My Blind Heart
| My Blind Heart | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| German: Mein blinders Herz | |
| Directed by | Peter Brunner[1] |
| Written by | Peter Brunner |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Franz Dude |
| Edited by | Peter Brunner |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | Austria |
| Language | German |
My Blind Heart (German title Mein blindes Herz) is an Austrian feature film drama written, directed and edited by Peter Brunner.[2] The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam[3] and Slamdance Film Festival[4] in Park City, Utah, in January/February 2014 and was nominated for a Golden Frog at the prestigious Camerimage Film Festival in November 2014.[5]
Plot
My Blind Heart is a film about Kurt (Christos Haas), a 29-year-old marine biologist who suffers from the rare disease Marfan syndrome, which makes him almost blind as well as giving him a very peculiar appearance. After his dream of working at a Shark School is shattered, Kurt kills his mother (Susanne Lothar), with whom he has a suffocating relationship and sets out on a journey to rebel against his body and the limits society tries to set for him. A short stay at a care home results in chaos and him getting kicked out, and he ends up on the streets where he befriends 13-year-old runaway Conny (Jana McKinnon). Conny becomes his partner in crime during his protesting actions, not knowing what Kurt's motives are. Finally, Kurt manages to use a former friend from the care home, Roberto (Robert Schmiedt), to help him achieve his ultimate goal.[6]
Cast
- Christos Haas as Kurt
- Jana McKinnon as Conny
- Susanne Lothar as Mother
- Georg Friedrich as Paul
- Robert Schmiedt as Roberto
- Christopher Schärf as David
Reception
The film was mostly well received by critics. Variety 's Dennis Harvey called it "a visually arresting black-and-white debut"[7] while Clarence Tsui of The Hollywood Reporter said that it was "boasting scintillating visuals, revolutionary ideology which charges social norms head on, and powerful performances from its cast".[8]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Slamdance Film Festival | Jury Award for Narrative Feature | Peter Brunner | Nominated |
| International Film Festival Rotterdam | HIVOS Tiger Award | Peter Brunner | Nominated | |
| Brooklyn Film Festival | Grand Chameleon Award | Peter Brunner | Nominated | |
| Brooklyn Film Festival | Certificates of Outstanding Achievement Cinematography | Franz Dude | Won[9] | |
| Brooklyn Film Festival | Certificates of Outstanding Achievement Actor Male | Christos Haas | Won | |
| Andrey Tarkovsky Film Festival "Zerkalo" | Special Jury Mention | Peter Brunner | Won[10] | |
| Durban International Film Festival | Award for Artistic Bravery | Peter Brunner | Won[11] | |
| New Horizons Film Festival | Grand Prize | Peter Brunner | Nominated | |
| Camerimage | Golden Frog | Franz Dude | Nominated |
References
- ^ http://myblindheart.com/filmmakers/peter-brunner/
- ^ http://www.annygomes.com/movieblog/2014/2/22/my-blind-heart
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-12-18. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://filmmakermagazine.com/82718-slamdance-2014-lineup-announced/#.VJMcNieLHh8
- ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fury-wild-get-up-camerimage-744730
- ^ http://myblindheart.com/synopsis/
- ^ https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/slamdance-film-review-my-blind-heart-1201066787/
- ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/my-blind-heart-mein-blindes-674711
- ^ http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/winners/
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-12-18. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://www.durbanfilmfest.co.za/diff2014-news/diff-announces-award-winners-for-2014
