22/08/2002 - Oliver Mégaton's Sirène Rouge is all set to create waves in the calm pond of France's summer releases

Sirène Rouge - Red Siren is a violent road-movie that exploded onto 350 French screens and shook up an otherwise sleepy summer season. The film is based on Maurice G. Dantec’s controversial cult novel about snuff movies and some of the rather more unpalatable “extra-curricular” activities embarked upon by mercenaries who fought in the Balkan civil war. Red Siren is the second feature film directed by the aptly-named Olivier Mégaton, a former painter and director of videoclips and television adverts who was “discovered” by fellow Gallic film entrepreneur, Luc Besson. Mégaton explores the unsavoury side of human nature on this dark and pessimistic journey from Eastern Europe to Portugal via Paris. The film stars Jean-Marc Barr, Asia Argento and Frances Barber and was produced by Haut et Court who are specialised in “art house” movies. The project has been around for some time and was indeed offered to directors of the calibre of Jean-Jacques Beneix and Regis Wargnier who turned it down.

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