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German Works by Fatih Akin, Mascha Schilinski, Christian Petzold Unspool in Cannes, Animation Set for Major Market Showcase

German Works by Fatih Akin, Mascha Schilinski, Christian Petzold Unspool in Cannes, Animation Set for Major Market Showcase

Yahoo22-05-2025
German films and co-productions in Cannes this year are sure to entice festgoers and buyers alike with an eclectic selection heavy on historical drama and animation fare.
Highly anticipated works by Fatih Akin, Mascha Schilinski and Christian Petzold are premiering at the festival along with German co-productions from Wes Anderson, Sergei Loznitsa and Kirill Serebrennikov that explore postwar Germany, lives intertwined through time, loss and grief, international espionage, Stalin's Great Purge and a war criminal's escape from justice.
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Unspooling in Cannes Premiere, Akin's 'Amrum' is a family drama set in 1945 on the titular North Sea German island and based on the autobiographical novel of screenwriter Hark Bohm, who also penned the script. It centers on 12-year-old Nanning (Jasper Billerbeck), who does everything he can to help his mother feed the family during the last days of the war, only to face all new challenges when peace finally arrives. The Beta Cinema title also stars Diane Kruger, Laura Tonke, Lisa Hagmeister, Detlev Buck and Matthias Schweighöfer.
''Amrum' is a very special project: it combines Hark Bohm's personal story with Fatih Akin's signature style and brings a piece of Schleswig-Holstein to the Croisette,' noted Helge Albers, CEO of regional funder MOIN, which supported the pic.
Vying for the Golden Palm, Schilinski's sophomore work, 'Sound of Falling,' produced by Studio Zentral and handled internationally by MK2 Films, tells the story of four women from different time periods who spend their youth on the same farmstead and whose lives are eerily intertwined.
Petzold's 'Miroirs No. 3,' sold by The Match Factory, screens in Directors' Fortnight and marks the director's fourth collaboration with Paula Beer, who plays a music student struggling with the sudden loss of her boyfriend and the mysterious family who offers her assistance.
Anderson's U.S.-German co-production 'The Phoenician Scheme,' co-produced by and shot at Studio Babelsberg near Berlin, also premieres in competition. Boasting an all-star cast, the period film stars Benicio del Toro as a European business magnate facing major international challenges to his ambitious infrastructure project in the fictional West Asian nation of Phoenicia. Focus Features is distributing the film globally.
Likewise in competition is Loznitsa's 1937-set 'Two Prosecutors,' whose producers include Leipzig-based LOOKSfilm. The Coproduction Office title follows an idealistic young Soviet prosecutor who comes across a letter written by a prisoner. Believing the man to be a victim of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) — at the time, the Soviet Union's dreaded interior ministry and secret police — the prosecutor embarks on a dangerous journey in the pursuit of justice in Stalin's USSR.
Serebrennikov's 'The Disappearance of Josef Mengele,' based on the novel by Olivier Guez and co-produced by Berlin-base Lupa Film, screens in Cannes Premiere, with Kinology handling international sales. German actor August Diehl stars as the notorious Nazi doctor who, as a fugitive, flees to South America following World War II, eluding capture for his crimes.
Also vying for the Golden Palm are Joachim Trier's Scandinavian drama 'Sentimental Value,' which counts Berlin-based Komplizen Film among its co-producers; and Kleber Mendonça Filho's historical thriller 'The Secret Agent,' set in 1977 Brazil and starring Wagner Moura and Udo Kier and co-produced by Berlin's One Two Films.
Other competition titles with German co-producers include Carla Simón's Spanish drama 'Romería' (Ventall Cinema); 'La petite dernière' by French filmmaker Hafsia Herzi (Katuh Studio); and Tarik Saleh's Egyptian drama 'Eagles of the Republic' (Films Boutique).
German producers likewise backed a number of Un Certain Regard selections, including Morad Mostafa's Cairo-set 'Aisha Can't Fly' (Mayana Film); Francesco Sossai's Italian drama 'The Last One for the Road' (Maze Pictures) and Diego Céspedes' 1980s-set Chilean tale 'The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo' (Weydemann Bros.).
Also unspooling in the sidebar is Arab and Tarzan Nasser's 'Once Upon a Time in Gaza,' which counts Hamburg companies Riva Filmproduktion and Red Balloon among its co-producers. The film follows on from the Nasser brothers' festival hit 'Gaza mon Amour.'
This year's Cannes Film Market, meanwhile, boasts German comedy, family, drama, documentary and animated fare.
Picture Tree Intl. (PTI) is presenting Simon Verhoeven's 'Old White Man' from Wiedemann & Berg and Sentana Filmproduktion. The comedy stars Jan Josef Liefers as advertising manager Heinz, who sets out to prove he's no old white man with a carefully orchestrated dinner party intended to secure a promotion but that instead turns into a minefield of political correctness, awkward revelations and unexpected chaos.
PTI is also screening 'Prank,' a family adventure-comedy directed by Benjamin Heisenberg ('The Robber'), who co-wrote the script with Peer Klehmet ('The Famous Five'). Produced by Berlin-based Kundschafter Film and Zurich's Tellfilm, the film follows 12-year-old Chinese exchange student Xi Zhou (Max Zheng), whose seemingly innocent April Fool's prank spirals out of control and drags his host family, their son Lucas (Noèl Gabriel Kipp) and his crush Charly (Maïmouna Rudolph-Mbacké) into a tumultuous adventure.
Among the titles presented by Pluto Film are two award-winning German works: Julia Lemke and Anna Koch's Berlinale documentary 'Circusboy,' about 11-year-old Santino, a child of the circus; and Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay's film crew thriller 'Hysteria,' which won the European Cinema Label in Berlin.
The Playmaker Munich offers Christina Tournatzès' 'Karla,' based on a true story, about a 12-year-old girl who, in 1962 Munich, files a complaint against her own father, seeking protection from years of abuse.
The company also presents Viktor Jakovleski and Nikias Chryssos' 'Rave On,' which follows Kosmo, a reclusive music producer who tries to deliver his latest record to a legendary DJ playing in Berlin's most notorious techno club, but what begins as a simple mission soon derails into an existential rave odyssey. Aaron Altaras and Klemens Schick star.
Likewise in The Playmaker lineup is Norbert Lechner's 'The Secret Floor,' in which 12-year-old Karli, newly arrived in the Alps, where his parents have acquired a hotel, discovers he can travel back in time in the building's old elevator – to the year 1938. There he befriends lively Jewish girl Hannah and shoeshiner Georg and witnesses the rising menace of the Third Reich.
Family entertainment specialist Studio 100, meanwhile, is showcasing a slew of animation productions:
'Heidi – Rescue of the Lynx,' by Tobias Schwarz and Aizea Roca and set for release this year, follows the spirited 8-year-old Swiss heroine who lives in the Alps with her gruff but loving grandfather. After rescuing an injured lynx cub, she uncovers a dastardly plot by a sly industrialist that threatens her beloved home and the entire alpine ecosystem.
In 'Arnie & Barney,' by Sean Heuston and set for delivery in 2026, an ant platoon tries to save their community during a severe drought. Not cut out for heroics, inept ant soldiers Arnie and Barney decide to tackle the problem by themselves, inadvertently becoming the most unlikely of heroes in the process.
'Conni – Mystery of the Crane,' by Dirk Hampel, follows a young girl and her friends who help a hurt crane recover from his injuries in the hope that he can fly south with his flock. Currenty in production, the film is also set for delivery in 2026.
In Rob Sprackling and Raúl Garcia's 'Flamingo Flamenco,' a dancing flamingo named Rosie is left traumatized after losing her sister to an attack by wild dogs. A shadow of her former self, the grieving Rosie has also lost the joy of dance – until she meets Carlos, a carefree and exuberant lizard who encourages her to dance once more. Currently in production, 'Flamingo Flamenco' is set for release in 2027.
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How to watch new episodes of ‘King of the Hill' for free—Stream Season 14 now
How to watch new episodes of ‘King of the Hill' for free—Stream Season 14 now

New York Post

timean hour ago

  • New York Post

How to watch new episodes of ‘King of the Hill' for free—Stream Season 14 now

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. Over 15 years after a presumed series finale aired, 'King of the Hill' is back for a new season. 'King of the Hill,' the long-running animated sitcom, is now a Hulu original series after spending 13 seasons on Fox. There are 10 new episodes available to stream with a Hulu subscription now. The new season follows Hank and Peggy returning home to Arlen, Texas, after a stint working in the Middle East. Dale, Boomhauer, and Bill have held the fort down in Arlen, where a lot has stayed the same, but plenty has changed around them. Bobby is also working as the head chef of German-Japanese fusion restaurant, Robata Chane, which shows just how far his passion for food has taken him. 'King of the Hill' Season 14 release date: Advertisement All 10 episodes of 'King of the Hill' Season 14 dropped on Hulu today, August 4. How to watch 'King of the Hill' Season 14 for free: If you're new to Hulu, you can get started with a 30-day free trial on the streamer's basic (with ads) plan. After the trial period, you'll pay $9.99/month. If you want to upgrade to Hulu ad-free, it costs $18.99/month. Advertisement If you want to stream even more and save a few bucks a month while you're at it, we recommend subscribing to one of the Disney+ Bundles, all of which include Hulu. These bundles start at $10.99/month for ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu and goes up to $29.99/month for Disney+, Hulu, and Max, all ad-free. 'King of the Hill' voice cast: Mike Judge as Hank Hill / Boomhauer Kathy Najimy as Peggy Hill Pamela Adlon as Bobby Hill Johnny Hardwick as Dale Gribble (recorded part of the season before his 2023 passing) Toby Huss as Dale Gribble Stephen Root as Bill Dauterive Jonthan Joss as John Redcorn (recorded the season before his 2025 passing) Ronny Chieng as Kahn Souphanousinphone 'King of the Hill' trailer: Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and New York Post's streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she's also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews

Hank Hill returns to a changed world in new 'King of the Hill' episodes
Hank Hill returns to a changed world in new 'King of the Hill' episodes

San Francisco Chronicle​

time5 hours ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Hank Hill returns to a changed world in new 'King of the Hill' episodes

NEW YORK (AP) — Hank Hill is back and he's the same ol' Hank Hill, but a lot of things around him have changed. The lovable animated hero of 'King of the Hill' has returned from a 15-year lull and he isn't sure what boba tea is, how ridesharing works and is confused by all-gender bathrooms. 'What kind of food is poke?' he asks his wife, Peggy. Hank and Peggy have returned to their hometown of Arlon, Texas — and our TV sets — but a lot has happened over the years and they're stepping into a world they doesn't always recognize. 'Hank, have things changed here more than we thought?' Peggy asks, worried, in the first new episode. 'Did we make a mistake coming back?' Hulu is definitely hoping not, reuniting many of the same writers and voice cast who turned the propane-loving, beer-sipping Hill into one of TV's few blue-collar icons. The first 10 episodes hit Hulu on Monday. A new 'King of the Hill' leader Saladin K. Patterson, the executive producer and showrunner for the new season 14, hopes the original fans will return to see how Hill copes in the modern day. 'That's always key because you want that core fan base to validate what you've done because they're like the gatekeepers in a way,' he says. 'So when they sign off and say, 'OK, they didn't mess it up, it's still the same special show,' I think other people who may be unfamiliar with it, or even on the fence, feel like, 'OK, well, now we want to like it.'' Viewers will learn that Hank and Peggy have been in Saudi Arabia all this time, where he served as 'assistant manager in charge of Arabian propane and Arabian propane accessories.' Their son Bobby, now 21, is the chef of a 'down home, German-Asian fusion' restaurant. (Sample dish: Grilled mackerel with a side of mustard pretzel.) Hank and Peggy have retired and he happily rejoins his line of friends drinking cans of beer in an alley. Boomhauer gives him a hug and Dale has grown even more paranoid, becoming 'an election-denier-denier.' Bill has let himself go, staying indoors and living off Amazon deliveries. 'I finished Netflix, Hank. Did you know that when you get to the end of Netflix, you get something called 'a wellness check?'' Viewers in the second episode hear Tom Petty's 'Runnin' Down a Dream,' a nice nod to the late rocker's embrace of the show when it first appeared. 'The writers have found that balance between the vintage 'King of the Hill' that we adore and the new — and letting them coexist,' says Pamela Adlon, who voices Bobby. Same gentle tone Creators Mike Judge, the mastermind behind 'Beavis and Butt-Head,' and Greg Daniels, who would go on to co-create 'The Office,' helped Patterson navigate this world, which they sheparded during its first 13 seasons, airing from 1997 to 2009. The show's tone maintains its gentle mocking of modern life, from hipsters and their craft ales to bike lanes. Hill at one point shakes his head over modern outdoor grills having sensors and app connections: 'I shouldn't have to call technical support to make a burger.' Patterson says the humor is grounded in real life. 'I do have a barbecue grill that is Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-enabled. I have three devices to run it, but I'm calling tech support because I have guests coming over and the meat needs to be done,' he says. 'And I do think over the pandemic, my wife finished Netflix.' While there are changes, some things are immutable. 'Hank's still going to drink beer. Dale's still going to be a conspiracy theorist. Bill's still going to be a lovable sad sack,' says Patterson. 'Those core character things had to be the same. I had a pastor who told me one time, 'Grown folks don't change.'' Viewers will see in upcoming episodes if Hank — a happy propane seller and garage tinkerer — can really ever retire and watch as Hank's friends navigate new chapters. They'll also explore the relationship between an adult Bobby and his parents. 'He's of age now and it's really kind of cool because you see the similarities and all the attributes that he took from his parents that he wasn't even aware of when he was a boy — or didn't want to have anything to do with — and now he's using them to keep his business going and move himself forward,' says Adlon. A politics-free zone While debates have raged over where Hank Hill sits on the political spectrum, his creators argue he represents a sensible, common-sense middle. He follows the rules and does the best he can without hurting anyone. 'It's so not a Republican or a Democratic show or an independent show. It's all of that,' says Adlon. 'There's space in the world for everybody. It's hard for us all to find a safe space in a common area anymore and that's what this show really is.' And even though the new 'King of the Hill' episodes arrive during President Donald Trump's second term, don't expect any politics from Hank Hill. 'We want to tell relatable stories where people can see themselves in our characters or their family members in our characters,' says Patterson. 'There are enough cultural things and relationship things that have shifted to where he can comment on that without us wading into tariffs and immigration policy and stuff like that.'

‘King of the Hill' Was Always a Food Show, Dang It
‘King of the Hill' Was Always a Food Show, Dang It

Eater

time7 hours ago

  • Eater

‘King of the Hill' Was Always a Food Show, Dang It

There is, truly, no show like King of the Hill. Thanks to its somehow impossibly realistic depiction of life in the Texas suburbs, Mike Judge's animated series, which follows the Hill family throughout their life in the fictional town of Arlen, has evolved into a cult classic in the decade-plus after its shockingly abrupt 2009 cancellation. But now King of the Hill is back, and so is its obsession with food. It's been 15 years since we last saw the Hill family, who moved away from their home in Arlen after Bobby graduated high school. Peggy (Kathy Najimy) and Hank (Judge) went off to Saudi Arabia, where Hank worked in — what else? — propane, and Bobby (Pamela Adlon) headed off to the big city of Dallas, where he became a chef and opened Robata Chane, a Japanese restaurant that also boasts German influences inspired by the history of the Texas Hill Country. Now, Hank and Peggy have returned to Arlen, and reunited with their kooky cast of neighbors, including conspiracy nut Dale Gribble (Johnny Hardwick and Toby Huss) and his wife Nancy (Ashley Gardner), and Kahn (Ronny Chieng) and Minh Soupanousinphone (Lauren Tom), a couple of Lao immigrants who moved to Arlen with their daughter Connie (Tom), who's Bobby's childhood friend and on-again, off-again girlfriend. In the show's original run, it explored a broad range of themes, from goofy Texana storylines with Willie Nelson cameos to more serious subjects, like bullying and LGBTQ acceptance. Even as it explored these bigger themes, though, King of the Hill was, at its heart, always a food show. If there's one thing you know about Hank Hill, it's that he's a salesman of propane and propane accessories, and his belief in the supremacy of that fuel for grilling steaks is practically religious. But it's Bobby who's the true gourmand — a noted fruit pie enthusiast and culinary risk-taker who also enjoys lutefisk. In the Season 7 episode 'Goodbye Normal Jeans,' we see the first glimpse of Bobby's kitchen skills when he starts learning how to cook and clean in his new homemaking class. He's so good, in fact, that Hank starts to prefer his cooking to Peggy's, a development that irks her so much that she tries to sabotage the roasted turkey that Bobby wants to prepare for the family's Thanksgiving dinner. In the final episode of Season 13, aired in 2009, Hank and Bobby finally get their moment of bonding over grilled meats. In the Season 14 premiere, King of the Hill easily settles back into a familiar rhythm. Even as Hank and Peggy navigate a new world in which everyone shares their pronouns and all-gender bathrooms exist inside Texas barbecue restaurants, it doesn't feel like 15 years have passed since the last time we saw them. Hank attempts to adjust to the boredom of retirement, leading him to take up homebrewing his own beer, which devolves into a competition with Bobby, pitting the son's chef expertise against Hank's 40 years of drinking beer. The two end up in a Dallas homebrewing competition, where both learn that winning isn't as important as spending time with your family. Bobby and Hank go head-to-head at a Dallas homebrewing competition Hulu As Hank and Peggy readjust to life in Arlen, Bobby's busy trying to make his restaurant a success. He's passionately trying to make German Japanese fusion happen — grilling yuzu sausages over binchotan charcoals, frying up herring tempura — and hoping to impress his stodgy parents with his skills. It's the charcoal, of course, that becomes a source of conflict between Bobby and his father, who eventually comes around to understanding that Bobby has to use binchotan in order to most accurately approximate true robata-style cooking. And as with all restaurants, there are more than a few problems for Bobby to solve. His business partner and former middle school bully Chane Wassanasong (Ki Hong Lee) is too busy partying with his frat bros to really help with any of the actual work, but he's always around to take the credit for Bobby's successes, as when he caters a 30th wedding anniversary party for Kahn and Minh. He's also trying to figure out how to make peace with the fact that Connie, who he still very clearly has feelings for, is in an 'ethical non-monogamous' relationship with Chane. Across these 10 new episodes, Judge and showrunner Saladin K. Patterson present a King of the Hill that feels endlessly familiar to anyone who's spent countless hours rewatching reruns of the show in syndication, or on Hulu. It's true to the original formula without feeling stale or stuck in a bygone era. It isn't overly obsessed with how much has changed since its cancellation in 2009, but does comment occasionally on the ways in which society has moved forward — and backward. When Hank attends a 'male empowerment' seminar with his younger brother, he's quick to dispel the toxic masculinity that's on offer, and that's what we've come to expect from a guy like Hank. He might be a little stuck in his ways with regard to Ronald Reagan and propane, but he's not willing to cosign hateful behavior. It's also refreshing to see that Hank has fully embraced grown-up Bobby, even if he's still confused by many of his son's choices. 'That boy ain't right' may still be his most common refrain about Bobby's behavior, but it's always obvious that he's trying, that it comes from a place of love. He might not understand why Bobby wants to be a chef instead of a propane salesman, but he always supports his son eventually. Ultimately, it just feels really nice to be back across the virtual table from the Hill family once again. Watching Hank and Peggy stumble through an awkward dinner with Bobby's vegan girlfriend is both nostalgic and of the moment, the kind of wholesome escapist television that makes you want to keep coming back for more. If anything, I'm mostly bummed that there aren't more new episodes to keep me distracted from the horrors of the world, and I'm starting to think that now is the perfect time to rewatch King of the Hill's entire run from start to finish. Sign up for Eater's newsletter The freshest news from the food world every day Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

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