From Hell to A Perfect Day

by Fabien Lemercier

01/03/2006 - Nine European productions or co-productions are released today in French cinemas, taking on three American opponents, within the context of an overall rise in admissions (+ 20% tickets in 2006 compared to the same period in 2005). French films make up the lion’s share of the bill, featuring Bruno Chiche’s Hell, which brings together two rising stars: Sara Forestier and Nicolas Duvauchelle. The film, which paints a destructive portrait of Parisian youth living in well-to-do neighbourhoods (see news Filming), was produced by WY Production and is released on 132 screens by its co-producer SND. The dark and the glamorous side of wealth are also featured in Fabienne Berthaud’s Frankie [trailer] with Diane Kruger who explores the modelling world and depression (distribution MK2 10 screens).

French production can also rely on Jean-Michel Verner’s comedy Célibataires [trailer] (lit. "Bachelors") starring Guillaume Depardieu (167 screens - Bac Films), Un printemps à Paris (lit. "A Spring in Paris") which sees the return of filmmaker Jacques Bral (Rezo Films - 48 screens) and the French-Lebanese co-production A perfect day [trailer] by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige (see article) which won the Fipresci Prize at Locarno in 2005 and which is released on 21 screens by Celluloid Dreams’ broadcast subsidiary. Lastly, it is worth noting releases such as the Russian-Italian-French-Swiss co-production Alexandre Sokourov’s The Sun (7 screens - Océan Films), Neil Jordan’s Breakfast on Pluto [trailer], a British-Irish co-production (4 copies - Pathé Distribution), the Swiss documentary Maria Béthânia mûsica è perfume by Georges Gachot (10 screens - Les Films du Paradoxe), Andy Fickman’s Reefer madness, a US-German co-production (25 screens - Diaphana).

(Translated from French)