2nd quarter: the top French releases

by Fabien Lemercier

16/08/2005 - With its market share envied by numerous European countries (43,5% in the first quarter), national French production will be watching very carefully the closing four months of 2005, with exhibitors hoping for their part to halt the drop in attendances compared to 2004. An armada of 66 French features (100 % French or majority productions) will set sail in the French cinemas from now till the end of the year. Heading the list is Oliver Twist by Roman Polanski which will be released on the 19th of October (Pathé Distribution), but a number of high-quality outsiders will also be there.

Films from Cannes and Venice have the lion’s share with Peindre et faire l’amour [trailer, film focus] by brothers Arnaud and Jean-Pierre Larrieu(24/08 - Pyramide), le Parfum de la dame en noir by Bruno Podalydès (14/09 - UGC ), Gabrielle [trailer] by Patrice Chéreau (28/09 - Mars Distribution ), Caché [trailer, film focus] by Michael Haneke (05/10 - Les Films du Losange ), Joyeux Noël [trailer, film focus] by Christian Carion (09/11 - UGC), Free Zone [trailer] by Amos Gitaï (16/11- Bac Films), Le temps qui reste [trailer] by François Ozon (30/11 - Mars), the documentary Darshan by Jan Kounen (30/11 – Océan Films) and Kirikou et les bêtes sauvages by Michel Ocelot and Bénédicte Galup (07/12 - Gebeka Films).

The exhibitors have high hopes too for La piste by Eric Valli (05/10 -Gaumont Columbia Tri Star), La boîte noire by Richard Berri with José Garcia (26/10 - EuropaCorp. Distribution), Combien tu m’aimes? by Bertrand Blier with Monica Bellucci (26/10 - Pan Européenne Distribution) and La comédie du pouvoir by Claude Chabrol 21st December (21/12 - Pan européenne). Without forgetting the popular attraction of St–Jacques... La Mecque by Coline Serreau (12/09 - UGC Distribution), Les chevaliers du ciel by Gérard Pirès with Benoît Magimel and Clovis Cornillac (09/11 – Pathé), Palais Royal by Valérie Lemercier (23/11 - Gaumont Columbia Tri Star) and L’hypercondriaque by Gérard Bitton and Manuel Munz (14/12 – UGC).
br> Finally, the wave of releases will offer Une aventure by Xavier Giannoli with Ludivine Sagnier (31/08 - Mars), Entre ses mains by Anne Fontaine with Benoît Poolvoerde and Isabelle Carré (21/09 – Pathé), La maison de Nina by Richard Dembo with Agnès Jaoui and Charles Berling (05/10 - TFM Distribution ), Backstage by Emmanuel Bercot (16/11 – Haut et Court) and Le petit lieutenant by Xavier Beauvois with Nathalie Baye (16/11 – Mars).

(Translated from French)