Europe co-produces the world

by Fabien Lemercier

17/05/2011 - Screened yesterday in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, Bonsai [trailer] by Chilean helmer Cristian Jiménez is one of the many international films presented this year on the Croisette and produced by European outfits.

In addition to Bonsai – produced by Chile, France (Rouge International), Argentina and Portugal (Ukbar Filmes) – other co-productions include Takashi Miike’s Japanese title Ichimei in competition (co-produced by British outfit Recorded Pictures) and Beauty [trailer] by Olivier Hermanus, selected in Un Certain Regard and produced by South Africa and French outfit Equation.

Other co-productions in official selection include Days of Grace [trailer] by Mexican helmer Everardo Gout (a US production in co-production with France’s ARP), which will have a midnight screening, and Rithy Panh’s documentary Duch, le maître des forges de l’enfer [trailer] (produced by France’s CDP and the INA and Cambodia).

And, of course, the opening film of the festival, Midnight in Paris [trailer], is a joint Spanish-American project.

No less than four European co-productions from other continents are screening in this year’s Directors’ Fortnight: Alejandro Landes’s Porfirio [trailer] (a Columbian project with support from Spanish outfit Carmelita Film and France’s Atopic); Leila Kilani’s On a Plank [trailer] (produced by France’s Aurora Films in co-production with fellow French outfit DKB Productions, Germany’s Vandertastic and Morocco); Chatrak [trailer] by Sri Lankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara (produced by India and French outfits Films de l’étranger, Wallpaper Production and Bear Called Dog); and Natalia Almad’s El velador (produced by Mexico, France via Tita Production and Les Films d'ici, and the US).

Lastly, competing in International Critics’ Week are two European co-productions: The Slut [trailer] by Israeli director Hagar Ben Asher (co-produced by Germany’s Rohfilm) and Las Acacias by Argentina’s Pablo Giorgelli (co-produced by Spanish outfit Armonika). The special screening will feature Walk Away, Renée [trailer] by Jonathan Caouette (produced by Penelope Morgan Productions in co-production with Love Streams Agnès B. Productions and Polyester, and the US).

(Translated from French)