A pop star and 11 Flowers

by Fabien Lemercier

09/05/2012 - From a film by Madonna to the Franco-Chinese agreement’s first co-production, a flurry of new offerings try their luck in French cinemas before the Cannes storm

While attendance was up in French cinemas by 48.5% this April compared to the same month last year, with a grand total of 70.71 admissions from January 1 to April 30, 2012 (+5.6%) and French films holding 50% of the market (39.1% for American productions), 13 new films are out in cinemas this Wednesday, before the 65th Cannes Film Festival (from May 16 to 27) takes hold of the projectors.

British productions are the star of this week, and include W.E. [+see also:
trailer
interview: Madonna
film profile] (photo) by Madonna, discovered out of competition at the last Mostra in Venise (read the review and watch the interview - released by Pretty Pictures in 63 cinemas), the frolics of old-age pensioners in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by John Madden (with Judi Dench and Tom Wilkinson – released by Twentieth Century Fox in 189 cinemas), and the co-production with Germany, StreetDance2 by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini (Metropolitan Filmexport in 196 cinemas).

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Finally, Rendez-vous is releasing 11 Flowers [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Wang Xiaoshuai (read more), a subtle film selected for both San Sebastian and Toronto, in 28 cinemas. The film is the first Chinese-French co-production since the film co-production agreement signed between the two countries.

And then come the American-French-Canadian ensemble film The Theatre Bizarre (co-production – Tanzi Distribution) and six French films: Maman by Alexandra Leclère (read more - Wild Bunch Distribution in 322 cinemas), Sea, No Sex and Sun by Christophe Turpin (Pathé Films in 175 cinemas),Chroniques sexuelles d'une famille d'aujourd'hui by the duo Jean-Marc Barr - Pascal Arnold (Zelig Films Distribution in 14 cinemas), Chercher le garçon by Dorothée Sebbagh (Shellac in 32 cinemas) and the documentaries Le Chemin noir by Abdallah Badis (A3 Distribution) and Disparaissez les ouvriers ! by Christine Thépénier and Jean-François Priester (Iskra).