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Midsummer Madness

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Synopsis

Janu Nakts (St. John’s Night) is a traditional Latvian celebration during which family and friends gather to build bonfires, barbecue, drink and generally have a good time. According to legend, lovers and those who would like to fall in love, can search the woods for the “magic fern” on this night. This magic fern serves as the focus and pivotal point of the six stories in “Midsummer Madness” It is also a metaphor for the film’s underlying theme – finding love. “MIDSUMMER MADNESS ” is reflected in the recurring element of the magic fern, a metaphor (both in the film and in real life) for love. The question posed by the film is: can a search for love ever be successful? Each story deals with this question. An answer is provided at the film’s conclusion in a humorous and unforgettable way: we see the legendary fern, glowing magically in a meadow. It exists after all! Then a cow ambles along and eats it.

One big party. One crazy surprise after another!

An American on a mission takes a taxi-ride which leads him to love.

A week ago Curt was an only child who had never left the States. Today he’s in a country he’s never heard of, looking for a half-sister he never knew he had. He’s a fish out of water, in a black mood, and to top it off, his uniquely eccentric, overly-helpful taxi-driver, Oskars, won’t shut up or stop asking personal questions! 

Two football-loving firemen save each other.

Lewis and Mike combine the two loves of their lives – being firemen and supporting Liverpool Football Club – to break the ice on an exchange trip to Latvia to meet fellow firemen.

There’s nothing like a bit of male-bonding. 

Boys will be boys, drinking will be heavy, accidents will happen, and conclusions will be drawn! But Lewis and Mike discover that there’s nothing better than a friend on whom you can depend.

A tired cook loses his appetite for his insatiable lover.

Even when she’s not flying, flight attendant Aida doesn’t like keeping her feet on the ground. She prefers to wrap her legs around her lover, Yuki, over and over again. But she fails to satisfy his needs for the finer details, like telling her xenophobic parents that he’s Japanese, that he’s a cook, and that he’s on his way to meet them!

An eel-merchant struggles to keep his head above water.

Everything depends on shady Russian, Leonid, signing the deal of his life, but his idea to ply Karl and Axel with food, drink, and pretty women to sweeten the deal, backfires when Karl only lusts after Leonid’s long-suffering girlfriend and Axel eats too many ‘funny’ mushrooms.

A widowed poetess loses her husband and finds two lovers.

Livia is rich, beautiful, mysterious, practical, and open to adventure, which is why she’s come to Latvia to bury her husband in Lithuania!!? Her bodyguard, Toni, is understandably protective but unusually possessive. When they hire driver Peteris, who flirts endlessly with Livia, Toni develops feelings for Livia, who is drawn to Peteris, who is after Livia’s money, and is getting on Toni’s nerves….!

Technical Information

2006; Austria, Latvia; Romance, Comedy; 90 minutes; 35mm, HDCAM-SR; 1:1.85; 5.1 mix, Stereo; Original Language: English, French, Latvian, Russian; Subtitles: English, French; Dubbed Versions: German

DIRECTOR

Alexander Hahn

WRITER

Alexander Hahn

D.O.P.

Jerzy Palacz

EDITOR

Klaus Hundsbichler

MUSIC

Klaus Hundsbichler

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Markus Fischer

PRODUCTION COMPANY

Fischer Film, Steve Walsh Productions, Kaupo Filma

PRODUCER

Markus Fischer, Steve Walsh, Guntis Trekteris

SOUND

Aivars Riekstins

SOUND DESIGN

Nigel Holland

Livia

Maria de Medeiros

Toni

Dominique Pinon

Curt

Orlando Wells

Peteris

Tobias Moretti

Aida

Chulpan Khamatova

Maja

Birgit Minichmayr

Karl

Detlev Buck

Axel

Roland Düringer

ALEXANDER HAHN

director, born 1967 in Riga (Latvia), emigrated to West Germany in 197;, graduate of the Viennese Filmakademie. Lives and works in Vienna and Riga.

Selective Filmography

Feature Film

2011 Monsieur Taurins

2003 The Last Soviet Movie

1992 Daleko ot Sankt-Peterburga

 

TV Series

2010 Eine Couch für alle

2003 Spirello

1996 Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei

 

Short

2001 Marching Gaily

1989 Warum Neger schwarz?

2010

EUROCINE 27

May 09 – 09

2009

TIBURON INT. FILM FESTIVAL

Mar 19 – 27

SOFIA INT. FILM FESTIVAL

Mar 05 – 15

2008

SMILE RUSSIA COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL

Dec 13 – 20

COTTBUS FILM FESTIVAL

Nov 11 – 16

DIAGONALE

Apr 01 – 06

SOFIA INT. FILM FESTIVAL

Mar 13 – 21 (in competition)

2007

TURSAK

Nov 13 – 30

Variety

The feature film comedy ‘Midsummer Madness’ (Janu Nakts), directed by newcomer Alexander Hahn and starring Dominique Pinon (A Very Long Engagement, Amelie, Delicatessen), Maria de Medeiros (Pulp Fiction, The Saddest Music In The World), Tobias Moretti, (TV’s Inspector Rex, Speer and Hitler), Chulpan Khamatova (Goodbye Lenin) and Orlando Wells (Wilde) begins principal photography this weekend in Riga, Latvia, it was announced today. The film also stars Birgit Minichmayr (Downfall, Taking Sides), Detlev Buck (Jailbirds), Roland Dueringer (Hinterholz 8) and Latvia’s Gundars Abolins (Limuzins Janu nakts krasa). With a budget of $US3.25million, ‘Midsummer Madness’ will shoot entirely in Latvia over seven weeks for delivery in December 2006. It is a co-production between Austria’s Fischer Film, UK’s Steve Walsh Productions, and Latvia’s Kaupo Filma. The film will be shot in English and post-produced in the UK. 

‘Midsummer Madness’ is directed by Alexander Hahn from a screenplay which he co-wrote with Alexander Mahler and Norman Hudis (who wrote the first six ‘Carry On’ films) with Jerzy Palacz as director of photography, Ieva Romanova as production designer, Thomas Olah as costume designer and Justin Krish (Bend it Like Beckham; Bride and Prejudice; Nanny McPhee) as editor ‘Midsummer Madness’ is a wild and hilarious comedy set in Latvia during the shortest night of the year when the whole country celebrates and just about anything goes. The ensemble cast includes a poetess from Portugal; two English firemen; an American who hates everything he sees; some shady businessmen; an escaped kangaroo; an insatiable flight attendant and her bemused Japanese boyfriend. By the time morning comes their lives will have been changed for ever. Lead producer Markus Fischer of Fischer Film says ‘I should like to thank all those who have helped to make this movie a reality.

It is a tribute in particular to the funds in Austria and Latvia that they have shared our faith in Alexander Hahn and the vision we have for this film.’ UK producer Steve Walsh adds, ‘When I first saw Alexander’s showreel I knew immediately that he could make this wonderful, funny script come to life. I’m delighted that we have got together a tremendous cast for a movie which we are convinced will travel across frontiers and find a wide audience all over the world”‘ ‘Midsummer Madness’ was developed with Media Slate Funding and is being produced with backing from the Austrian Film Institute, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (Film Funding Department), Vienna Film Fund, State of Upper Austria, National Film Centre of Latvia, Ingenious Media and Eurimages.

variety.com

Klaus Hundsbichler’s work falls into three areas: as director, editor and composer. He directed, edited and produced “Worldrevolution” and composed the music for “Midsummer Madness”, “Karo und der liebe Gott” and “Mirage”, as well as numerous industrial films and commercials. He edited “Midsummer Madness”, “The Ten Commandments”, which received an Emmy nomination for the editing and numerous music videos (Queen, David Bowie, Gianna Nannini, Falco) as well as – infamously – Frank Zappa’s Baby Snakes movie. His directorial credits include “Tom und die Biberbande”, “Against the Current” and a life of Johann Strauss, as well as many music videos, music documentaries and commercials.

Selective Filmography

Feature Film

2008 La Bohème

2006 Karo und der liebe Gott

2006 The Ten Commandments

2006 Tumsie briezi

2000 Bon Jovi: The Crush Tour

1999 The Venice Project

 

Feature Documentary

2008 Weltrevolution

1997 Baby Snakes

After finishing high school (1979) and job training, Markus Fis­cher began working as a cinematographer. In 1988 he passed the state-certified producer exam and founded Fischer Markus Film­produktion, based in Linz, Upper Austria. 

In 1998, Markus Fischer decided to take a further step towards more independence and founded the Vienna-based Fischer Film GmbH. 

With this company, it is Fischer’s goal to develop and produce Aus­trian films by well known filmmakers, as well as by young and tal­ented writers, directors and artists and also European Co-Produc­tions. Markus Fischer is a member of the “aafp – Association of Austrian Film Producers,” the Association of the Music and Film Industry Austria, and an EAVE graduate (Les Entrepre­neurs de l’Audiovisuel Europeen).

Selective Filmography

Feature Film

2014 Kafka, Ganja, Maniacs

2007 Midsummer Madness

2005 Fremde Haut

2004 Fräulein Phyllis

 

Feature Documentary

2012 Slatin Pascha

2011 Gas Monopoly