Toronto Film Festival | Through the Shattered Lens

One of the films to be announced after the success of James Cameron’s Avatar that would also make use of 3D cameras came from an individual who many wouldn’t consider as a proponent of 3D filmmaking. Even during and after the production of this documentary film this filmmaker still is not a total convert to the process. What he did do is use the most advanced filmmaking technique to capture on film exactly what he wanted and 3D filmmaking was the only to give his vision justice.

The filmmaker I’m talking about is the great German director Werner Herzog. The film in question is his documentary about the cave paintings in the Chauvet Cave, Cave of Forgotten Dreams.

In an unprecedented move the French government allowed Herzog to film this documentary in the Chauvet Cave but with some heavy restrictions on what sort of equipment he and his crew could use. They were also limited in where they could stand to film scenes within the cave. Despite these restrictions what scenes people saw during a showing at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival gave enough people an impression of Herzog’s vision.

The documentary will be released by IFC films this Spring of 2011 with the History Channel getting the rights to show it on TV. This is one of the films of 2011 of which I am very interested in seeing and the fact that it’s Herzog working in 3D is something that needs to be experienced on the big-screen.

On July 22, 2010 USA Today score the first exclusive pictures from the set of Darren Aronofsky’s follow-up to his critically-acclaimed 208 film, The Wrestler. This time around Aronofsky takes on Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and weaves a psychological thriller around the classic ballet.

Black Swan will have in the titular lead one Ms. Natalie Portman. She’s taking on a role which continues her attempts to expand her repoertoire of character beyond the helpless child-like young women she’s been portraying since she first burst onto the scene. Playing opposite Ms. Portman is Mila Kunis. There’s already been talk going as far back as late 2009 that the two co-sta’ characters will be getting real close.

Synopsis: The dark tale with psychological twists stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a technically brilliant ballerina whose life takes some strange turns after being picked as the lead in a New York City production of Swan Lake. Pressures mount as her overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey) pushes her to succeed and her manipulative dance master (Vincent Cassel) commands her to be more seductive and loose in her performance.

Complicating matters is the arrival of Lily (Mila Kunis), a sultry dancer who exhibits all the innate ease and sexuality that Nina lacks. Nina begins to fixate on the newcomer as the two forge an unusual relationship.

The film will premiere at the Venice Film Festival this September and also appear in the 35th Toronto Internation Film Festival. Black Swan will be shown in limited release this coming December 1, 2010 to qualify it for the awards season and from the buzz surrounding this film don’t be surprised if it does well with awards and critics prizes. Pictures from the set can be seen in the USA Today link below.