NRW-funded films Venice bound

by Bénédicte Prot

22/08/2007 - Four films backed by the North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) regional film fund are to feature at the upcoming Venice Film Festival (August 29-September 8), one of which in official competition.

Following the success of The Wind That Shakes the Barley [trailer, film focus], NRW has once again supported Ken Loach for It's a Free World [trailer]. The UK/Spanish/Italian/German (EMC Produktion GmbH) co-production will be competing for the Golden Lion.

The competitive Horizons section will host Hartmut Bitomsky’s documentary Poussière (Staub), which received €95,000 from the NRW. This intriguing film with philosophical undertones was produced by Ma.Ja.De (Germany), in co-production with Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion (Switzerland).

The third NRW-financed title (€400,000) heading to Venice is Amos Gitai’s Disengagement. Screening in the Venezia Maestri section, the French/Italian/German co-production – shot partly near Cologne (home to the offices of its German co-producer Pandora) – tells the story of a French woman (Juliette Binoche) searching for her daughter and Israeli half-brother in Israel.

Lastly, NRW has further reason to rejoice with the selection of Andreas Kleinert’s Head Under Water in Venice Days. The Typhoon production – a blend of murder and idyllic adolescence – stars August Diehl.

(Translated from French)