30/04/2014 - Festival’s Focus on Germany strand reveals titles

Simon Helberg and Jocelyn Towne’s We’ll Never Have Paris, based on their real-life romantic history, will close the 68^th Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF, 19-29 June). Released in the UK by Metrodome in August, the film has Helberg in the lead and also stars Zachary Quinto, Alfred Molina, Melanie Lynskey, Jason Ritter and Maggie Grace (Taken [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the Twilight Saga). K5 is handling international sales. Helberg is best known amongst television punters for playing Howard Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory.

Chris Fujiwara, EIFF’s artistic director, said, “With We’ll Never Have Paris, a funny and very personal romantic comedy, we’ll be able to close this year’s festival on a real high note. It’s a film of great charm and considerable intelligence, and Simon Helberg is brilliant in it.” 

Helberg and Towne said, “It is an unbelievable thrill to be picked as the coveted closing-night film at such a legendary festival. We hope the people of Scotland will find our pain and suffering as funny as we do.” 

The previously announced Focus on Germany strand will include Maria Speth’s Daughters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Robert Thalheim’s Parents, Edward Berger’s Jack [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Dietrich Brüggemann’s Stations of the Cross [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Dietrich Brüggemann
film profile], Cynthia Beatt’s A House in Berlin, Edgar Reitz’s Home from Home - Chronicle of a Vision [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Thomas Heise’s Staedtebewohner, Bruce LaBruce’s Pierrot Lunaire and Dominik Graf’s Beloved Sisters [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dominik Graf
film profile]. In addition, the Focus will present “Secret Master: Dominik Graf and the Hidden History of German Cinema”, a special feature of which is a programme of German TV thrillers selected by Graf. The Focus will also feature Weimar Republic animation and films.