Written by late Polish director Krysztof Kieslowski and Krysztof Piesiewicz (the team that made the trilogy BLUE, WHITE, and RED) and directed by German master Tom Tykwer (RUN LOLA RUN), HEAVEN is the first part of a trilogy (the other parts are called HELL and PURGATORY, for which there are no production plans in place.) Cate Blanchett is Philippa, a strong-willed English woman who teaches in Turin, Italy. At school she witnesses young students torn apart by drug addictions, poverty, and family struggles. Her husband, similarly, died of a drug overdose. She takes the law into her own hands when she decides to go after a major drug czar. But when her plan goes terribly wrong, and she's taken into custody and accused of being an international terrorist, she finds herself in a hell she never imagined. Her only hope is Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi), a young cop and translator who wants to help her. Tykwer delivers a visually stunning film with HEAVEN, using aerial photography, 360-degree pans, and gorgeous wide-angle shots to deliver a dreamlike otherworldly feeling. The chemistry between Philippa and Filippo resonates through to the end of the film, while the smartly suspenseful story keeps viewers guessing about the fate of this destined duo. An understated piano score by Arvo Part completes the prolonged feeling of tension, intrigue, and ultimate escape, making HEAVEN an impressively successful merger of Kieslowski's eerily effective writing and Tykwer's stylish directing.

Theatrical release: October 4, 2002

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access

Distributor Notes: Heaven (2002)

The star power of Cate Blanchett (THE SHIPPING NEWS, THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and Giovanni Ribisi (GONE IN 60 SECONDS, BOILER ROOM) propels this luminous and intensely haunting motion picture from the acclaimed director of RUN LOLA RUN and WINTER SLEEPERS. Philippa (Blanchett), a British teacher living in Turin, Italy, has watched helplessly as her husband and friends have fallen victim to drug overdoses. To compound her desperation, the police -- who are complicit in the actions of Turin's biggest drug dealer -- have completely ignored Philippa's repeated offers of information. So, with the unexpected help of a sympathetic police officer (Ribisi), Philippa feels she has nothing to lose by taking divine justice into her own hands. A probing exploration of the modern world and its moral choices -- you'll be mesmerized by Philippa's transformation from grieving widow to wanted fugitive on a journey through retribution and redemption, innocence, and crime!

Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Cate Blanchett: Australian Actress
Giovanni Ribisi: Actor
Remo Girone: Actor, HEAVEN (2002)
Stefania Rocca: Italian Actress
Alessandro Sperduti: Actor, HEAVEN (2002)
Mattia Sbragia: Italian Actor

Tom Tykwer: Bavaria

Anthony Minghella: Playwright/Screenwriter/Director
Maria Koepf: Producer, HEAVEN (2002)
Sydney Pollack: American Director, producer, actor
Stefan Horberg: Swedish Actor/ SHOW ME LOVE
Stefan Amdt: Producer, HEAVEN (2002)
Manuela Stehr: Producer, HEAVEN (2002)

Krzysztof Kieslowski: Polish-Born Director
Krzysztof Piesiewicz: Polish Screenwriter

Mathilde Bonnefoy: 

"...HEAVEN is vintage Kieslowski -- a movie that operates on so many levels one almost needs a mental elevator to keep track of the nuances..."
"In HEAVEN the Australian dramatic chameleon Cate Blanchett gives the most compelling screen performance of her career....A film whose formal elegance is matched by its depth of feeling..."
"...When Twyker fully hits his stride, the effect is stunning..."