magnificent desolation Tagged Articles at Cinematical

In this week's edition of Indie Roundup, the headline says it all.

Deals. Nominated this year for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category, Uli Edel's The Baader-Meinhof Complex has been acquired for US theatrical distribution by Vitagraph Films, according to indieWIRE. Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, and Bruno Ganz star in a film that "dramatizes the history of the real-life West German terrorist group Red Army Faction (RAF), which rose to violent action against the German political status quo in the late 1960s." Current plans are for a platform release in August, with 18 of the top 20 markets targeted. When the film opened in the UK last fall, David Hudson compiled the mixed critical reaction at GreenCine Daily. We've embedded the action-packed trailer below.

Lance Daly's Kisses, described as an Irish "romantic coming-of-age film," will see release later this year, courtesy of Oscilloscope Releasing, per indieWIRE. Kelly O'Neill and Shane Curry star as "two kids who run away from their abusive homes and set off to Dublin," seeking a better life. HollywoodChicago.com called it "surprisingly genuine and sweet ... with two of the best child performances that have come out of any country in a long time."

Box Office. Space was the place last weekend, as the IMAX re-release of Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3-D remained atop the indie charts, according to Box Office Mojo, grossing $9,763 per screen at four theaters. Debuting indie pics posted respectable per-screen results: Jean-Pierre Melville's 1961 drama Leon Morin, Priest, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo ($9,515); "A Chorus Line" doc Every Little Step ($8,563); John Crowley's drama Is Anybody There?, starring Michael Caine as a retired magician ($7,702); and Eran Riklis' Israeli drama Lemon Tree ($7,301).

After the jump: the Independent Film Festival of Boston gets underway.

Tax day can be stressful -- trust me, I feel your pain -- so Indie Roundup is here to make you feel better with soothing news of the adventurous indie film community.

Touring. Rachel Goslins' acclaimed doc 'Bama Girl got underway on its so-called "Southern Circuit Tour" this week, barnstorming across the South at a variety of venues through April 24. The doc revolves around a woman who wants to become the first African-American Homecoming Queen at her university, despite the nefarious efforts of a secret society determined to keep the crown lily white. Jette Kernion called it "one of the most entertaining movies" she saw at SXSW last year. More information is available at the official site; Ms. Goslins is also blogging about her adventures.

Box Office. Over the weekend, two docs outdrew Hannah Montana on a per-screen basis. Mark Cowen's Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D, re-released in four IMAX theatres, took in $15,845 per screen, per Box Office Mojo. Produced and narrated by Tom Hanks, the 40-minute film was originally released in 2005. Sacha Gervasi's Cinematical-approved heavy metal doc Anvil! The Story of Anvil, pulled in $11,550 per-screen at three severely-rocking cinemas. The never-say-die original band members are terribly appealing; check out the trailer embedded below for evidence.

Deals. Two films have been acquired for distribution today, according to indieWIRE. Regent Releasing and Here Media picked up Robert Young's docudrama Eichmann and will release it theatrically in October. The film stars the generally terrific Thomas Kretschmann in the title role and Franka Potente as the wife of Eichmann's interrogator after Hitler's architect of "the final solution" was captured in Argentina.

After the jump: Today's other deal -- for The Horse Boy; plus news on the Atlanta and New York film fests.

Yes, Nelson Mandela is still alive, despite what President Bush said (I know it was taken out of context). And now the previously announced Mandela biopic is also very much alive, and may even get a multiple Oscar-winner as its director. According to Variety, Clint Eastwood is interested in helming The Human Factor, an adaptation of the same-titled book by John Carlin (with subtitle: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Changed the World). The film won't actually be a full biopic, though; instead, it focuses on the former President of South Africa post-imprisonment, on the eve of apartheid's end. It also deals with the 1995 Rugby World Cup and how it aided in the post-apartheid healing of South Africa. The adaptation has been scripted by South African screenwriter Anthony Peckham (Don't Say a Word).

We've already learned that Mandela will be portrayed by Morgan Freeman (perfect choice), who will also be producing with his company Revelations Entertainment (10 Items or Less). Now possibly joining Freeman on screen is Matt Damon, who is in talks to play the captain of rugby team the Springboks. Although both Freeman and Damon contributed to the 3D IMAX documentary Magnificent Desolation, the two have never acted together. Freeman and Eastwood, though, have collaborated a few times, and it was due to working with the actor-director on Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby that Freeman reportedly requested Eastwood's filmmaking talents for this project. My guess is that Eastwood appreciates the opportunity, as it sounds like something that will garner him yet another Oscar nomination. However, it won't be the director's next film; that has already been announced as The Changeling, with Angelina Jolie.

For those looking for a Mandela movie in the meantime, perhaps someone will finally pick up U.S. distribution rights to Bille August's new film, Goodbye Bafana, which features Dennis Haysbert as the iconic prisoner-turned-leader. Erik caught the pic in Berlin earlier this year and called it, "a perfect movie -- one that gets it all right," and it is very surprising that there's no plans yet to release the film here. Perhaps someone is waiting until they can pit it against The Human Factor, in order to fulfill the new Hollywood law that all biopics must have a dueling competitor.