23/09/2013 - Canadian Denis Villeneuve takes part in the San Sebastian festival with two films. Enemy, co-produced with Spain, is competing in the official section after being presented in Toronto

Canadian Denis Villeneuve will take part this year in the San Sebastian Film Festival with two films. Enemy [+see also:
trailer
film profile], co-produced with Spain, will be competing in the official section after being presented in Toronto. His latest film, Prisoners, will appear within the context of the Donostia award, which is being handed out to its star, Hugh Jackman.

Loosely based on the work of Portuguese Nobel prize winner José Saramago’s work El hombre duplicado, in Enemy, Villeneuve uses a well-known cinema theme: doubles and personal identity. 

Adam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a university professor with a grey and monotonous life. One day, while watching a film, he discovers an actor who is his physical double. Adam launches himself into a journey to discover who this alter ego of his is, discovering similarities between their respective partners, played by Mélanie Laurent and Sarah Gadon.

From the very first shot, Villeneuve manages to hypnotise his spectator, building a worrying and visceral psychological thriller through an obsessive, disquieting and sick atmosphere, which drags him into the deepest, darkest parts of the human psyche. He even includes a subtle touch of social critique.  

The theme is enhanced by Nicolas Bolduc’s photography and an omnipresent, worrying soundtrack by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans – both of which become characters within the story.

Described by its director as a “personal and secret” piece of work, the film is reminiscent of Hitchcock, Polanski’s The Tenant, David Lynch and Kubrick. Broader artistic influence includes sculptress Louise Bourgueois.

Enemy was produced by Roxbuy Pictures (Spain) and Rhombus Media (Canada). International sales are being taken care of by Pathé International (France).

(Translated from Spanish)