"R" is one of the ten films nominated for the European Parliament LUX Prize and will screen together with nine other nominees at the prestigious Venice Days section of the Venice Film Festival in September.
This hard-hitting drama about the harsh realities of life behind bars revolves around prisonmate R, sentenced for violence. He's insistent on staying out of harm's way and in doing so he is faced with the challenge of navigating through prison culture with its notions of honour, hidden agendas and contracts.
Directed by duo Michael Noor and Tobias Lindholm, "R" was produced by René Ezra and Tomas Radoor for Nordisk Film.
Honoured at Göteborg with the FIPRESCI Award, "R" was also a contender for Rotterdam's VPRO Tiger Award.
About the award
At the Venice Days press conference 27 July, a shortlist of three films will be announced and later screened for European Parliament members who will announce the winning film on 24 November in Strasbourg. The 10 films selected serve as a glimpse of Europeans—their lives, their convictions and doubts, and their quest for identity.
The winning film will be subtitled into the 23 official languages of the EU, and a print made available. This will enhance the possibility of distribution throughout Europe.
Lux-prize nominees
Akadimia Platonos (Plato's Academy) by Filippos Tsitos, Greece, Germany
Bibliothèque Pascal by Szabolcs Hajdu, Hungary, Germany, United Kingdom, Romania
Die Fremde (When We Leave) by Feo Aladag, Germany
Illégal (Illegal) by Olivier Masset-Depasse, Belgium
Indigène d’Eurasie (Eastern Drift) by Sharunas Bartas, Lithuania, France, United Kingdom
Io sono l'amore (I Am Love) by Luca Guadagnino, Italy
La bocca del lupo (The Mouth of the Wolf) by Pietro Marcello, Italy
Lourdes by Jessica Hausner, Austria, France, Germany
Medalia de onoare (Medal of Honour) by Calin Peter Netzer, Germany, Romania
R by Tobias Lindholm and Michael Noer, Denmark