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DVD The Gerber Syndrome: il contagio
 Run time: 88 min Rating: 5.1 Genres: Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi Director: Maxì Dejoie Writers: Maxì Dejoie Stars: Valentina Bartolo, Elisabetta Fischer, Pia Lanciotti |
| Storyline The Gerber’s Syndrome is an contagious viral disease that was discovered in Germany in 2008 and spread all over the world. It is extremely contagious, fast spreading, and deadly. This syndrome is very difficult to spot, because it’s like a normal dose of the flu, with all the subsequent symptoms that most of us are familiar with; but later, the virus affects the brain cells causing serious damage to the central nervous system. A TV crew is making a documentary about the disease and the way society is coping with it by documenting the stories of three people who are dealing with Gerber’s Syndrome: Melissa is a young girl that has been infected, Doctor Ricardi is the doctor who is following her and Luigi is a member of the CS, the security organization that has to deal with infected people. The TV crew follow the lives of this characters, becoming characters themselves since they are constantly in the action. We see how the syndrome progress in Melissa and the way her family and Doctor … Written by Indastria Film |
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| Plot Keywords: three word title, name in title, vaccine, pandemic, mockumentary | |
| Details: Country: Italy Release Date: 23 April 2013 (Italy) |
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4 comments
I've seen this movie at SciFi London and i've enjoyed it.
Actually the subject it's not brand new but the way this guys treated it surprised me; they tried to make a real looking documentary not like paranormal activity or clover field.
I felt a sense of anxiety for the whole film.
Very good actors were they real actors?) and very effective music. I did enjoy the fact that there was very little gore or splatter scenes to give more space to emotions and the drama of a familiar tragedy.
There is a good beginning introducing you to the syndrome and to discover the main characters.
The rhythm drops a little in the central part and then there is an explosive ending.
I recommend it!
I have seen this film at the Busto Arsizio Film Festival; it was the last in competition, i didn't heard much of it before the screening so i didn't know what to expect. It was a good surprise! I am not a lover of this type of films, i haven't even seen Blair witch project, but i think that wasn't just another horror flick. There was a strong message below the main story line, it made me think about these recent epidemics that we have seen in Europe and other countries, and most of all, it made me think: what would i do if i was in that situation? The acting is amazing, i knew Valentina Bartolo before, she is in an Italian TV show, but here she was so good. After a few scenes i forgot she was acting. Some scenes are so strong that made me feel a bit weird; audience should be prepared… it's not an easy film to watch. I'm afraid it will be hard for the producers to find a distribution in Italy, we are just not used to some films, but I'm sure it will be a hit in other countries.
The Gerber Syndrome is shot as though it is a documentary and records the effects of a zombie-like virus and it's effects on society. If you're looking for people being attacked by zombies there isn't a lot of that. The main threat of the infected is that they might infect you too, not that they'll attack you though their irrational behaviour means they aren't totally safe to be around.
The documentary follows a doctor and a security guard and both of them seem like real people which is the real strength of this movie. The situation has been well thought through and the reactions of ordinary people are pretty credible.
I did feel the movie lost pace a bit in the middle but the ending made up for it.
Finally an independent Italian film with an international appeal! The Gerber Syndrome is a clever and thrilling film, with good characters and good actors. Instead of making some regular scary film, Gerber Syndrome creates a constant, growing tension, that will stay with you even after the film is over. Even tough presented as a mockumentary, many references are absolutely real (AIDS, Swine flu, malaria…) and for one of the first times in this kind of films, the action goes in the intimacy of a family instead of showing a global epidemic. That was new to me. The subliminal soundtrack really gets under your skin! Only bad thing; in a couple of scenes the realism was a little bit lost, especially the one with the vigilantes… too bad. I'm very happy that such a film has found a proper release! Viva il cinema italiano indipendente di qualità!