Ossang’s Dharma Guns in UMedia line-up
Selected in the Horizons section at the 67th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11, 2010), French/Portuguese co-production Dharma Guns, which marks the return of cult director F.J. Ossang, is well-placed in international seller Umedia’s line-up.
Dharma Guns is Ossang’s fourth feature after Treasure of the Bitch Islands (1991) and The Case of the Morituri Divisions (1985), which both screened in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, and Doctor Chance (1998 – in competition at Locarno and starring Joe Strummer). It stars Brit actor Guy Mc Knight, France’s Elvire and Lionel Tua, and Portugal’s Diogo Doria.
Scripted by the director (also a figure of the punk music scene with the band MKB Fraction Provisoire), Dharma Guns opens with a water skiing accident that ends in the death of Délie, Stan van der Decken’s fiancée. Stan awakens from a coma and finds out he is the heir of the mysterious Professor Starkov.
He thus sets off for Las Estrellas where he is greeted by Jon, an alleged childhood friend, and Doctor Lisandro Ewers. He then discovers that Professor Starkov (who is perhaps Délie’s father) has developed a process called "double genetics".
Have Stan and Délie been guinea pigs in a strange scientific experiment? And will Stan ever be reunited with Délie?
Dharma Guns was produced by Paris-based OSS/100 Films & Documents. Its €1.83m budget included co-production support from Love Streams agnès b. Productions and Portuguese company Cinemate, as well as an advance on receipts from France’s National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC).
The title is sold internationally by UMedia. The latter also bought the rights to Ossang’s previous three features and his triptych of shorts – Sky’s Black Out!, Vladivostok and Silence (Jean Vigo Award).
(Translated from French)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
