Directors Fortnight big on French, U.S. movies
Cannes sidebar lineup
May 2, 2006
PARIS -- The Cannes sidebar Directors Fortnight will be a largely Franco-American affair, with half the films in the 22-strong line-up unveiled here Tuesday either Gallic- or U.S.-made.
"It was a good year in terms of new discoveries and first films from the U.S. and Europe, and it's a very hybrid selection with films that offer new, even revolutionary experiences for the audience," artistic director Olivier Pere said in an interview. "The selection reveals a real modernity in today's cinema, in its most radical, surprising or risky aspects, with many films from young directors who have a relaxed relationship with cinema and a more global artistic culture linked to painting or music or theater."
U.S. fare at the sidebar includes "Bug," a psychological thriller from veteran director William Friedkin starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon in a tale about a mentally disturbed war veteran who holes up with a lonely woman in a motel room.
"Daft Punk's Electroma" is a U.S. production directed by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, who make up France's cult electronica band Daft Punk. The film, a psychedelic musical and visual odyssey that follows the fate of two robots in their quest to become human, is the reclusive duo's directorial debut. In 2003, the pair collaborated with Japanese director Leiji Matsumoto on the animated film "Interstella 5555," which screened in the sidebar.
"Day Night Day Night" is the first fiction film from American Julia Loktev, whose documentary "Moment of Impact" won her a clutch of nods including the Director's Award at Sundance 1998. The film recounts a female suicide bomber's two days of preparation for an attack on New York's Times Square.
Julian Goldberger's "The Hawk is Dying," which screened at Sundance this year, stars Paul Giamatti as a garage-owning bird fancier in a quest to keep alive a red-tailed hawk. The final American film in the selection is M. Blash's first feature, "Lying," which features an ensemble cast including Meryl Streep's son Henry Gummer and Chloe Sevigny. Sevigny's character Megan, invites her New York friends for a weekend in the country and discovers a pathological liar in their midst.
French offerings take up six slots in the selection. "Les Anges Exterminateurs" (Exterminating Angels) by Jean-Claude Brisseau describes a director's legal problems after accusations are made following erotic casting sessions. Although the filmmakers deny that it is autobiographical, the film has some uncanny parallels to Brisseau's real-life experiences, himself having been accused of sex offenses by four young actresses he cast.
"Dans Paris" (In Paris) comes from Gallic helmer Christophe Honore and is a sentimental tale of two brothers, starring Romain Duris ("The Beat That My Heart Skipped") and Louis Garrel ("Ma Mere"). "Azur and Asmar" from French cartoon maestro Michel Ocelot ("Kirikou and the Sorceress") tells a story of friendship and rivalry between an Arab and a European boy against a backdrop of the ancient Orient.
"Ca Brule" (It Burns) by French director Claire Simon recounts the all-consuming love of a teenage girl for an older fireman who helps her after a riding accident. "Changement d'Adresse" (Change of Address) by Emmanuel Mouret is a comic tale of a shy musician who falls in love with a young student.
"On Ne Devrait pas Exister" (We Shouldn't Exist) is the directorial debut from French porn star HPG. The film, which also stars HPG, recounts the experiences of porn actor Herve who decides to hang up his Condoman costume and dedicate himself to traditional cinema.
Directors Fortnight kicks off on May 18th with the Danish adult animation, "Princess," from helmer Anders Morgenthaler. The cartoon is about a priest who wants to erase all pornographic material featuring his deceased porn-star sister, and is described as "a most surprising film."
There are two Asian movies in the selection. Bong Joon-Ho's previously announced "The Host," a sci-fi horror about a mutant rising from Seoul's Han river, is full of special effects but is described by Pere as "an auteur film and a very intelligent movie." "Yureru" (Swing) from Japanese director Nishikawa Miwa is about two brothers who become involved in the accidental death of a childhood friend and the ensuing court case.
"A Fost Sau n-a Fost?" (Was it or Was it Not?), the debut film from Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu, makes a record year for that country with two other movies from Romanian helmers screening elsewhere in Cannes.
Australian director Ray Lawrence's "Jindabyne" boosts an impressive Aussie presence on the Croisette this year with another three titles in Un Certain Regard. Starring Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney, the movie recounts the effects the discovery of a woman's body has on the small town of Jindabyne.
Directors Fortnight will also play host to a special screening of "Mala Noche" (Bad Night), the first film from previous Palme d'Or winner Gus Van Sant. The film was shown at Sundance this year but has yet to screen in Europe.
The sidebar wraps May 28 with Canadian director Philippe Falardeau's "Congorama."
DIRECTORS FORTNIGHT
Feature films:
A Fost sau n-a Fost? (Was it or Was it Not?)
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania
Anche Libero va Bene (Free is Fine, Too)
Director: Kim Rossi Stuart, Italy
Les Anges Exterminateurs (Exterminating Angels)
Director: Jean-Claude Brisseau, France
Azur and Asmar
Director: Michel Ocelot, France/Belgium/Italy/Spain
Bug
Director: William Friedkin, U.S.
Ca Brule (It Burns)
Director: Claire Simon, France/Switzerland
Changement d'Adresse (Change of Address)
Director: Emmanuel Mouret, France
Congorama
Director: Philippe Falardeau, Canada/Belgium/France
Daft Punk's Electroma
Directors: Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter
Dans Paris (In Paris)
Director: Christophe Honore, France
Day Night Day Night
Director: Julia Loktev, U.S./Germany/France
Feher Tenyer (White Palms)
Director: Szabolcs Hadju, Hungary/France
The Hawk is Dying
Director: Julian Goldberger, U.S.
Honor de Cavalleria (The Honor of Chivalry)
Director: Albert Serra, Spain
The Host
Director: Bong Joon-Ho, South Korea
Jindabyne
Director: Ray Lawrence, Australia
Lying
Director: M. Blash, U.S.
On Ne Devrait Pas Exister (We Shouldn't Exist)
Director: HPG, France
Princess
Director: Anders Morgenthaler, Denmark/Germany
Sommer 04 An Der Schlei (Summer '04)
Director: Stefan Krohmer, Germany
Transe
Director: Teresa Villaverde, Portugal/France/Italy
Yureru
Director: Nishikawa Miwa, Japan
Special screenings:
Fantasma
Director: Lisandro Alonso, Argentina/France/Holland
Melvil
Director: Melvil Poupaud, France
Mala Noche (Bad Night)
Director: Gus Van Sant, U.S.
Short films:
Program 1
The Aluminum Fowl
Director: James Clauer, U.S.
Le Soleil et la Mort Voyagent Ensemble (The Sun and Moon Travel Together)
Director: Frank Beauvais, France
By The Kiss
Director: Yann Gonzalez, France
A Rat
Director: Bosilka Simonovitch, France
Bugcrush
Director: Carter Smith, U.S.
Sepohon Rambutan Indah Kepunyaanku Di Tanjung Rambutan (My Beautiful Rambutan Tree in Tanjung Rambutan)
Director: U-Wei Bin HajiSaari, Malaysia
Program 2
L'Etoile de Mer (The Starfish)
Director: Caroline Deruas, France
Rapace (Robber)
Director: Joao Nicolau, Portugal
Dans le Rang (In the Row)
Director: Cyprien Vial, France
Menged
Director: Daniel Taye Workou, Ethiopia
Manue Bolonaise
Director: Sophie Letourneur, France
"It was a good year in terms of new discoveries and first films from the U.S. and Europe, and it's a very hybrid selection with films that offer new, even revolutionary experiences for the audience," artistic director Olivier Pere said in an interview. "The selection reveals a real modernity in today's cinema, in its most radical, surprising or risky aspects, with many films from young directors who have a relaxed relationship with cinema and a more global artistic culture linked to painting or music or theater."
U.S. fare at the sidebar includes "Bug," a psychological thriller from veteran director William Friedkin starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon in a tale about a mentally disturbed war veteran who holes up with a lonely woman in a motel room.
"Daft Punk's Electroma" is a U.S. production directed by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, who make up France's cult electronica band Daft Punk. The film, a psychedelic musical and visual odyssey that follows the fate of two robots in their quest to become human, is the reclusive duo's directorial debut. In 2003, the pair collaborated with Japanese director Leiji Matsumoto on the animated film "Interstella 5555," which screened in the sidebar.
"Day Night Day Night" is the first fiction film from American Julia Loktev, whose documentary "Moment of Impact" won her a clutch of nods including the Director's Award at Sundance 1998. The film recounts a female suicide bomber's two days of preparation for an attack on New York's Times Square.
Julian Goldberger's "The Hawk is Dying," which screened at Sundance this year, stars Paul Giamatti as a garage-owning bird fancier in a quest to keep alive a red-tailed hawk. The final American film in the selection is M. Blash's first feature, "Lying," which features an ensemble cast including Meryl Streep's son Henry Gummer and Chloe Sevigny. Sevigny's character Megan, invites her New York friends for a weekend in the country and discovers a pathological liar in their midst.
French offerings take up six slots in the selection. "Les Anges Exterminateurs" (Exterminating Angels) by Jean-Claude Brisseau describes a director's legal problems after accusations are made following erotic casting sessions. Although the filmmakers deny that it is autobiographical, the film has some uncanny parallels to Brisseau's real-life experiences, himself having been accused of sex offenses by four young actresses he cast.
"Dans Paris" (In Paris) comes from Gallic helmer Christophe Honore and is a sentimental tale of two brothers, starring Romain Duris ("The Beat That My Heart Skipped") and Louis Garrel ("Ma Mere"). "Azur and Asmar" from French cartoon maestro Michel Ocelot ("Kirikou and the Sorceress") tells a story of friendship and rivalry between an Arab and a European boy against a backdrop of the ancient Orient.
"Ca Brule" (It Burns) by French director Claire Simon recounts the all-consuming love of a teenage girl for an older fireman who helps her after a riding accident. "Changement d'Adresse" (Change of Address) by Emmanuel Mouret is a comic tale of a shy musician who falls in love with a young student.
"On Ne Devrait pas Exister" (We Shouldn't Exist) is the directorial debut from French porn star HPG. The film, which also stars HPG, recounts the experiences of porn actor Herve who decides to hang up his Condoman costume and dedicate himself to traditional cinema.
Directors Fortnight kicks off on May 18th with the Danish adult animation, "Princess," from helmer Anders Morgenthaler. The cartoon is about a priest who wants to erase all pornographic material featuring his deceased porn-star sister, and is described as "a most surprising film."
There are two Asian movies in the selection. Bong Joon-Ho's previously announced "The Host," a sci-fi horror about a mutant rising from Seoul's Han river, is full of special effects but is described by Pere as "an auteur film and a very intelligent movie." "Yureru" (Swing) from Japanese director Nishikawa Miwa is about two brothers who become involved in the accidental death of a childhood friend and the ensuing court case.
"A Fost Sau n-a Fost?" (Was it or Was it Not?), the debut film from Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu, makes a record year for that country with two other movies from Romanian helmers screening elsewhere in Cannes.
Australian director Ray Lawrence's "Jindabyne" boosts an impressive Aussie presence on the Croisette this year with another three titles in Un Certain Regard. Starring Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney, the movie recounts the effects the discovery of a woman's body has on the small town of Jindabyne.
Directors Fortnight will also play host to a special screening of "Mala Noche" (Bad Night), the first film from previous Palme d'Or winner Gus Van Sant. The film was shown at Sundance this year but has yet to screen in Europe.
The sidebar wraps May 28 with Canadian director Philippe Falardeau's "Congorama."
DIRECTORS FORTNIGHT
Feature films:
A Fost sau n-a Fost? (Was it or Was it Not?)
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania
Anche Libero va Bene (Free is Fine, Too)
Director: Kim Rossi Stuart, Italy
Les Anges Exterminateurs (Exterminating Angels)
Director: Jean-Claude Brisseau, France
Azur and Asmar
Director: Michel Ocelot, France/Belgium/Italy/Spain
Bug
Director: William Friedkin, U.S.
Ca Brule (It Burns)
Director: Claire Simon, France/Switzerland
Changement d'Adresse (Change of Address)
Director: Emmanuel Mouret, France
Congorama
Director: Philippe Falardeau, Canada/Belgium/France
Daft Punk's Electroma
Directors: Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter
Dans Paris (In Paris)
Director: Christophe Honore, France
Day Night Day Night
Director: Julia Loktev, U.S./Germany/France
Feher Tenyer (White Palms)
Director: Szabolcs Hadju, Hungary/France
The Hawk is Dying
Director: Julian Goldberger, U.S.
Honor de Cavalleria (The Honor of Chivalry)
Director: Albert Serra, Spain
The Host
Director: Bong Joon-Ho, South Korea
Jindabyne
Director: Ray Lawrence, Australia
Lying
Director: M. Blash, U.S.
On Ne Devrait Pas Exister (We Shouldn't Exist)
Director: HPG, France
Princess
Director: Anders Morgenthaler, Denmark/Germany
Sommer 04 An Der Schlei (Summer '04)
Director: Stefan Krohmer, Germany
Transe
Director: Teresa Villaverde, Portugal/France/Italy
Yureru
Director: Nishikawa Miwa, Japan
Special screenings:
Fantasma
Director: Lisandro Alonso, Argentina/France/Holland
Melvil
Director: Melvil Poupaud, France
Mala Noche (Bad Night)
Director: Gus Van Sant, U.S.
Short films:
Program 1
The Aluminum Fowl
Director: James Clauer, U.S.
Le Soleil et la Mort Voyagent Ensemble (The Sun and Moon Travel Together)
Director: Frank Beauvais, France
By The Kiss
Director: Yann Gonzalez, France
A Rat
Director: Bosilka Simonovitch, France
Bugcrush
Director: Carter Smith, U.S.
Sepohon Rambutan Indah Kepunyaanku Di Tanjung Rambutan (My Beautiful Rambutan Tree in Tanjung Rambutan)
Director: U-Wei Bin HajiSaari, Malaysia
Program 2
L'Etoile de Mer (The Starfish)
Director: Caroline Deruas, France
Rapace (Robber)
Director: Joao Nicolau, Portugal
Dans le Rang (In the Row)
Director: Cyprien Vial, France
Menged
Director: Daniel Taye Workou, Ethiopia
Manue Bolonaise
Director: Sophie Letourneur, France
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