21/03/2007

European films will be out in force at the 36th New Directors/New Films (March 21-April 1), a prestigious showcase organised by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in collaboration with the New York Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). The annual event opens this evening and will present the latest trends in auteur cinema.

A number of French-speaking films will feature, including Stealth [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Switzerland’s Lionel Baier; Philippe Falardeau’s Congorama [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], a co-production between Quebec and Belgium, starring Olivier Gourmet (see interview); and two French films, Jean-Pascal Hattu’s 7 Years [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Kim Massee’s Cowboy Angels.

Flemish production The Only One [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Geoffrey Enthoven’s second feature, will also be on show.

Scandinavian cinema will be represented by Norwegian helmer Joachim Trier’s Reprise [+see also:
film review
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interview: Joachim Trier
interview: Karin Julsrud
film profile] and Danish director Peter Schonau Fog’s The Art of Crying [+see also:
trailer
film profile], while southern Europe is represented by Italy with Alessandro Angelini’s Salty Air [+see also:
film review
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interview: Alessandro Angelini
film profile] and Marco Simone Puccioni’s Shelter [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

The programme features one Irish and two UK films: Once [+see also:
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film profile] by Ireland’s John Carney, Red Road [+see also:
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film profile] by UK director Andrea Arnold and Alexis Dos Santos’ Argentinean co-production Glue.

The two other Argentinean films that will screen at New York are also co-productions: Rodrigo Moreno’s El Custodio [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Germany’s Pandora Filmproduktion and France’s Charivari) and Meanwhile by Diego Lerman (international sales of which are being handled by French outfit Pyramide).

Michal Rosa’s Polish film What the Sun Has Seen [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Algerian/French/German production, Rome Rather Than You by Tariq Teguia round off a showcase of young, and not so young, directors who are, for the most part, Europe-oriented or Europe-funded.

Even the opening film, US writer Paul Auster’s fourth film The Inner Life of Martin Frost is a European joint production with Portuguese producer Paulo Branco (see news). The film also features some strong European talent, among which UK actor David Thewlis and French actress Irène Jacob, Belgium’s DoP Christophe Beaucarne, French composer Laurent Petitgand and Portuguese production designer Zézé Branco.

Of the six US films presented at this year’s festival, one is a European co-production: Julia Loktev’s remarkable Day Night Day Night [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a French/German co-production (ARTE). Cinematography is by Belgian DoP Benoît Debie (see interview), who received the prestigious 2007 Cinematography Award at Sundance this year for George Ratliff’s Joshua.

(Translated from French)