MAGNIFICENT OBSESSIONS 37th HKIFF to serve up inspirational documentaries

MAGNIFICENT OBSESSIONS

37 th HKIFF to serve up inspirational documentaries

10 January 2013 (Hong Kong) ― As anticipation builds for the 37 th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), organiser The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society gave a sneak peek at the festival’s line-up today, with the announcement of first selections in its documentary programme, namely

, , and

.

Delphine LANSON’s heartwarming feature-length debut

gives hope and solace to advocates of same-sex parenting. This true story follows the efforts of Parisian couple Jérôme and François to adopt a child, a right that was not extended to civil union partners in France before 2013. Inspired by a documentary about surrogate mothers, they eventually become parents to adorable twins carried by Colleen, a farmer living miles away in Wisconsin, USA. Meditative and empowering,

takes audiences on an extraordinary road trip to love, companionship and parenthood in the 21 st century.

Stanley KUBRICK’s 1980 classic horror film

has been the subject of much conjecture, fuelled also by the director’s semi-mythical status. Speculative, fanciful but teasingly plausible, Rodney ASCHER’s

gives a nuanced, obsessive analysis that is as mind-blowing in its theories as Kubrick’s mysterious film itself. Ascher delves into

’s hidden messages (about everything from numerology to the Holocaust) with a relish and logic that is at turns loopy and brilliant. “Handsomely produced and never less than hugely entertaining” ( ),

the film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival before travelling to Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, Locarno and Toronto among other places. It is a must-see for any Kubrick fan or documentary lover.

A sequel to her 2006 documentary

, Sophie FIENNES’s

once again dishes out a riveting lesson on “what we believe and how we behave.” Scripted and presented by the (in)famous intellectual rock star and Slovenian philosopher Slavoj ŽIŽEK, and selected for the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, London Film Festival and Stockholm Film Festival, the film turns what might otherwise be a ponderous theoretical rant to an amusing revelation of the deep-seated ideologies in popular culture, illustrated by excerpts from classics such as ,

, and

. “Extremely funny” and “cleverly rendered” ( ), it promises a perfect blend of entertainment and education.

“With our finely selected films, the Hong Kong audience have come to learn that documentary is much more than a dry and didactic reenactment of reality,” said LI Cheuk-to, Artistic Director of the HKIFFS. “It is a delight to see more and more moviegoers are embracing the genre for its depth, diversity, and sometimes just pure fun.”

The 37 th HKIFF runs from 17 March – 2 April 2013. The full programme will be announced on 21 February.