Russia 2006, Russian with English subtitles, 35mm, 95 min
Director: Kirill Serebrennikov
Screenplay: Oleg Presnyakov, Vladimir Presnyakov
Cinematography: Sergei Mokritsky
Cast: Yuri Chursin, Vitaly Khaev, Anna Mikhalkova, Liya Akhedzhakova, Marat Basharov
Print Source: New People Film Co.
The best dark comedies are often those that contain sparkles in their darkness. Playing the Victim is a quirky, inventive film with a delightful premise and an evil but charming glint in its eyes. Valya is an ambivalent young university graduate who, as per the film's title, plays the role of the victim in crime reconstructions – most of which are absurdly bureaucratic processes rather than forensically necessary. The results of these re-enactments are digitally filmed by the lovelorn Lyuda who holds the camera but is frequently distracted. Meanwhile on the home front, Valya lives with his mother and his uncle in a world saturated by absurd banality. When his set-upon girlfriend, to whom he seems to feel only a nominal attraction, falls pregnant, it all gets too much for Valya.
Director Kirill Serebrennikov has come up with a joyride of a film that veers between being dark, suggestive and joyfully idiosyncratic.
The Cape Winelands will again at the 2012 edition of this festival present a series of Masterclasses and workshops. These events are sponsored by the City of Cape Town and Wesgro.
Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes festival, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s new film has the magic of a fairy tale and the simplicity of a folk tale. Wonderfully immersive, slow and dreamy, 
