14/07/2010

Diaphana, the regular French distributor of Ken Loach’s films (11 titles on their catalogue) and loyal collaborator of Michael Winterbottom (five features), has reunited with fellow Brit Stephen Frears for the first time since Liam in 2001. The company headed by Michel Saint-Jean is today launching a generous 200-print run of Tamara Drewe [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stephen Frears
film profile] in its original version. The comedy won great acclaim out of competition at the latest Cannes Film Festival (see review).

The line-up also includes another feature which attracted attention in May on the Croisette, out of competition: Gilles Marchand’s French/Belgian co-production Black Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gilles Marchand, director o…
film profile]. Starring Louise Bourgoin, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Melvil Poupaud and Pauline Etienne, the film is being released by Haut et Court on 137 screens.

A third title unveiled at Cannes (Un Certain Regard section, in 2009) is also hitting screens. After releasing the first instalment of collective Romanian film Tales from the Golden Age [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] on December 30, 2009, Le Pacte is launching the second part this Wednesday on three screens.

Another non-domestic European release is Italian director Roberto Ando’s Secret Journey [+see also:
trailer
film profile], starring Alessio Boni, Valeria Solarino and Emir Kusturica. Adapted from Irish writer Josephine Hart’s novel The Reconstructionist, the film was presented out of competition at the 2006 Rome Film Festival (see review). It is being released by Albany Films Distribution on ten screens.

This week’s biggest European release is from Pathé Distribution, who are launching a 437-print run of Olivier Baroux’s The Italian [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (produced by Eskwad). It features Kad Merad as a man who is known and liked by everyone as Dino Fabrizzi, but is actually called Mourad Ben Saoud, and finds himself forced to reveal his true identity.

Finally, StudioCanal is releasing Dominique Garing and Frédéric Goupil’s documentary The Wildlife of Domestic Animals.

(Translated from French)