Hal Hartley

Hal Hartley (b. 1959, New York City), one of the important "American independents", graduated from film school in 1984 and, after engaging in various activities, began writing and directing his own films. Karlovy Vary audiences were gradually introduced to practically all his work, typical for its original blend of fragments of reality and deliberately sharp stylisation. His uprooted heroes find themselves in unexpected situations which prompt them to react in equally unexpected ways, all rendered with ironic detachment or hypnotic urgency. The imaginative world of Hartley's films reflects the traumas of contemporary life, our anxieties and unfulfilled desires. Select filmography: The Unbelievable Truth (1989), Trust (1990), Simple Men (1992), Amateur (1994), Flirt (1995), The Book of Life (1998).

MFF Karlovy Vary