The Hollywood Reporter has released its fourth Berlin International Film Festival daily issue, which features: an inside look at how filmmakers are reworking projects to feature more women in roles originally intended for men; embattled South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk addressing accusations against him; and how Jose Padilha’s drama 7 Days in Entebbe is telling a different story than the one Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told of his brother’s role in the historic 1976 hostage crisis.
Post-#MeToo Gender Swaps
The days of men dominating cast lists could well be numbered if developments at the European Film Market are anything to go by. Several current projects have roles that were originally written for men but later reworked for women, sometimes with distributors themselves pushing for change. That was the case with The Hummingbird Project, where feedback from buyers in Cannes saw the role of the nemesis of Alexander Skarsgard’s character swap sexes (and later have Salma Hayek cast in the role). “We kept hearing from distributors that the project felt quite male,” says HanWay managing director Gabrielle Stewart. THR takes a look at other productions making similar moves.
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Kim Ki-duk Comes Under Fire
The filmmaker met the international media at the fest on Saturday — and almost immediately he was called upon to address the controversy surrounding his alleged abuse of an actress on set. The victim, whose identity has not been revealed in accordance with South Korean privacy laws, accused Kim last year of slapping her three times and forcing her to perform unscripted nude sex scenes during the shooting of his 2013 film Moebius, which premiered in Venice. She was later replaced by another actress in the film. A South Korean court fined Kim five million won ($4,600) for assault, but prosecutors dropped the sexual abuse charges citing a lack of evidence.
“It’s Not a Narrative That Netanyahu Is Going to Like at All”
When the Focus Features thriller 7 Days in Entebbe makes its world premiere in Berlin on Monday, it is certain to draw the ire of one of the most prominent world leaders. That’s because the film, which chronicles the 1976 Israeli rescue mission of a hijacked Air France jet en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, sheds new light on the events that claimed the life of Netanyahu’s older brother. “It’s not a narrative that the Israeli Prime Minister is going to like at all,” historian Saul David tells THR.
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