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GIFFONI EXPERIENCE 2015 - 17.26 July

Sections & Films

NENA

Category: Edition 2015

Synopsis
Summer 1989, and cracks are appearing in the Berlin Wall. Europe is holding its breath to see what autumn will bring. Nena, sixteen year-old, is confronted with the suicide attempt of her disabled father. At the same time she falls head over heels in love for the first time in her life with a boy, Carlo. Away from prying eyes of the adults – who struggle with failed marriages, blossoming love and insufferable physical decline – they push the boundaries of their friendship, love and sexuality. But while discovering her own lust for life, Nena realizes that her father's existence is becoming more and more unbearable.

Original Title NENA
Category Official Competition
Section Generator +16
Tipology Feature Film
Duration 90'
Production Year 2014
Nationality Germany, Netherlands
Directed by Saskia Diesing
Screenplay Saskia Diesing, Ester Gerritsen
Director of photography Aage Hollander
Editor Barbara Toennieshen
Production Design Jorien Sont
Costume Design Manon Blom
Sound Torben Seemann
Music Paul Eisenach
Main cast Abbey Hoes (Nena)
Uwe Ochsenknecht (Martin)
Gijs Blom (Carlo)
Monic Hendrickx (Martha)
Fabian Jansen (Theo)
André Jung (Paul)
Produced by Hanneke Niens, Hans de Wolf
Access

nena regOKSaskia Diesing
Born 1972, Winschoten (the Netherlands). In 1996 she completed her film studies at the Utrecht School of the Arts (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht, HKU). Since graduating she has worked for the Dutch TV broadcaster VPRO. Then she directed the TV movies DU (DE NIEUWE LOLA’S, 2003), ONE NIGHT STAND - NEW SHOES (NIEUWE SCHOENEN, 2004), ONE NIGHT STAND III - TAXI 656 (TAXI 656, 2008), and the short film NTR KORT! - THE LAST DAY (DE LAATSTE DAG, 2008). NENA is her first theatrical feature film and received a Special Mention in the Generation 14plus section at the Berlin Film Festival 2015.

Director’s statement
“When parents, hit by identity crisis, divorce, or illness, are simply trying to make it from one day to the next, while their decisions become increasingly harder to understand – then it’s time for their children to grow up a little faster. NENA is an uncomfortable, sometimes painfully funny drama about decay and death. And about that overwhelming first crush, the first time having sex, and the feeling there are so much more exciting things yet to come.
“Like the film’s father my own father, almost completely paralyzed, has tried to take his own life on many occasions. Each time he came really close. In these circumstances failure is as hurtful as success, and only made his loved ones more angry: because there followed no grief to soften that anger.
“What does a girl going through puberty do, when confronted by her own father’s persistent death wish? She goes into denial, she pleads, she argues – and always with the hope for a happy end. And if there is none? Life will go on, you’ll come to realize that. It’s a liberating notion. And the love once shared, it goes on too”.

production
festival contact
KeyFilm
Van Diemenstraat 332, 1013 CR Amsterdam - The Netherlands
phone +31 204231596
fax +31 204227387
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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.keyfilm.nl

world sales
Mountain Road Entertainment Group
Bergweg 12, 1217 SC Hilversum - The Netherlands
phone +31 356255559
www.mountainroad.nl