Noir turns 20

by c.d.m.

25/11/2010 - For years now, literature and film have freed noir from the stockades of “genre,” and placed it into the hands of great authors and directors. Proof of which can be found in audiences’ growing interest in these artists at the Courmayeur Noir in Festival, this year celebrating its 20th edition from December 7-13.

“Over time, the Noir festival has come to reflect our era. Twenty years later, we have changed profoundly but are still tied to our roots: to use art and entertainment as an opportunity for cultural and civic examination,” said Giorgio Gosetti, who directs the festival with Marina Fabbri and Emanuela Cascia.

Of the 10 films vying for the Black Lion for Best Film, eight are fully European: J Blakeson’s The Disappearance Of Alice Creed [trailer] (UK); Cosimo Alemà’s debut film At The End Of the Day (UK/Italy); Fabrice Gobert’s French title Lights Out [trailer], starring Ana Girardot; Scandinavian films A Somewhat Gentle Man [trailer, film focus] by Hans Petter Moland (with Stellan Skarsgård) and Sound Of Noise [trailer] by Sweden’s Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjärne Nilsson; Turkey’s Kosmos [trailer] by Reha Erdem; and opening film We Are The Night by German director Dennis Gansel (The Wave [trailer]). The other three competition titles are Mark Romanek’s UK/US co-production Never Let Me Go [trailer], adapted from the Kazuo Ishiguro novel and featuring Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley, Argentinean title Carancho by the Oscar-nominated Pablo Trapero and The Housemaid by Korea’s Im Sang-soo.

Out-of-competition premieres include the third instalment of the Narnia saga, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, directed by Michael Apted; Julia’s Eyes [trailer] (Spain) by Guillermo Morales, produced by Guillermo del Toro and starring Belén Rueda (The Orphanage [trailer]); and the full-length version of Olivier Assayas’ Carlos [trailer], to be presented by its producer, Daniel Leconte.

(Translated from Italian)