Heart of Fire Featuring Charismatic Performance by Young Lead Actress Opens on SFFS Screen at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas on February 6

Inspired by Controversial Memoir, Director Crafts Allegorical Story About the Plight of Thousands of Children Recruited to Fight in Wars Around the World

January 6, 2009

San Francisco, CA – Heart of Fire (Feuerherz, Germany/Austria 2008), the heart-stopping story of an outspoken young girl caught up in the upheaval of Eritrea’s war of independence from Ethiopia, directed by Luigi Falorni, will open on SFFS Screen at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas on Friday, February 6, 2009.

In this moving drama, ten-year-old Awet, played with expressiveness and power by Letekidan Micael, is swept into the Eritrean war for independence of the early 1980s. She and her sister are given over to the Eritrean Liberation Front, where they are immersed in the rhetoric of the faction and eventually become child soldiers. Awet constantly questions the rationale behind the force she is asked to fight for, and the film portrays her courageous evolution from willing combatant to fierce challenger of authority. The film has stirred some controversy, as it is based on Senait G. Mehari’s memoir, which has been challenged because some Eritrean government officials contend that no child soldiers were ever used by their country. But Heart of Fire, directed by Luigi Falorni (codirector of The Story of the Weeping Camel), is really about bringing to light the inhumane treatment of children in such circumstances and this young girl in particular. Stark and direct in its telling, and buoyed by its remarkable central performance, this is a cinematically and socially strong film not easily forgotten. Written by Gabriele Kister, Luigi Falorni. Photographed by Judith Kaufmann. With Letekidan Micael, Solomie Micael, Seble Tilahun, Daniel Seyoum, Mekdes Wegene, Samuel Semere. 94 min. In Tigrinya with English subtitles. Distributed by Seventh Art Releasing.

For screeners and interview requests contact Hilary Hart at 415-561-5022 or publicity@sffs.org

For photos and press materials visit: http://download.sffs.org/press.

At the Sundance Kabuki all seats are reserved and an amenities fee is in effect for most shows. Tickets are available through the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas box office, at kiosks in the lobby and online at www.sundancecinemas.com with print-at-home capability. San Francisco Film Society members receive discounted admission to SFFS Screen programs at the box office only (not online or at the lobby kiosks).

Coming soon to SFFS Screen:

January 30: The Pope’s Toilet, a heartbreaking and deftly comical look at Uruguayan villagers preparing to make the most of a papal visit

February 13: The Owl and the Sparrow, a thoughtful portrait of contemporary Vietnam

February 20: Just Another Love Story, a violent entertainment involving mistaken identities, adultery and Thai gangsters

February 27: Silent Light, a masterfully told story of love, family and adultery in a Mennonite community in northern Mexico

March 6: Examined Life, a lively and engaging documentary profile of eight contemporary philosophers

For full, complete and up-to-date information on all SFFS Screen programming, including buying tickets, visit www.sffs.org. Information and tickets are also available at www.sundancecinemas.com.

The San Francisco Film Society is a nonprofit arts and education organization dedicated to celebrating film and the moving image. SFFS Screen, the innovative exhibition partnership with Sundance Cinemas, enables the Film Society to present its acclaimed film programs and events at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas year-round on a daily basis.