The following films, in alphabetical order by country of production, have their world premières in the Spectrum programme section at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2012.
Argentina
Cornelia frente al espejo by Daniel Rosenfeld, a meticulous and stylish film based on the story by Silvina Ocampo (1903-1993). Hubert Bals Fund-supported film.
Austria
Roman Diary by Michael Pilz, a meditative film featuring images of a park in Rome.
Brazil
Rua aperana 52 by Júlio Bressane, a musical film about a street corner in Rio, edited together from old photos and the maker’s own films from the period 1957-2005.
Canada
Lacan Palestine by Mike Hoolboom, a found-footage essay on a complex country and its love-struck inhabitants.
Filippines
Florentina Hubaldo, CTE by Lav Diaz, a philosophical, Hubert Bals Fund-supported film in which two workers leave the city in search of treasure.
France
Le reste du monde by Damien Odoul (a film in which a family considers issues of identity and relationships, with Marie-Eve Nadeau, Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Béart) and 38 témoins by Lucas Belvaux (the festival’s opening film, with Yves Attal, Sophie Quinton and Nicole Garcia).
Great Britain
When the Lights Go Out by Pat Holden, a film about a family in Yorkshire tormented by an evil spirit, with Kate Ashfield and Steven Waddington.
Indonesia
The Blindfold by Garin Nugroho, a topical film that deals with religion in Indonesia, stressing that fundamentalism exists in every faith.
Italy
La leggenda di Kaspar Hauser by Davide Manuli, a post-modern Western with Vincent Gallo.
Japan
Ace Attorney by Miike Takashi, a film adaptation of the Nintendo game about the legal battle between defence attorney Phoenix Wright (Narimiya Hiroki) and his rival, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth (Saitoh Takumi).
The Netherlands
Nick by Fow Pyng Hu, a character study/road movie with Merijn de Jong and Marcel Hensema; Peace versus Justice by Klaartje Quirijns, a documentary about Uganda and the relationship with the International Criminal Court in The Hague; and I'm Still Alive by Peter van Houten, a documentary about a poor, elderly Polish woman who has lived in many countries, including the Netherlands.
United States
Francophrenia (Or: Don't Kill Me, I Know Where the Baby Is) by Ian Olds & James Franco, a humorous psycho-thriller based on a new script written for existing footage shot by Franco during the shooting of television series General Hospital; A Shape of Error by Abigail Child, imaginary home movies filmed in Rome, from the lives of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley and her husband Percy.