17/12/2007

Five feature film projects were selected at the last session of the second board for advances on receipts of the National Centre for Cinematography (CNC).

Among the chosen films is Océan by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, the directorial duo behind the highly successful Winged Migration (2001). Produced by Galatée and co-produced by Pathé Renn Productions, the film will be released on French screens end of 2008 by Pathé, who are also heading international sales.

Océan – shooting on which began in 2004 and has lasted three years, in more than 50 different locations across the world’s oceans – combines narrative and documentary to explore the great diversity of sea creatures, the men who live off them and those who exploit them.

"I don’t claim to be able to tell others what should be done. People like Al Gore and Nicolas Hulot are able to do this much better than me. I simply want to touch viewers, draw their attention and make an emotional impression on them," Perrin explained to the press. "I want people to come away from this film thinking to themselves that something has to be done, that we shouldn’t just sit back and accept the disappearance of all these species, of this rich diversity that we haven’t yet fully discovered."

Two other directors, already supported by the Ile-de-France region, are set to receive advances on receipts (see news): Bruno Dumont for Hadewijch (3B Productions and Arte France Cinéma) and Alain Resnais for Les herbes folles (formerly known as L’incident - produced by F comme Films).

Resnais’ film retraces the encounter between a dentist and amateur pilot (Sabine Azéma), whose bag is snatched and its contents thrown across a car park, and solitary man with a troubled past (André Dussollier) who retrieves her wallet. The film also stars Emmanuelle Devos, Mathieu Amalric and Sandrine Bonnaire.

The CNC also selected Nuit de chien (“Dog’s Night”) by German filmmaker Werner Schroeter, produced for Alma Films by Paulo Branco who produced Two (2002), the director’s previous film.

Lastly, an advance on receipts was accorded to Vive la France ou le mont des oiseaux (“Long Live France or Bird Mountain”) by Christian Philibert [Espigoule’s Four Seasons (1999) and The Heat’s On (2003)]. The project does not yet have a producer.

(Translated from French)