12/03/2015 - The upcoming film by the Italian documentary maker, who won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2013, will be co-produced by the film arm of the Franco-German channel

Arte France Cinéma (headed by Olivier Père) has chosen to get on board two feature-length documentary projects as a co-producer and pre-purchaser; these titles include Fire at Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gianfranco Rosi
film profile] (Fuocoammare” – read the news) by Italian director Gianfranco Rosi.

Having been particularly popular with his poignant Below Sea Level (2008) and the extraordinary El Sicario Room 164 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2010), before shooting to the top of his profession with the Golden Lion that he won at Venice in 2013 thanks to Sacro GRA [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gianfranco Rosi
film profile], the filmmaker is already shooting this new documentary that will delve to the heart of the situation on the island of Lampedusa. Since the 1990s, this place, the most southerly point of Italy, has become the arrival point for masses of illegal immigrants fleeing Africa. Over 20 years, it is estimated that over 20,000 people have drowned while attempting the crossing. According to the director, “Lampedusa constitutes the border of a Europe that today rejects those who flee war and famine by running the risk of drowning in the deep watery grave of the sea.” Fire at Sea is co-produced by France and Italy (through Les Films d'Ici, 21 Uno Film and Stemal Entertainment) and will be completed in 2016.

Arte France Cinéma will also support Corridors of Power by Israel’s Dror Moreh (nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2013 with The Gatekeepers). Produced by the filmmaker’s own company along with French outfit Films du Poisson, the feature will enable audiences to meet the men and women who held the reins of power in the upper echelons of their respective states in Paris, Washington, London, Berlin, Moscow and Beijing, and whose decisions had an impact on their countries’ positions during various international crises, thus shaping the course of history.

As previously reported, at the start of the year Arte France Cinéma chose to get involved with the upcoming features by Bertrand Bonello, Mia Hansen-Løve, Sacha Wolff and Jia Zhangke (read the news).

(Translated from French)