27/09/2006

Extensive media coverage greets the French release of Days of Glory [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean Bréhat
interview: Rachid Bouchareb
film profile] by Rachid Bouchareb, opening on 460 screens across France today through Mars Distribution .

With a preview screening that was attended by French President Jacques Chirac, the film – which won its actors (Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila, Samy Nacéri and Bernard Blancan) a collective Best Actor award at Cannes this year – is dominating film columns and is also the subject of television talk show debates.

A gala opening greets the French/Moroccan/Algerian/Belgian production headed by French outfit Tessalit Productions (run by Jean Bréhat and Bouchareb) and backed, amongst others, by France 3 Cinéma, France 2 Cinéma, CNC advances in receipts and Belgian outfit Versus Production. (See Cineuropa’s Focus on the film.)

Apart from this steamroller, today’s other releases include Critics’ Week winner at Cannes, Poison Friends [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Emmanuel Bourdieu (see review). Produced by 4 A 4 Productions, the film backed by the CNC and the Ile de France region is being released through Les Films du Losange on 66 screens.

Also out this Wednesday is Luxury Car by China’s Wang Chao, which won the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes this year, is a 50% production from French outfit Rosem Films , supported by Arte France Cinéma and being sold internationally by Celluloid Dreams, who are releasing the title on 37 screens.

Lastly, Les Films du Préau is releasing Monsieur et Monsieur, a series of shorts for children by Czech directors Bretislav Pojar and Miroslav Stepanek, on 22 screens while Ad Vitam are releasing 15 prints of the documentary The Dignity of the Nobodies by Argentina's Fernando Solanas, co-produced by Switzerland's Thelma Film and TSR.

An army of films will battle it out against only four US titles, against a general backdrop of increases in admissions for French films, with the following four domestic titles taking second to fifth places at the box office last week: Poor Rich Folks [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Charlotte de Turckheim (308,000 admissions in five days), The Singer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] de Xavier Giannoli (590,000 in 11 days), President [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Lionel Delplanque (148,000 in five days) and Don’t Worry, I’m Fine [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Philippe Lioret (548,000 in 19 days).

(Translated from French)