigh #womeninfilm #femalefilmmakerfriday #femalefilmmaker #zit #exhausted #stoked #selfiestick #forehead #georgiastateuniversity #gsu #geaorgiastate #green #emotionalgamut https://www.instagram.com/p/BsO-_eOgGB3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ko7y7157zk58
