ScreenDaily takes a look at the local and independent openings in key markets this week

UK

Released through Revolver Entertainment, Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York reaches the UK on a limited release May 15. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a theatre director whose epic work involves recreating New York inside a warehouse.

Vertigo Films will debut local production French Film this weekend, on a handful of screens across the country. Jackie Oudney’s romantic drama stars Hugh Bonneville, Victoria Hamilton and Eric Cantona as a French auteur film-maker.

Germany

Produced by Herbert Schwering’s Cologne-based Coin Film, Lola Randl’s feature debut Days In Between (Die Besucherin) was released by Filmlichter on nine screens in major German cities.

After the world premiere at this year’s Max Ophüls Preis Film Festival in Saarbrücken, Markus Welter’s feature debut Im Sog Der Nacht is now opening for Falcom on five screens. The dark road movie drama by Switzerland’s HesseGreutert Film with Germany’s GreenSkyFilms stars Nils Althaus, Lena Dörrie and Stipe Erceg.

Internationally feted German DoP Michael Ballhaus’ directorial debut, the documentary In Berlin, was released by Farbfilm on 15 screens nationwide. Co-directed with fellow cinematographer Ciro Cappellari, the film traces the changes and dynamism of the German capital 20 years after the fall of the Wall through portraits of people ranging from the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and musician Alexander Hacke to Turkish kiosk owner Ercan Ergin.

France

Rezo Films released French/Italian co-production The Sicilian Girl in the market on May 13. Based on a true story, the drama follows a young woman who betrays her Mafia family, in revenge for the death of her father and brother.

Family adventure The Secret Of Moonacre opens through Metropolitan, while Nordic hit The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo opens through UGC Distribution, under the tile Millénium.

Spain

Andrea Martinez’ drama Cosas Insignificantes will be distributed by Manga Films on 35 copies this weekend. The Mexican-Spanish drama, backed by Warner Bros, is about a wooden box which contains discarded, lost or forgotten items which uncover the lives of three different people.

Small local distributor Flins Y Piniculas will release the Dutch comedy Where Is Winky’s Horse? in local cinemas. The children’s adventure film, which picked up the kids audience award at the Munich film festival last year, is about a little girl who longs for a magic horse from Santa Claus.

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