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RELEASES France

Europe in French cinemas

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- European quality and diversity has hit French cinemas, with films by Lucas Belvaux, Emanuele Crialese, Tomás Lunak, Karl Markovics, and James Watkins.

Ten out of the 12 films released in French cinemas this Wednesday are European, good news for a European film market that receded in France last February with a drop by 13.4% in admissions after an increase in admissions by 3.6% in January.

In the first two months of 2012, European films recorded 34.93 million admissions in France, a drop in 3.6% from previous statistics. French films held 48.9% of the market, while American films made up 37.1% of it.

Diaphana has released 127 copies of the intense drama 38 Witnesses [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Belgian director Lucas Belvaux, a film that opened the last Rotterdam International Film Festival (read the article and the interview with producer Patrick Sobelman), while Bellissima Films has released Terraferma [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emanuele Crialese
interview: Emanuele Crialese
film profile
]
, a film by Italian director Emanuele Crialese that won the Jury’s Special Prize in Venice, in 91 cinemas. ARP Sélection has launched the very original animation film Alois Nebel [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Czech filmmaker Tomás Lunak in 18 cinemas. The film was unveiled out of competition in Venice and was its country’s nomination for the 2011 Oscar for Best Film in a Foreign Language.

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In 15 cinemas, ASC Distribution has launched Breathing [+see also:
trailer
film profile
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by Austrian director Karl Markovics, a film that scooped the Europa Cinemas Label at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes 2011 (read the review).

Other non-national European films out this Wednesday include The Woman in Black [+see also:
trailer
film profile
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by British director James Watkins, a United Kingdom-Canada-Sweden co-production that stars Daniel Radcliffe (Metropolitan Filmexport in 237 cinemas).

As for French productions, beyond the tidal-wave release of Cloclo [+see also:
trailer
film profile
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in 870 cinemas (read more), Mars Distribution has released 180 copies of wacky comedy 30° Couleur [+see also:
trailer
film profile
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by Lucien Jean-Baptiste (behind box-office surprise Meet the Elizabethz [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
) and Philippe Larue, while Shellac has released 33 copies of Le Paradis des bêtes [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(lit. “Paradise of the beasts”), an original and mastered first feature by Estelle Larrivaz (article).

Also worth noting is Bi, Don’t Be Afraid! by DiPhan Dang, a Vietnamese-French-German co-production discovered at the last Critics’ Week in Cannes (distribution Acrobates Films) and two documentaries: Entre les Bras, la cuisine en héritage (lit. “Among the Bras, cooking as heritage”) by Paul Lacoste and Le chemin noir (lit. “The black path”) by Abdallah Badis.

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(Translated from French)

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