Montpellier, capital of Mediterranean cinema

by Fabien Lemercier

21/10/2005 - Opening under the sign of La Movida of Madrid for the 27th edition of the Mediterranean cinema festival at Montpellier, which starts tonight with El Calentito, the latest film by Chus Gutiérrez. Until the 30th of October, the event offers a tour of the production output of 21 Mediterranean countries with 251 films of which 125 are new. On the menu are special nights, reviews and an official selection for features, shorts, documentaries and experimental works, and also 12 meetings and round-tables, a "Spanish retrospective: women and the camera", tributes to filmmakers Vittorio De Seta and Lucio Fulci, a programme "Cinecittà-Hollywood" and Screenplay Day on the 26th October with directors Philippe Faucon and William Karel.

In the main competition, 11 features will be in the running. Among them Vento di terra [trailer] from Italian Vincenzo Marra (read interview), Tuning from Slovenian Igor Sterk, Les Prénoms d'Alice by Spaniard Pilar Ruiz Gutiérrez, Go West by Ahmed Imamovic (Bosnie-Croatie), French-Belgian co-production La Trahison [trailer] by Philippe Faucon, Le Pain nu by Mohamed Rachid Benhadj (Italie-Algérie-France), Une merveilleuse nuit à Split from Croatian Arsen Anton Ostojic andMirage by Svetozar Ristovski (Macédoine-Autriche).
Note too previews La Petite Jérusalem from French woman Karin Albou (see news Critics’ Week), by L'Enfant endormi by Yasmine Kassari (Belgique-France), French-Israeli co-production Free Zone [trailer] by Amos Gitaï (see compte-rendu Cannes Festival) and Quo Vadis, Baby ? by Italian Gabriele Salvatores.

In the Panorama section, Italy takes pride of place, with Sous le soleil noir by Enrico Verra, Vagues by Francesco Fei, La Passion de Josué le juif by Pasquale Scimeca (read critic), Apnée by Roberto Dordit and Frères d'Italie by Roberto Quagliano. And the film-lovers and professionals attending can also discover Chez l'oncle Idriz by Bosniqaque Pjer Zalica, Rue des Figuiers by Yasmina Yahiaoui (France), Dieu est-il cuisinier? by Grec Stergios Niziris and three Spanish films: Loin du corps by Vicente Peñarrocha, Amor idiota by Ventura Pons and Semen, a love story [trailer, film focus] by duo Daniela Fejerman - Inés París (read too Focus).

(Translated from French)