Director Wayne Kramer introduces new film "The Cooler" at KV festival

The International Film Festival is now well underway in the west Bohemian spa town of Karlovy Vary - we hear from director Wayne Kramer about his new film "The Cooler" and also Canadian actress Deborah Kara Unger about her rather ambiguous role in "Fear X".

Director Wayne Kramer introduces new film "The Cooler" at KV festival

Karlovy Vary, photo: CTK

Another year has passed, we're at the 38th international film festival and it seems like time has stood still since my last report from this beautiful spa town in 2002. The festival is no doubt as popular as ever despite the rainy weather we've been having, and a certain lack of international stars. But visitors from all over the world have been enjoying the festival:

"My name's Jan. I'm here for the fourth time, and I always enjoy it. There are lots of very nice movies to see, the city is beautiful, and there are also lots of cultural events."

What movies have you seen so far?

Photo: CTK

"I try to see two movies a day, so I've already seen seven or eight and I couldn't name all of them! But the movies I saw were mostly very nice and interesting."

Is there one you liked especially?

"The best one so far was the English film Pretty Dirty Things. It's about problems experienced by immigrants in London."

"My name's Josette...and I'm George, and we're from London. We came specifically for the film festival...I'm very interested in film, I study film and I have friends who've been here before, and I read about Karlovy Vary in English newspapers. The best thing is that the sun's come out the last two days - it's really made a difference to be able to spend time outside. It was a bit bleak the first few days when it was raining. The nice weather makes you keener to go and see the films."

Karlovy Vary, photo: CTK

There are sixteen films in competition this year and it appears that the most popular entry so far has come from Russia. The story line of Babusja, or Granny, sounds like just another boring movie about a sweet, old lady from the Russian countryside, but those who went to see it will remember the experience for many weeks to come.

Another movie in competition that was screened at the beginning of the week comes from the United States. The Cooler, starring William Macy, Alec Baldwin, and Maria Bello tells the story of Bernie Lootz, whose bad luck in life earns him a job at a Las Vegas casino. However, his luck begins to change when he falls in love and that's where the trouble begins. Director Wayne Kramer introduced the film to the press on Monday:

"I'm very fascinated with films that deal with people coming to the end of an era. Las Vegas had a very glitzy, glamorous heyday when the casinos were run by the mob. Today, Vegas has become very much like Disneyland, it now caters to families and luring children there. The character in the film played by Alec Baldwin runs the last of the old mob-type casinos in what he calls the "old-school way". Some of these casinos still exist in downtown Las Vegas away from the glamorous Strip. And I wanted the film to draw a strong contrast between what Las Vegas used to be and what it has become today. So I saw Las Vegas as a great metaphor for a place that has changed, that has moved on, but there are obviously still people who pine for the way it used to be. I loved the way films were in America in the 70s - groundbreaking. I find them very tired and safe today. So I think there was a slight metaphor for the way Hollywood has become, in the same way."

Deborah Kara Unger, photo: CTK

One of the highlights of the festival on Monday was the presence of the charming Canadian actress Deborah Kara Unger, who we know from films such as David Cronenberg's Crash, and David Fincher's The Game. Ms Unger has come to present one of her latest films Fear X, directed by Nicolas Winding, in which she stars alongside John Turturro. Fear X is about a man who tries to understand why his wife was murdered. A simple story that's however produced in a rather bizarre way, leaving many wondering what Ms Unger's role in the movie really was:

"I think the ambiguity is indigenous to the script that was created by the writers. And as frustrating as it is not to know for certain, I think that aligns with the protagonist's journey, the journey of Harry Kane. In that he's seeking a conclusive answer to a seemingly random act of violence against an innocent. There is no satisfactory answer for him. There is no clarity for him in his loss and in his pain, and in his attempt to seek meaning. So I think that my character was created to be in that ambiguous zone."

And Dita will be back again tomorrow with another round-up of the latest developments at Karlovy Vary.