Four Italian gems to hit French screens in December
In the wake of the success of Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Domenico Procacci
interview: Jean Labadie
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] (over 510,000 admissions in France, i.e. almost €3m in box office takings), the end of the year will have an Italian flavour in French theatres with the release of four Italian features next month: Agostino Ferrente’s The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Antonello Grimaldi’s Quiet Chaos [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonello Grimaldi
interview: Domenico Procacci
film profile], Marco Bechis’ Birdwatchers [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Paolo Sorrentino’s Cannes award-winner Il divo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicola Giuliano
interview: Paolo Sorrentino
interview: Philippe Desandre
film profile] (“The Deity”).
On December 3, Eurozoom will launch Ferrente’s documentary on around 15 screens. The film looks at a five-year citizen-led project whose aim was to bring together musicians from across the world and form an orchestra to safeguard the culture of Rome’s Piazza Vittorio (a working-class neighbourhood with a high immigrant population) and its Cinema Apollo, which was threatened with conversion into a bingo hall.
On December 10, Bac Films will release Grimaldi’s Quiet Chaos. The film – which enjoyed domestic box office success and was unveiled in official competition at the latest Berlinale – is adapted from Sandro Veronesi’s eponymous novel and stars Nanni Moretti, who co-wrote the script.
The stellar cast includes Isabella Ferrari, Alessandro Gassman, Valeria Golino, Silvio Orlando, Hippolyte Girardot, Denis Podalydès and Roman Polanski in a guest appearance.
On December 17, Océan Films will release on around 80 screens Bechis’ Birdwatchers, which explores the harsh destiny of Brazil’s Guarani Indians and was lauded in competition at the 2008 Venice Film Festival. Océan Films is a loyal partner of the director for they also released Garage Olimpo in 2000.
Finally, the year will end with a flourish for Italian film with the launch on French screens of Sorrentino’s explosive Il Divo. Winner of the Jury Prize at the latest Cannes Film Festival, the title will be released by influential distributor StudioCanal on a print-run that reflects the exceptional talent of the director and high quality of the feature starring Toni Servillo.
(Translated from French)
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