The famous director Nick Broomfield comes to the Astra Film Festival with a film about Leonard Cohen

Nick Broomfield, one of the most influential documentary film directors in the world, is coming to Sibiu, for the 29th edition of the Astra Film festival.  Winner of numerous international awards such as BAFTA or Sundance, Nick Broomfield will meet the Astra Film Festival audience in the Portrait Program "A Life in Documentary - Masters".  Three non-fiction films will be screened, including 'Marianne and Leonard - Words of Love', about the emotional story between Leonard Cohen and his muse, Marianne, who inspired the song 'So Long, Marianne'.  Also, Nick Broomfield will teach a Masterclass, moderated by director Liviu Tipuriță.

The cinematic portrait "A Life in Documentary - The Masters" will include three of Nick Broomfield's most interesting films.  Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014), showing Tuesday, October 11th, follows the case of the notorious serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper, who terrorized the South-Central Los Angeles for 25 years.  Wednesday, October 12th is the screening day of the documentary Marianne and Leonard – Words of Love (2019), which provides an in-depth look at the relationship between the exceptional musician Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse, Marianne Ihlen.  Finally, on Thursday, October 13th, there will be a screening of "My Father and Me" (2019), a very personal documentary that explores the director's relationship with his father, a talented photographer.

The masterclass held by Nick Broomfield will take place on Thursday, October 13th at the Thalia Hall, immediately after the screening of "My Father and Me".  Nick Broomfield will talk to the British director of Romanian origin, Liviu Tipuriță (BAFTA nominee in 2010), about his techniques for creating a documentary story and about his prestigious career.  After the Masterclass, the audience will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with director Nick Broomfield during a Q&A session.

Details on the Nick Broomfield Cinematic Portrait, here: https://www.astrafilm.ro/section/portret-nick-broomfield

Nick Broomfield - a career of over five decades

In a career spanning five decades, Nick Broomfield has directed 35 documentaries, investigating the stories of high-profile celebrities such as Kurt Cobain, Whitney Houston, Leonard Cohen, Biggie and Tupac, politicians such as Margaret Thatcher and Sarah Palin, the famous pimp Heidi Fleiss, known as "Madame Hollywood", and serial killers such as Aileen Wuornos and the Grim Sleeper.  Broomfield has also made documentaries about underprivileged children, female soldiers and prostitution.

Nick Broomfield began his career in observational documentary, and then developed his own style: appearing in his own documentaries. The interaction with the subjects of the films became a key element of the productions.  Although he acknowledges that the intrusion of the filmmaker into the situation he is filming inevitably impacts and alters the story, Broomfield believes that this is a more honest approach than one in which the filmmaker pretends not to be present.  It's good for viewers to be aware of the filmmaker-subject interaction, to be able to decide for themselves where the truth lies, is the opinion of the British director.

Nick Broomfield's films have been offered over time with prestigious awards (including BAFTA, Sundance, Royal Television Society Award, Peabody, Grierson, Flaherty) and have influenced well-known documentarians such as Louis Theroux and Morgan Spurlock.

Astra Film Festival will take place this year from October 9-16, in cinemas, domes and online.  Details about the program here: https://www.astrafilm.ro/program-2022

About Astra Film Festival

Astra Film Festival Sibiu, launched in 1993 as an innovative project, is one of the most important non-fiction film festivals in Europe, and was included by the European Film Academy on the list of festivals that have the right to make direct nominations for European Film Awards.

Astra Film Festival is placed under the High Patronage of the President of Romania and is organized by Astra Film, CNM Astra and the Astra Film Foundation, with the support of the Sibiu County Council, The Ministry of Culture, The National Center of Cinematography, The Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sibiu and The Filmmakers Union. The event is co-financed by the Sibiu Local Council through the Sibiu City Hall and by the European Union through the Creative Europe Program.

Sponsors, Campari, Promenada Sibiu, Ursus, Continental, Cinelab, CineGold, DPD Romania, Sonne, Kulinarium, Cafe Pardon

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