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KINO ON VIDEO TO RELEASE THE NINTH DAY ON DVD Kino on Video is proud to release THE NINTH DAY, a new film by Academy Award winner Volker Schlöndorff (The Tin Drum, Circle of Deceit), for the first time on DVD. Described by David Sterritt (CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR) as “moviemaking on the highest dramatic, psychological, and moral plane,” this “complex and emotionally satisfying drama” (Ella Taylor, LA WEEKLY) “succeeds in illuminating an almost unimaginably dark story” while illustrating why “Schlöndorff is a master of what might be called the moral thriller” (A.O. Scott, THE NEW YORK TIMES). Kino on Video’s THE NINTH DAY DVD brings an exclusive interview with Volker Schlöndorff where he discusses some of the challenges in translating such real-life events into a work of fiction, also revealing a bit more about his research methods and moviemaking expertise. With a prebook date of November 8, 2005, and a SRP of $29.95, THE NINTH DAY will be available for the general public on December 6, 2006. Set in Nazi Germany, THE NINTH DAY is loosely based on a prison diary by Luxembourgian priest Jean Bernard, a man who was given a special nine-day leave from Dacchau’s concentration camp for indeterminate reasons. Bernard’s published diary recounting his experiences during the Nazi era—describing, among other horrors, the crucifixion of fellow priests—was used by writer/director Schlöndorff as the base for the fictional story of Henri Kremer, a priest torn between survival and ideology played here by the “eerily convincing “ (Time Out New York) Ulrich Matthes. Schlöndorff’s Kremer, as Bernard, is allowed a nine-day return to his native Luxembourg, he faces the complacent attitude of his family and secretly convinces key members of his church of the horrors being perpetrated by the Gestapo. Meanwhile, the young and ambitious Nazi official Gebhardt (played by August Diehl) sees in Kremer’s freedom a chance to sway the opinion of an influential member of the Luxembourgian society, the Bishop Philippe (played by Hilmar Thate), who remains locked in his house as a sign of protest. Photographed by Tomas Erhart in haunting winter-grey tones and shot in breathtaking historical locations throughout Germany, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg, THE NINTH DAY delivers the usual Oscar-caliber performances expected from Volker Schlöndorff. But more importantly, this “powerful, concise and fully sustained” film respectfully depicts the haunting horrors of the Holocaust while creating a complex portrait of a priest destroyed by a fascist regime—and a military man struggling to rationalize the horrors committed by his people. SPECIAL FEATURES - An Interview with Volker Schlöndorff
- Trailers • Stills Gallery
- Optional English subtitles
- Enhanced for 16x9 TVs
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