A taste of Cannes at La Rochelle

by Fabien Lemercier

29/06/2012 - Film festival fever has gripped France. The 10th edition of Paris Cinéma (read more) opened yesterday, while this year's Palme d'Or laureate Love [trailer, film focus] by Michael Haneke today launches the 40th La Rochelle International Film Festival. Staying true to its demanding editorial line, the event, held in the very dynamic city of Charente-Maritime, will screen a variety of films until July 8, including about thirty premieres in its Ici et ailleurs (lit. "Here and elsewhere") section.

The festival's programme will have a Cannes flavour to it this year as 15 films have joined it directly from the last Cannes Film Festival, including the dazzling Holy Motors by Leos Carax (read the interview), Grand Prix winner Reality by Italian director Matteo Garrone, and controversial Austrian contender Paradise: Love by Ulrich Seidl.

The Cannes - La Rochelle connection also applies for Our Children by Belgian filmmaker Joachim Lafosse (watch the interview), Broken by British director Rufus Norris, Children of Sarajevo by Bosnian director Aida Begic, Here and There by Spanish director Antonio Méndez Esparza (Grand Prix at the Critics' Week), and Le Repenti by Algerian filmmaker Merzak Allouache (Europa Cinema Award - watch the interview with the director). The following will also screen at the festival: the co-production Despues de Lucia by Mexican director Michel Franco (Un Certain Regard Award), Maddened by His Absence by French director Sandrine Bonnaire, Augustine [trailer] by fellow French director Alice Winocour, The Towrope [trailer] by William Vega, animation film The Suicide Shop [trailer] by Patrice Leconte, and The We and the I by Michel Gondry.

Other films showing at the festival include Berlinale competitor Today by Franco-Senegalese director Alain Gomis, Unfair World by Greek director Filippos Tsitos (Best Director and Best Actor in San Sebastian), Back to Stay [trailer, film focus] by Swiss director Milagros Mumenthaler (winner in Locarno in 2011), and Best Intentions by Roumanian director Adrian Sitaru (review).

Among other events, the La Rochelle Film Festival will also celebrate Portuguese directors João Canijo (Blood of My Blood) and Miguel Gomes (Tabu [trailer, film focus]), Agnès Varda, and Anouk Aimée. It is to present a retrospective of works by Danish director Benjamin Christensen, Finnish director Teuvo Tulio, Raoul Walsh, and Charlie Chaplin, as well as offer a music lesson with Francis Lai.

(Translated from French)