PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Felix Randau, director of the film Iceman.
Director Felix Randau’s Iceman screened in Piazza Grande at the 70th Locarno Festival. He stopped by FRED’s studio to talk about it. The starting point of the movie is, arguably, the oldest unsolved mystery: that surrounding the death of a body that was discovered years ago and later turned out to have died over 5,300 years ago. Randau tells us why he decided to tell this story in Iceman. He also talks about some of the most daring choices he opted for, most notably, the choice to use an imagined but informed language for the dialogue, and how the actors dealt with this challenge. He also discusses the cinematography and the specific location scouting, which was a lengthy and necessary process.
Iceman: the Otztal Alps, more than 5,300 years ago. A Neolithic clan has settled near a creek where their leader, Kelab, is the keeper of the holy shrine, Tineka. One day, while Kelab has gone hunting, the settlement is attacked and the members of the tribe brutally murdered, including Kelab’s wife and son. The holy shrine is stolen and the only survivor is a newborn baby. Blinded by the pain, Kelab sets out on a journey to seek revenge, and has no other choice than to bring the infant with him. The characters in the film speak an early version of the Rhaetic language. No translation is required to comprehend the story.
For the official page of the film on the festival website, click here.