[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

2021 IDU Film Festival

Venue
The 2021 International Democratic Union Film Festival will be hosted in the James C. Everett Center for the Performing Arts in Lumeniola, the "art capital" of Libertas Omnium Maximus. Home to roughly 1.35m citizens, Lumeniola has been the center for Maximusian cinema for more than four decades and is home to more than two dozen major film studios including Riverbend Production Company and Claire Miller Films. The art center itself overlooks the Avos river, and is adjacent to the Celestial Hotel and Spa, a five-star resort. 

The opening ceremony, co-hosted by director/producer Austin Brooks (The Wait, Never Enough?, and The Crimson Experiment) and actress Angela Collins (Out of My Head, The Time for Ending Things, and Clarinet), will take place on Saturday, December 18, and will be followed by screenings of each nominated film over the following days. Judges and winning exhibitors will have their travel and accommodation expenses reimbursed within reason.

Categories

Best New IDU Film:
- Entries must be films produced primarily or entirely within an IDU nation and not released outside their nation of origin before the end of the most recent Film Festival in November 2020.
- Entry should consist of a plot synopsis, language(s) spoken, list of main characters & actors, and any relevant production or background information.

Best Classic IDU Film:
- Entries must be films produced primarily or entirely within an IDU nation and released more than four years ago.
- Entry should consist of a plot synopsis, language(s) spoken, list of main characters & actors, information on why the film is considered a classic.

Best Actor in an IDU Film:
- Entries must be actors/actresses of any sapient species who has appeared in a film produced within an IDU nation in the last eight years.
- Entry should consist of details about the actor/actress and must cite a specific film they have appeared in.

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film:
- Entries must be non-fiction films produced primarily or entirely within an IDU nation within the last four years.
- Entry should consist of a synopsis of the film, language(s) spoken, any relevant production & background details.

Best Foreign Film:
- Entries must be films produced outside of the IDU, not released outside its nation of origin more than two years ago.
- Entry post should consist of a plot synopsis, language(s) spoken, list of main characters & actors, any relevant production & background details.


Award
As always, winning exhibitors will receive statuettes bearing the name of their film, the category they won in, and the name of the festival. Winners for Best New Film will also be given right-of-first-refusal for hosting the 2022 IDU Film Festival.

OOC Details
The period in which entries will be accepted will last from 12:00PM (US central time) December 18 until 12:00PM January 1 (or host discretion). The voting period will begin immediately after the closing of nominations and last an additional two weeks. All players having submitted at least on entry to any category will be allowed to vote in EACH category.

[Sanctaria]

Entry for Best New IDU Film

Father Christmas 

Everyone knows and loves Father Christmas. A fat, jolly old man dressed in red, who delivers presents to all the good children of Sanctaria, and the rest of the IDU. Well, that's what he likes to project, anyway. What very few people know is that Father Christmas is a devious, cruel, and capricious old man, who steals children during the year, and forces them into slave labour in his isolated village far in the deep, snow-covered mountains of Sanctaria.

Set in December 1790 in the then Papal States of Sanctaria, the film follows Nicholai, or Nic for short, (Cameron Edwards) who wakes up dazed and confused in a dusty, dangerous coal mine. The last thing he remembered was helping a kindly old man fix the shoe of his horse before feeling a massive whack to the back of his head. Upon waking, he meets Mary (Kathy Sinclair) who tells him that the old man he helped was actually Father Christmas (Lawrence Potter) in disguise, and he had captured Nic to put him to work in the coal mine he operated. Nic also learns that children who followed Father Christmas' strict rules were "promoted" and moved to his workshop to create little wooden toys - the wooden toys that Nic knew Father Christmas delivered to good children.

With the help of Mary and other children captured and kept in the mine, Nic dreams up an escape plan. When Father Christmas' evil guardsmen, the tiny but equally cruel Elves, aren't looking, the children steal some of the pickaxes they were using to mine, and use them to break their chains. Nic leads some of the male* children in a battle against the Elves in the mine, hitting them and beating them about the heads with the pickaxes, and then chaining them up instead, using some coal as mouth gags.

Mary takes the opportunity to interrogate one of the Elves, and learns that Father Christmas steals children to mine his coal that he sells to lords and ladies and other rich people in Sanctaria. He created the toys and the fantasy of Father Christmas to encourage children to help strangers throughout the year, enticing them to be good so they get some of the wonderful wooden toys that are created by some of the more older, well-behaved slaves in the workshop. Then, every so often, Father Christmas steals children that help him in his various disguises, bringing them back to his camp to replace other child slaves that die. Mary also learns that when child slaves get older, or too big and too strong, Father Christmas kills them and feeds them to his Elves. The Elf also tells her the children in the workshop are usually killed after they work there for a few Christmases, and that the current bunch in the workshop are all due to be slaughtered the very next day.

When Nic and the others learn about this, they decide by vote to rescue the older children, even though that means going into the workshop where the terrible Father Christmas himself stands watch. They wait for nightfall, and gather their pickaxes, and sneak up through a forest that lies between the mine and the workshop. When they peak in the window, they see Father Christmas in his true form, a grotesque, towering beast, black as the night and with eyes red as hot coals. In his hand he has a massive whip that he uses to spur the child slaves on to make more and more toys. As they watch, they see a child collapse under exhaustion only then to further witness Father Christmas beat the fallen child to death.

Many of the children lose hope at this sight, but Nic and Mary give rousing speeches that encourage them to storm the workshop, taking the monster by surprise. While the male* children surround the beastly Father Christmas, Mary and some of the female* children release the child slaves working on the wooden toys, and then they too join the fight. Though some children are hurt really badly, they eventually prevail over the Father Christmas beast - revealed after to be a Krampus, an ancient goat-like creature - and the children are saved.

As the children began to make the big journey back home, Mary reveals to Nic that her family is dead and she has nowhere to go, so she was thinking of staying in the workshop where she would be warm. She would use the land and farm surrounding the workshop to feed herself too. Nic realises he has strong feelings for Mary, and tells her he'll stay with her. Some of the older children want to stay too, believing the carpentry skills they've learned while creating the wooden toys will help them bring in income for themselves. Mary suggests continuing the benevolent side of the Christmas fantasy, creating wooden toys and delivering them to poor children around the area, as she knew from experience it was often the only highlight of the year for some children. Nic agrees and suggests giving some of the coal in the mine to the naughty children, to remind them to be good or else they too could end up slaves or something equally horrible if they continue on their naughty path.

The films ends with a flashforward by 30 years. Nicolai and Mary are now married, with some children of their own, and with many of their old friends still working in the workshop making toys, but this time in much better conditions. The Elves too are working with them, as it turns out that they were only evil because they were being fed human flesh. Snow falls over the cities in Sanctaria, and the credits roll with some traditional carols being sung by the workers as they work.

*Note for Judges: The film is set in late 18th century Sanctaria, a theocracy with rigid gender roles and other gender stereotypes. 

Director: Regina Lakeside
Runtime: 165 minutes
Year Released: 2021
Starring: Cameron Edwards, Kathy Sinclar, Lawrence Potter, David Truncheon, Louisa Berry, Norma Stevens, Richard Bull


Entry for Best Actor in an IDU Film

Kathy Sinclar as Mary Florence Baker in Father Christmas

Sinclar (16) has been an actor for 11 years. Starting in television commercials at the age of 5, Sinclar went on to star in some made-for-tv movies as a toddler or young child, before being cast in feature films from the age of 10. This is Sinclar's third major movie, and second where she is a leading character.

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

Seeing as only one entry has been registered at this time, the submission period is hereby extended an additional two weeks.

January 14, 2022

[Democratic Republic Of Eiria]

Entry for Best New IDU Film

Corinne

Synopsis: In Seventeenth Century Eiria, in the City of Kōra, a young woman named Corinne lives in some of the most trying times anyone can. Her home city-state is locked in a war with the City of Arandra, an equally large city-state just across the River Naka. Corinne tells the story of the famous Eirian folk heroine who led to the founding of Eiria's biggest city.

The movie starts with Corinne, the daughter of a blacksmith and a jeweler, working in her father's metal forge. Her hammer falls on a red hot sword as she works impurities out of the blade. The viewer sees her folding the sword again before dunking it back in water, revealing a beautiful pattern welded sword. She adds this sword to a collection of other blades on a table, before wrapping them in a cloth bundle.

She enters a large market, dodging merchants and hagglers before reaching a stall manned by her father. He goes through her bundle and puts the blades Corinne had made on the stall racks, examining each one with a satisfied glance. He instructs her to head home and study with her mother, as the streets and markets were becoming less and less safe. She obliges, navigating the narrow alleys of Kōra before arriving home and watching her mother craft intricate jewelry.

That night, as she was supposed to be sleeping, Corinne slipped out of her family's cottage and left the center of the city, heading to a house near Kōra's outskirts. Three of her close friends had gathered at a small table, waiting for her arrival. They drink and play games, seeming truly happy. But as the night winds down, their mood turns somber. They discuss the war with Arandra, which seemed to be locked in a stalemate. One of her friends, a boy named Chapin, informs the group of a rumor that the enemy had gotten new weapons, supposedly as fast as lightning and as loud as thunder. The group brushes these rumors off as preposterous, but the nervous energy in the room is palpable. Each friend soon departs, reluctantly heading back to their homes.

The next morning, Corinne trains with a dull training sword against a training dummy, moving quickly and decisively with every step and blow. Her parents watch her from a distance for a moment before Corinne notices them, setting down her sword and greeting them. They, with looks of pride, present her with the patterned blade she had forged earlier, with a beautiful scabbard and intricate hilt. Her mother had put a large red garnet gemstone in the hilt, surrounded by small yellow citrine gems. She thanks them graciously, swinging the blade a few times to get used to its weight, before resuming her practice with her new blade.

That night, the group of friends meets again, but the news of the day sombers their merriment. The magistrates of Kōra, fearing their foes using their new weapons, had disbanded their army, surrendering to Arandra. The victors planned to forcibly recruit as many strong men and women from Kōra to their army as they could, and they would not be kind to their defeated foes. Chapin informs the group that Arandra’s forces would march across the Naka river in three days, at dawn, and they had been instructed to not resist. Fearing that her father and her friends would be conscripted into a brutal army, Corinne instructs her friends to meet back at their meeting place the night before, and to bring any strong fighters they could find, as well as any weapons they could spare.

Corinne wastes no time, rushing to forge as many weapons as she could in the few days that she has. She barely slept or ate, and she had to sneak out each night to not alert her parents of her plan. By the final night, she had a dozen small weapons, some hastily made in desperation, others originally made for sale weeks ago. Corinne dons her armor and brings her weapons to the meeting house, meeting dozens of fellow Kōra citizens, some with weapons of their own. She distributes the weapons she had brought to weaponless partisans, before leading the group down to a small bridge across the Naka from a neutral island, the last bridge remaining in the area.

They wait for hours, until the sun rises on the horizon, and the echoes of boots marching across the bridge alerts the partisans to their enemy’s army approaching. Just as the banner of the army had crossed the bridge into Kōra territory, Corinne drew her bejeweled sword and shouts, queuing her forces to begin the ambush. Volleys of arrows fly into the surprised Arandran army, who were caught completely off guard. Corinne fights fiercely, but honorably, attempting to disarm and injure anyone she could spare. Corinne was hit in the side by an enemy’s sword, but still kept fighting, forcing the once-large army to turn back and abandon the capture of Kōra.

The small band of partisans were celebrated in Kōra that morning, having saved their city from a fate of oppression and despair. Despite their improbable victory against hundreds of enemies at Diana’s Bridge and their newfound fame, tragedy strikes Corinne’s partisans when her small wound got infected, and she lies dying in a city infirmary. She dies three days after their victory, her family, friends, and sword at her side.

The film zooms out into an aerial view of Kōra and Arandra, and time speeds up as the two cities grow and urbanize, into a famous Eirian skyline. The cities of Kōra and Arandra no longer exist, having been absorbed into the modern day metropolis of Geminus. The camera zooms back in on where Diana's bridge once was, revealing a large statue of Corinne, sword extended towards the sky, surrounded by the city she helped make.

Background: Besides some time frame differences and some artistic liberties, this story is largely true. Corinne Boisclair led three dozen militia members to victory at the Battle of Diana's Bridge, their forces inflicting over two hundred enemy casualties while only losing eleven of their own partisans, including Corinne. Her victory forced the two cities into a stalemate, leading to an agreeable peace agreement that brought the cities peace for centuries. This later helped the cities merge into Geminus during and after the Eiria Wars of Unification.

Corinne is a well-known Eirian folk hero, and helped inspire the Partisan movements that led to the rise of Eirian democracy. Her sword, Sanguine Dawn, is on display in the Geminus Museum of Eirian History. She was also featured on several editions of the ten Lunen note, as well as commemorative single Lunen coins. She is one of the most famous Eirian war heroes of all time.

Other Information:
Directed by: Edgars Rekis
Released in 2021
Languages: Primarily English, some subtitled Eirian segments
Starring:
Alis Kravale as Corinne Boisclair
Aldis Rihters as Pierre Boisclair
Danielle Pierrat as Amélie Boisclair
Stephen Vandel as Chapin Drezet
Aivars Ekmanis as Arandran Commander

---

Entry for Best Actor in an IDU Film

Alis Kravale for her performance as Corinne Boisclair in Corinne

At 20 years old, Alis Kravale is no stranger to the spotlight. Having scored her first role at fourteen as Adriana Simond in the Atlantis Harbor musical Lei Famēle Simond(The Simond Family), she scored two other lead roles in Atlantis Harbor musicals(Atlantis Harbor being the most prominent theater market in Eiria), as well as a play that was performed at Lei Thēātra Nacōnals in Geminus. Corinne is her first role in a major movie, and her dedication to the role of Corinne Boisclair has earned her much praise in the Eirian movie business.

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

Given the low volume of received entries, submissions to the IDU 2021(22) Film Festival will now be accepted until midnight on January 31, 2022 (EST). No additional extensions will be offered.

[Lauchenoiria]

Best New IDU Film

The Edge of Disaster

Country: Lauchenoiria
Year: 2021
Director: Rico Olmos
Runtime: 160 mins
Language: Spanish

Synopsis:

The Edge of Disaster is set in a parallel universe where the forests are gone, where industry runs wild and where climate activists are routinely rounded up and shot. The plot follows a young man called Andre who works in a coal mining facility in Costeno, which in this universe is horribly polluted and dangerous to live in. He meets a woman on his rare, once-a-month day off while he’s at the local pub in his town, owned by the company, drinking beer branded with the company name. The woman, Beatrice, asks him if he’ll do her a favour and offers him a small fortune in reward. He accepts, and she takes him to her home, revealing herself to be the daughter of the mine owner.

The favour is to pretend to be her boyfriend at a party, as she fears her father discovering that she’s a lesbian and is dating one of his servants, Ingrid. But while he is preparing, one of the family servants, Juan, slips into the room and reveals a dark secret. His boss, Beatrice’s father Silvestre, is planning to test an experimental new technique for ensuring worker loyalty, removing their ability to leave once and for all. If he activates the system, it will be too late, and he plans to do this at the party. Andre, as Beatrice’s “boyfriend” will be allowed into the room with the controls, and has to prevent it being switched on.

The party begins and Beatrice keeps close to Andre to instruct him on how to behave at rich people’s functions. They can’t go outside as the indoor air is filtered for safety & rich people don’t go out without filter masks. As the party progresses, one door remains locked to all guests. Eventually they’re invited into the room which is set up like a stage with controls in the middle. Andre looks around but Beatrice won’t leave him. Her father begins his speech, broadcasting it via cameras all around the room to the world to hail his new invention. Andre edges closer and closer to the controls but he’s spotted.

His boss laughs at him and claims he’ll be the first subject of the new invention. He’s dragged in front of the lights and cameras but just before the system can be turned on, Beatrice is invited to join her father on the stage. She stands, looking callously at Andre but then, when she speaks, she decries her father’s invention and reveals a gun. She shoots the control panel and chaos ensues. Andre escapes and begins knocking over the candles on the tables so that the building goes up in flames.

Beatrice and Andre both make their separate escapes, running across the polluted barren fields, struggling to breathe in the rotten air. They meet up with a group of workers who’ve been plotting to bring down the government and they celebrate their victory. The film ends with an ominous shot of the cooling ashes of Beatrice’s house, with the control panel sitting in the middle, seemingly undamaged apart from a small bullet-sized hole in the side.

Starring:

German Ortiz as Andre Valiente
Olimpia Pardo as Beatrice Martí
Agata Aguado as Ingrid Felix
Celino Rubio as Silvestre Martí
Fabricio Hernandez as Juan Delacruz

---

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film

Conflict Inevitable

Country: Lauchenoiria
Year: 2021
Director: Armando Espino
Language: Spanish/English

Synopsis: Conflict Inevitable is an investigation into the factors which contributed to the outbreak of the conflict now known as the Second Lauchenoirian Civil War in 2018. The documentary focuses on the political tensions in Lauchenoiria in the run-up to the conflict, beginning with the legalisation of capitalist political parties in 1993 in the wake of the Vertranskan conflict of the early 90s, up until the hostage situation in Melissa City of February 2018. Using unearthed footage from the events studied combined with present-day interviews, the documentary argues that a perfect storm was brewing in Lauchenoiria long before Kerlian intervention to trigger conflict.

The film argues that when the Communist government in 1993 chose to act before a revolt, to sacrifice some of their power in order to prevent war at that juncture, they merely delayed an inevitable conflict. The lack of constitutional changes other than the lifting of party political restrictions in 1993 led to a precarious scenario where the transition to democracy was carried out while allowing those who had been part of the dictatorship to remain in their roles and have great political influence for years to come.

Therefore when those in the dictatorship truly lost power, after the capitalist referendum of 2017, the delayed conflict necessarily came to fruition as the fragile democracy no longer benefitted those who had held the power behind the scenes for the last two and a half decades. It was therefore only logical that the Anarcho-Communist Collective of Lauchenoiria would show their frustrations through violence, which then had a domino effect that the Kerlians took advantage of. It was the lack of reckoning with our past which doomed Lauchenoira.

Reactions: While the consensus in Lauchenoiria is that the documentary is exceptionally well-researched, with good pacing and poses fascinating and pertinent questions, there is still debate around the conclusions made. Extremist political party Lauchenoiria First has criticised the film for downplaying the role of Kerlian sleeper agents in triggering the conflict while others studying the war are beginning to agree that no one factor caused the war, and rather it was a multitude of different events coalescing together in an unfortunate way.

[Lauchenoiria]

Best Classic IDU Film

The Way of the Zongong

Country: Zongongia
Year: 1998
Language: English
Runtime: 142 mins
Director: Ingrid Sorensdatter

Synopsis:

When a trade caravan is waylaid by a volcanic eruption and must stop in a small village overnight. While camping outside, as the inn has only one room, which is currently occupied, five heavily-armed men run into the village, terrified by something that chases them. The noise rouses the entire village, and the leader of the armed men informs the gathered masses that the lava from the volcano suddenly changed direction to chase them.

The guest at the inn reveals himself to be a tax collector for one of the kings who claims this territory. The armed men are forces of another nearby king who had initially been travelling to conquer this territory. The tension is dispelled by the village elder and the head of the trade caravan, who both encourage the others to put aside their territorial dispute in order to find out if the lava was really acting strangely or if it had only been the men fearing it in the unlit darkness of the cloudy night.

An expedition consisting of five of the men from the small militia, five from the village and five from the caravan agree to set off at first light, along with the tax collector. Though all the militia are men, the village is from a culture where women are in charge of village security while men work in agriculture and hunting, so their five are all female. The caravan sends two women and three men, while the tax collector is male. There are further disputes around gender but these are resolved when the village elder announces that all of their men are away on an annual hunt for an animal that hibernates most of the year but provides good, long-lasting meat.

In the morning, the group of sixteen sets out on foot as there are not enough horses, walking until they find where the lava has covered the track. There is no sign of the dead horses or men that the surviving militia claimed would be there, which makes the group nervous. They decide to make their way through the woods towards the volcano, while keeping back from the river of lava, to see if they can see anything which would explain the strange occurrence of the previous night. After hours of walking, they stumble across a perfectly-round pool of lava, in the middle of which appears to be an island, with a stone post in the middle of it.

Surrounding the post, sitting up and clearly alive, but with vacant stares, are the missing militia members. Their comrades call to them but they do not react. After the commander agrees not to attack the village if they help rescue his men, the group set about trying to find a way to cross the lava pool. Though they try many different things, nothing is successful, and the lava immediately disintegrates anything that touches it, faster than would be natural. As night falls they decide to set up camp and try again in the morning, but once the sun dips behind the horizon the lava starts to creep towards them.

Suddenly, a figure appears behind the group, telling them to follow, and quickly. Knowing what happened the last time the lava moved, they decide to follow the strange figure, who leads them into a brightly-lit cave. The figure, a humanoid being of indeterminate gender, tells them that the balance of the universe is failing, as an ancient force of destruction has escaped, and that they need help to defeat it. The figure introduces themselves as one of the Forces of Creation, one of the essences that created the universe. They are not a being but rather thought and will made corporeal, and they have taken this form only to communicate this message.

Unfortunately, the figure explains, the universe needs to be kept in balance and for Creation to exist, Destruction must also. In order to create life, the Forces of Creation had to trap the Forces of Destruction, but now one has escaped. And as long as any Force walks among the mortal world, there will be great creation, but also great destruction. If the group wants to save their civilization they will have to lock all the Forces - Destruction and Creation alike - behind a barrier to limit their interaction with our world. They must take the orb from the stone pillar in the island and throw it into the volcano.

They are given a magic boat which will enable them to cross the lava, but they must beware the other militia members as they have been possessed by Destruction and will stop at nothing to prevent the party gaining the orb. They return to the lava lake as the sun rises and set out on the boat, but the lava is trying to stop them and they must row very hard to get through it. Then they are attacked by the possessed men, who can walk through lava. The men manage to drag several of the group off the boat and into the lava, where they are also possessed.

They continue to fight, and some of the group decide to sacrifice themselves, jumping onto the defenders of the pillar so that some of the others manage to get onto the island and grab the orb. Once the orb is removed from the pillar, all the possessed humans fall dead and disintegrate into the lava the way objects had before. There are only four left: the commander of the militia Morcant, the village elder’s granddaughter Sollemnia, the wife of the caravan master Archippe, and the tax collector Ramessu. They make their way back on the boat, the lava now subdued and head to the volcano.

They enter the cave the Force of Creation told them to go to, and as they do the others blink away into darkness so each of them is in their own dark cavern. As they walk further, they see visions of the past, of deeds they have done both bad and good. Ramessu must confront his greed, Morcant must confront his violence; Sollemnia must confront her ambition, Archippe must confront her jealousy through what they see. Each passes their test and reappears at the end of the cave, where they can see down into the lava. Above them, they see visions of their greatest desires if only they turn back, but each of them keep their resolve and throw the orb into the volcano.

A primordial scream echoes around the cave and there is a bright dazzling light, and then all the lava solidifies into rock, before shooting upwards and disappearing. Four palm-sized rocks appear in front of the four, a glow fading from them. The figure of the Force of Creation appears, faded slightly, and tells them they have succeeded, and that the Forces will soon fade from the mortal world to watch from afar. The figure tells the four to keep the rocks as a reminder of the need for balance in the universe, even now, and to think on it every time they see rocks, for stone is the foundation of human civilization, and should never be taken for granted. The figure then fades away, and the four are left to walk back to the village with their rocks.

Starring:

Maritta Bengtsson as Sollemnia
Katarina Pilkvist as Archippe
Tobias Mathiasen as Ramessu
Julius Lange as Morcant
Saundra Espensson as Elder Candida
Gunnhild Gunnarsson as The Figure

Why This Is A Classic: 

The Way of the Zongong is a religious fiction film following the story of the initial Disciples of the Zongong in antiquity (historians estimate between the 16th and 12th centuries B.C.). This foundational tale of Zongongism has been retold through the ages, but the 1998 version has won numerous awards and is considered an undisputed classic in Zongongia, from believers and non-believers alike. The depiction of the origins of the Zongongist religion was seen as respectful by those of other faiths, more so than other pieces of media depicting the same thing, which is seen as more in-line with the actual teachings of Zongongism. It was also one of the first Zongongist films to be produced and directed solely by followers of the religion, and cleared up a great number of misconceptions around the religion.

[Gardavasque]

The Last Monarch

Release Date: December 17, 2021 (Gardavasque) December 24, 2021 (Worldwide)
Language: Modern Romanx
Run time: 123 Minutes
Directed by: Jenny Fields
Staring: Alexandra Forrest, T.S. Garp, Harold Cooper, Iris Gains, Roy Hobbs, and Raphael Danceny as Dan Gallagher.
Nomination Categories: Best New IDU Film, Best Actor (Alexandra Forrest)

Production Description:
The Last Monarch is a 2021 biographical period drama directed by veteran director Jenny Fields (Happy Birthday, Mr. President, Deadly Obsession, The Night The Lights Went Out in Haven) set in the final year of the brief but spectacular Kingdom of Gardavasque which lasted only 10 years from 1789 - 1800. Alexandra Forrest (Deadly Obsession, Get Those Puppies, Olympic Boulevard) stars as Princess Epiphany, the 40-year-old heir and only child of King Flip played by Harold Cooper (Out of Kerlile, My Own Private Fideleco). While King Flip is singularly focused on keeping the old traditions alive at any cost, Princess Epiphany remains committed to principles of social democracy she has learned from a young revolutionary David Saul (T.S. Garp Stay Woke, All Quiet on the Maximusian Front) who teaches poetry to disabled farmworkers. Iris Gains (Jupiter Attacks!, When Harriet Met Sally) is Princess Hilda, an ambitious courtier determined to expose Epiphany as a traitor. Roy Hobbs is Lord Baconsfield, Epiphany's loyal ally and advisor. Raphael Danceny is Father Dan Gallagher, the conniving Prime Minister of Ecclesiastical Dominions determined to destabilize Gardavasque in preparation for a religious political takeover. The exquisite and historically accurate costumes, wigs, and make-up by Katheryn Bennett evoke an extravagant time when accumulation of wealth and power were at the forefront of Gardavascan society. Sweeping cinemascapes, aerial footage, and carefully-composed photography by Walter Kresby keep the viewer constantly alert. The dramatic classical score by Lachenoirian Composer Bromley Kent with the Melissa City Philharmonic provides an aurally satisfying soundtrack to match Kresby's visuals. The Last Monarch opened to critical acclaim in December 2021 and is available for streaming on Hello, Webflix, and NilePrimo.

Synopsis: 

In January 1799, most of the nations of the former Liberalian Empire were struggling with economic depression, political instability, and a loss of national identity. As the drumbeats of revolution echoed through the streets of Eternity, Princess Epiphany is in mourning for her husband lost at sea on his return from a diplomatic mission to the Loiraine Province of Laeral. As speculation about mutiny abounds, she takes solace in the Redwoods outside Castle McCleneghan. There she encounters her old friend David Saul inspiring his students, former workers disabled in Gardavasque's factories, to write poetry about their experiences of grief and loss. David suggests the Princess attend some labor organizing meetings with him to understand the needs of the common people, as she will one day need to lead them as heir to the Sempervirens Throne. Epiphany begins to walk among the common people in the city, protected, she believes by a disguise. In the evenings she helps her father, King Flip, reach an important decision on how to manage competing needs for farmers and corporate industrialists who are pushing capitalist reforms. Despite the dwindling national treasury and looming foreign debt, the conspicuous materialism and elaborate lifestyles of court life prove morally disturbing for Epiphany. That night at the Tenebrae Mass of the Dead, King Flip inadvertently discloses to Epiphany that his own "internal constitution" is "bankrupt" as a result of "the sins of my father now visited upon me." Flip informs her of a recent attempt on his life that resulted in the exposure of a nefarious faction of which her cousin, Princess Hilda, has helped to cover up. Flip urges Epiphany to remarry quickly as possible to consolidate her grip on power since it is only way "to keep the Gardavascan dream alive."

The next day, the King has fallen ill by poisoned communion wine, implicating the visiting Prime Minister of Ecclesiastical Dominions Father Dan Gallagher. As Epiphany sets about to blackmail the Ecclesian dignitaries, she is offered a proposal of a strategic alliance from the untrustworthy Prime Minister who admits "I do whatever God tells me to do. Sometimes he changes his mind." Epiphany seeks the counsel of Lord Baconsfield, a trusted advisor and veteran of the War of Liberalian Succession, who warns her of plots on her life from within the palace walls. 

Meanwhile, an explosion at a textile factory starts a conflagration that threatens the city. As the city burns out of control, David finds Epiphany and provides proof the factory was sabotaged and fire deliberately set. Epiphany prepares to confront her Cousin Hilda but finds herself confronted with an assassin. To the surprise of all involved, Epiphany is able to turn the tables (literally) proving herself as worthy in combat as any man. Princess Hilda, now exposed as a traitor, is ordered to be imprisoned and tried for treason; she begs for her life and offers proof of other plots against the royal family, including Epiphany's deceased husband. Before the night is over King Flip succumbs to the poison, ensuring Epiphany's role in the future of Gardavasque. 

At her coronation, Epiphany delivers a monologue about the corrupting power of hereditary rule and evil wrought by greed and ambition. Epiphany vows to convene a new Constitutional Convention and signals she will dissolve the monarchy forever in favor of a new form of government, democracy. "Our ability to participate in government, to elect our leaders, and improve our lives is contingent on our ability to access the ballot. We know in our heart of hearts that voting is a sacred right, the fount from which all other rights flow."
[img][/img]

[Laeral]

Best New IDU Film:

The Girls of Zhou’s Landing (2021, dir. Sandra Hu)

This 2021 adaptation of the 1989 novel of the same name follows the three sisters of the Bonnin family (plus their younger brother Didier, but he’s “just a baby so he doesn’t really count”) as they navigate young adulthood in rural Lienne province against a backdrop of the ongoing ethno-religious violence of the 1970s. In the snowy northern province of Lienne, the latest territory to join Laeral, father Claude is a soldier frequently mobilized due to the threat of violence from separatist terror attacks, keeping him frequently away from the family home in remote Zhou’s Landing. Tender-hearted matriarch Marie-Laure is thus left to mind her three daughters as they each face the tumultuous challenges of their adolescence. Eldest daughter Evelyne, a volunteer nurse treating the wounded at the local hospital, is courted by her colleague, the deep-pocketed doctor Arthur Park, and the poor yet charming Jacques Doucet. Middle daughter Marylise dreams of becoming a pilot, but despairs of ever finding a teacher who will accept a woman as a student. And youngest daughter Claire, just 14, finds her life turned upside-down when an eye infection begins to steal away her vision. Between the moments of drama and terror in The Girls of Zhou’s Landing, from the nighttime drive in a plush sedan when Arthur confesses his love to Evelyne to the bomb blast which the Bonnin girls fear has killed their father, are moments of striking visual beauty and childlike innocence, from a winter morning spent ice-skating on the frozen lake to the New Year’s Eve sequence where the tenacious Marylise follows Evelyne as she sneaks out to a surreptitious party. A film executed faithfully to the original book’s depiction of the author’s own childhood, The Girls of Zhou’s Landing is a love letter to the period and to girlhood in general. French-language, 136 minutes

Directed by Sandra Hu; starring:
Aurélie Lachapelle as Evelyne
Karine Paquet-Sung as Marylise
Anne Royer as Claire
Amaline Parmentier as Marie-Laure Bonnin
Gael Dufour as Claude
Eddy Tsui as Jacques
Chang Hyun-shik as Arthur

[Libertas Omnium Maximus]

The period for new submissions has elapsed. Thank you all for your wonderful film exhibitions.