Fateless (film)

Infobox Film
name = Fateless


caption = Hungarian-language poster
director = Lajos Koltai
producer = Executive Producers: Robert Buckler Bernd Hellthaler Lazlo Vincze Producers: Lajos Koltai Andras Hamori Ildiko Kemeny Jonathan Olsberg
writer = Imre Kertesz
starring = Marcell Nagy Aron Dimeny Andras M. Kecskes Joszef Gyabronka Endre Harkanyi
music = Ennio Morricone
cinematography = Gyula Pados
editing = Hajnal Sello
distributor =
released = Hungary: February 8, 2005 United States: September 3, 2005 Canada: September 14, 2005
runtime = 136 min.
country = Germany Hungary United Kingdom
language = Hungarian German English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.fateless.co.uk/
amg_id = 1:321725
imdb_id = 0367082

"Fateless" ("Sorstalanság", lit. 'fatelessness' in Hungarian) is a movie directed by Lajos Koltai, released in 2005. It was based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same title by the Nobel Prize winner author Imre Kertész, who also wrote the screenplay. It is the story of a teenage boy who is sent to concentration camps at Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Zeitz.

Its music was composed by Ennio Morricone and one of its songs was sung by Lisa Gerrard. The film is not only one of the most expensive movie productions ever done in Hungary (it cost about $12 million US to make) but also one of the most successful productions.

creening and reception

As of 2005, it was screened in Hungary and Germany (at Berlinale), at the Telluride Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado as well as the Toronto International Film Festival.

Released in the UK by Dogwoof Pictures.
It first premiered in the UK at the Imperial War Museum.

Reviews

"Variety":
"exquisitely modulated and superbly mounted,"

"The Guardian":
"an extremely powerful piece of work."

"Time Out":
"I can honestly say it's one of the most powerful and thought-provoking features I've seen this year."

"New York Times"
“"Lajos Koltai's film ranks among the best nondocumentary cinematic treatments of the Holocaust yet produced."

Nobel Prize winning author Imre Kertesz
“I was completely overwhelmed.”

Awards

Nominated - Golden Berlin Bear - Lajos Koltai
Nominated - European Film Award - Best Cinematographer - Gyula Pados
Nominated - European Film Award - Best Composer - Ennio Morricone
OFFICIAL SELECTION - BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL 2005
OFFICIAL SELECTION - TELURIDE FILM FESTIVAL 2005
OFFICIAL SELECTION - KARLOVY VARY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
GALA PRESENTATION - EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
SPECIAL PRESENTATION - TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2005
AFI LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL 2005

External links

*imdb title|id=0367082|title=Sorstalanság
* [http://www.europeanfilmacademy.org/htm/Nominations.html Fateless nominated as "Best European Film 2005" (in two categories)]
* [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0601,hoberman,71463,20.html Ghost World] , a review by J. Hoberman, The Village Voice, January 3, 2006
* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/movies/06fate.html Finding the Beauty in a Boy's Days of Horror] , a review by A. O. Scott, The New York Times, January 6, 2006
* [http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a955ba50-cefa-11da-925d-0000779e2340.html Poet of a harsh and bitter reality] , a review by Nigel Andrews, Financial Times, April 18, 2006