Friday, June 23, 2006

Live And Become Release

‘brave, moving and compassionate’
The Observer

Radu Mihaileanu’s
Live And Become

‘a remarkable trio of performances’
Toronto Star

The Works is thrilled to announce the release of Radu Mihaileanu’s award-winning, fact-based drama of a young boy’s search for identity, Live And Become.

Picking up three awards at The Berlin International Film Festival, Live And Become is a gripping story of deception and survival; a beautifully crafted coming of age tale about the fate of a young refugee told with warmth and humour.

Ethiopia 1984: civil war and famine rage. As thousands of displaced Africans crowd into Sudanese refugee camps, American and Israeli troops organise “Operation Moses”, a mission aimed at relocating the wandering Falashas, Ethiopian Jews who claim direct lineage back to King Solomon's days, to Israel. Forced by his Christian mother to declare himself Jewish to escape starvation, young Solomon (Moshe Agazai) is swept away to Israel.

Arriving in Tel Aviv, the boy is declared an orphan and adopted by a local French family. He begins a new life constantly fearing the discovery of a double lie – that he is neither orphaned nor Jewish. Solomon – now renamed Schlomo – does his best to adapt to his new surroundings as his presumed salvation slowly gives way to the inner decay of a fading identity.

This is Mihaileanu’s second feature following on from Train Of Life, another intensely moving film continuing the theme of Jewish identity, which itself won the Audience award at the Sundance film festival.

Garnering the Panorama Audience award, Label Europa Cinema and the prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Berlin Film Festival, Mihaileanu’s heart-wrenching story of a boy bravely confronting ignorance and prejudice will be available on DVD courtesy of The Works from 14 August 2006.

Title: Live And Become Release Date: 14 August 2006 RRP: £19.99

Vividas puts high-definition in the picture

High-definition live and recorded video streaming available through standard 2MB broadband connection for the first time.Vividas, one of the world's leading developers and providers of full-screen video streaming technology, today announces the addition of high-definition output to its landmark Vivcast Encoding Suite. The extra functionality, which comes as part of Vividas' standard product set, allows full screen, high-definition video content to be streamed over the web to a virtually unlimited global audience for the first time.

Vividas' technology deploys the high-definition IP TV solution on standard web infrastructure. Both pre-recorded and live video content will benefit from the development, allowing audiences to experience a quantum leap in the quality of video streamed over the Internet.

Phil Sellick, European Service Director at Vividas, comments: "By allowing true high-definition streaming output, on standard broadband speeds, Vividas opens the market for broadband suppliers, resellers and even corporates to compete directly with traditional broadcasters. Vivcast provides them with a credible IP TV solution, but none of the capital outlay, as it can operate on the existing web infrastructure."

For more information visit www.vividas.com

Ludwig

Infinity Arthouse is delighted to announce the release of the critically acclaimed
masterpiece Ludwig from one of Italian cinema’s most influential post-war directors,
Luchino Visconti. It will available for the first time ever on DVD on 19 June 2006.
Visconti’s 1972 film is a lavish portrait of Ludwig II, the sexually ambiguous ‘Mad
King’ of Bavaria. From his glittering coronation to his mysterious suicide, Ludwig II
(1845-86) was tormented by his unrequited love for his cousin, Empress Elizabeth of
Austria. But as war raged around him, he retreated into a fantasy world, alarming his
ministers through his irrational behaviour, neglect of state affairs and lavish
expenditure castles. Judged unfit to rule, Ludwig was declared insane.

Controversially cut on its release, it is now available in its full four-hour glory.
Ludwig features commanding performances from Helmut Berger (The Damned) as
Ludwig, Trevor Howard (Brief Encounter) as Wagner, Romy Schneider (Maedchen
in Uniform) as Elizabeth and Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger) as Father Hoffman.
Despite being born into the Italian aristocracy, Count Luchino Visconti (1906-76) was
a life-long leftist and anti-Fascist. His first feature was Ossessione (1942) and his
style soon shifted from the neo-realism of Rocco and his Brothers to the deeply
personal style epitomized by Senso, The Leopard, the Academy Award® nominated
The Damned, Death in Venice Conversation Piece and The Innocent.

Extras:
The Perfume of a Primrose: Silvana Mangano
Italian Portraits: Suso Cecchi d’Amic
Documentary on Luchino Visconti directed by Carlo Lizzani
Title: Ludwig
Language: Italian (subtitled)
Release Date: 19 June 2006
RRP: £19.99

‘a majestic work of the imagination’
The Times
Luchino Visconti’s
Ludwig
‘quite an experience’
The Guardian

Quadrophenia

“Quadrophenia is My Generation writ large”
Pete Thownsend- The Who

QUADROPHENIA

SPECIAL EDITION DVD

“A genuine musical milestone crackling with energy and great performances”

Radio Times

August: the time for summer holidays, Bank holidays and, back in the 1960s, if you were a mod or rocker, a time to head to seaside resorts for an almighty punch-up. This August, that classic British pastime – mods versus rockers – is relived as Universal Pictures releases the Special Edition of Quadrophenia, the classic film that has inspired generations of youths since its release in1979.

Available on DVD from 7 August 2006 this Special Edition two-disc DVD, includes:

* Digitally remastered widescreen picture
* Brand new stereo audio track
* A Way Of Life : Making Quadrophenia – A restrospective documentary looking back 25 years to the making of one of the most significant ‘youth’ films to emerge in the UK
* On Location With Franc – Franc Roddam revisits several locations used in the film
* Audio Commentary – With director Franc Roddam and actors Phil Daniels and Leslie Ash.

Quadrophenia, based on The Who’s seminal rock opera from the early 1970s presaged the mod revival of late 70s Britain. It introduced a new wave of Brit actors, including Phil Daniels, to audiences and has proved to be an inspiration to scores of bands, film-makers and British youth ever since. It is safe to say that, without Quadrophenia, there would have been no Britpop… This truly is a landmark British film.

It’s 1964 London and two youth cults emerge – the mods and the rockers – with explosive consequences. For Jimmy (Phil Daniels) and his sharp-suited, pill popping, scooter riding mates, being a mod is a way of life. Together they head off to Brighton for an orgy of drugs, thrills and headline-making violent clashes with the rockers.

Directed by Franc Roddam in his first feature length outing, the film also stars Toyah Wilcox, Mark Wingett, John Altman, Leslie Ash, Ray Winstone and Sting.

Title: Quadrophenia Special Edition Release Date: 7 August 2006 Recommended Retail Price: £17.99