02/02/2022 - In the lineup of the French sales agent shine Peter Von Kant by François Ozon and Everything Will Be Ok by Rithy Panh, but also About Joan out of competition

Although the European Film Market of the 72nd Berlin Film Festival will take place online (from 10 to 17 February), the team of the French international sales company Playtime (lead by Nicolas Brigaud-Robert, Sébastien Beffa and François Yon) will make the trip to the German capital to accompany its screenings and negotiate in person with the professionals present. It must be said that its lineup is not lacking in appeal, with two titles in particular making their world premieres in competition: Peter Von Kant [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by François Ozon, and Everything Will Be Ok [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rithy Panh
film profile] by Rithy Panh. 

Ozon will be in competition in Berlin for the 6th time after 2000 (Water Drops on Burning Rocks), 2002 (8 Women [+see also:
trailer
film profile] with a Silver Bear for the ensemble cast), 2007 (Angel [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), 2009 (Ricky [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and 2019 (By the Grace of God [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: François Ozon
film profile] which had won the Grand Prix). Played by Denis Ménochet, Isabelle Adjani, Hanna Schyugulla, Khalil Gharbia and Stefan Crepon, his latest opus, Peter Van Kant, is a free interpretation of The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The script centres on Peter Von Kant, a famous and successful film director, living with his assistant Karl whom he loves to mistreat and humiliate. Through the great actress Sidonie, he meets and falls in love with Amir, a handsome young man of modest means. He offers to share his apartment with him and help him break into the film world… Produced by Foz (François Ozon’s company), the film will be distributed in France by Diaphana.

Rithy Panh is also back in competition in Berlin (a second foray into this level after Irradiated [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rithy Panh
film profile], which won the Best Documentary Award in 2020) with Everything Will Be Ok, which will have its World Premiere on 12 February. The pitch? Imagine animals taking over. Would they behave like humans? Would they make the same mistakes, fight for power, rule by terror, devour everything? What would their works of art represent? Would the planet be more peaceful? Written and edited by the Franco-Cambodian director (who has been in the Official Selection in Cannes seven times in his career), his new documentary was produced by his usual accomplice, Catherine Dussart, for the Parisian company CDP Production.

The Playtime team will focus on another title in the official selection: Laurent Larivière's About Joan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurent Larivière
film profile]. The filmmaker's second feature discovered in Cannes in 2015 (at Un Certain Regard with I am a Soldier [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurent Larivière
film profile]) will make its world premiere on 15 February at the Berlinale Special Gala programme with Isabelle Huppert, Swann Arlaud and Lars Eidinger headlining an enigmatic drama that slowly unravels the mystery of a woman's life as she recalls the happiest and darkest memories of her life, between France, Ireland and Germany. The production was spearheaded by the Paris-based company 2.4.7. Films with co-production by Gifted Films West of Germany and Blinder Films Limited of Ireland. Haut et Court will release the film in France on 31 August.

At the EFM, Playtime will also continue pre-sales for Robin Campillo's Red Island [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Michel Ocelot's animated film Black Pharaoh, the Savage and the Princess [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (in the final stages of production) and Austrian Ruth Mader's Serviam – I Will Serve [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruth Mader
film profile] (promoreel in support of this title in post-production), and will be screening Étienne Comar's Singing Jailbirds [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (to be released in France on 13 April via Ad Vitam) at the online marketplace.

(Translated from French)