10/09/2008

With features by Spain’s Jose Luis Guerin, Iceland’s Baltasar Kormakur, Germany’s Doris Dörrie and Belgian-French trio Dominique Abel-Fiona Gordon-Bruno Romy, quality European films are out in force among this week’s 13 new releases.

This represents a good opportunity to boost admissions, which dropped in August (-7.9% compared to the previous year), and maintain the overall positive trend for 2008 (129.29m admissions since January, +2.3% over the same period in 2007) according to estimated figures published by the National Film Centre (CNC).

Unanimously lauded by critics, Catalan filmmaker Guerin sees two of his films hit French theatres, for Shellac are releasing on two screens Under Construction (Special Jury Prize at San Sebastian in 2001 and Goya for Best Documentary in 2002) as well as an eight-print run of the director’s debut narrative feature, In the City of Sylvia [+see also:
trailer
film profile], unveiled in competition at Venice in 2007 (see interview). The latter film – co-produced by France (25% investment from Château-Rouge Production) and Spain (75% from Eddie Saeta) – received a post-production advance on receipts from the CNC.

There has also been an enthusiastic press response for Belgian/French co-production Rumba [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Charles Gillibert
interview: Dominique Abel and Fiona Go…
film profile] by Abel, Gordon and Romy, which also obtained an advance on receipts from the CNC. The burlesque escapades and black humour of the directors of Iceberg [+see also:
trailer
film profile], inspired by the silent film tradition, are being released on 40 screens by their French co-producer MK2.

Memento Films Distribution are launching on 41 screens Kormakur’s Icelandic/German/Danish co-production Jar City [+see also:
trailer
film profile], riding on the success of Arnaldur Indridason’s thriller, which was adapted into the film. A prize winner at last year’s Karlovy Vary Film Festival, the feature – which explores the dangers of genetic profiling – has impressed many French critics.

The latter have also praised Dörrie’s Cherry Blossoms – Hanami [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which was unveiled in competition at the Berlinale and scooped three 2008 Lola awards (including the Silver Lola for Best Film and Best Actor for Elmar Wepper). The German feature is being released on 47 screens by Jour2fête.

Alongside three US releases (including Mirrors by France’s Alexandre Aja), two Asian titles, an Australian and Algerian feature, European production will also be represented by the controversial directorial debut of novelist Michel Houellebecq: Possibility of an Island [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Starring Benoît Magimel, this co-production between France (47%), Spain (33%), Germany (10%) and Belgium (10%) is being launched by Bac Films on 64 screens.

(Translated from French)