18/09/2008

The 56th San Sebastian Film Festival kicks off today. Among the 19 titles in official competition are two French features: Christophe Honoré’s La Belle personne [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (“Beautiful Person”, see news) and Louise Michel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benoît Delépine and Gustav…
interview: Benoît Jaubert
film profile] by iconoclastic directors Gustave Kervern and Benoît Delépine (see news).

Louise Michel – the third feature by the duo after Aaltra (presented at Rotterdam in 2004) and Avida [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (shown out of competition at Cannes in 2006) – stars Belgian actors Yolande Moreau, Bouli Lanners and Benoît Poelvoorde, alongside France’s Albert Dupontel and Mathieu Kassovitz (who also produced the film).The title takes the form of a burlesque chase led by a woman and an incompetent contract killer, as they try to track down a lawless boss who wants to relocate his company.

The MNP Entreprise production was made for €2.56m This included co-production backing from Arte France Cinéma, an advance on receipts from the National Film Centre (CNC) and pre-sales from Canal+ and Ciné Cinéma.

Sold internationally by Funny Balloons, Louise Michel will be released domestically on December 24 by Ad Vitam.

French international sellers will be keeping their eye on five other titles in official competition. Wild Bunch are handling sales for Camino by Spain’s Javier Fesser and Two-Legged Horse by Iran’s Samira Makhmalbaf. Meanwhile, Celluloid Dreams are managing sales for Still Walking by Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-Eda, Rezo Films for Courtney Hunt’s US title Frozen River and Pathé International for My Prison Yard by Spanish director Belén Macías.

Also screening in official competition is minority French production Pandora’s Box [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Turkish director Yesim Ustaoglu. The film was piloted by French companies Silkroad Production and Les Petites Lumières. French actress Emmanuelle Devos will also star in Fien Troch’s Belgian/Dutch co-production Unspoken [+see also:
trailer
film profile], to screen in the Zabaltegi-New Directors section.

Finally, the Pearls line-up includes Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Class [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carole Scotta
interview: Laurent Cantet
film profile] by Laurent Cantet and Olivier Assayas’ Summer Hours [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

(Translated from French)