16/01/2014 - Rachid Bouchareb’s film joins that of Alain Resnais in the race for the Golden Bear. Three minority French co-productions also competing

Two majority French productions and three minority ones will vie for the Golden Bear of the 64^th Berlinale (February 6 to 16, 2014) since Two Men In Town [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Rachid Bouchareb joined the list of contenders besides Life of Riley [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Alain Resnais (read the news), just like History of Fear [+see also:
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film profile] by Benjamin Naishtat (coproduced by Ecce Films with Argentina, Uruguay and Germany), Aloft [+see also:
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interview: Claudia Llosa
film profile] by Peruvian director Claudia Llosa (coproduced by Noodles Productions with Spain and Canada) and Blind Massage by Chinese filmmaker Lou Ye (coproduced by Les Films du Lendemain).

Rachid Bouchareb will be competing in Berlin for the third time after Little Senegal in 2001 and London River [+see also:
film review
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film profile] in 2009. The filmmaker of Algerian origin also took part twice in the competition in Cannes with Days of Glory [+see also:
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interview: Jean Bréhat
interview: Rachid Bouchareb
film profile] (Collective Best Actor Award in 2006) and Outside the Law [+see also:
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film profile] (2008), two films also selected for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, just like Dust of Life in 1996.

Filmed in English, the 9^th feature by Bouchareb, Two Men In Town, includes American actors Forest Whitaker, Harvey Keitel and Ellen Burstyn, English actress Brenda Blethyn, Mexican actress Dolores Heredia and Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzman in the cast.

Written by the director with Olivier Lorelle and novelist Yasmina Khadra, the screenplay focuses on Garnett who has just spent 18 years in prison where he converted to Islam to fight the violence inside him. He reintegrates society with the help of agent Emily Smith, a policewoman in charge of his parole. He is persecuted by Bill Agati, the sheriff of this New Mexico county near the Mexican border, who has made his struggle against drugs cartels, clandestine immigration and Islamist terrorism, his mission and reputation. Agati will do all he can to send Garnett back to prison.   

Produced by Jean Bréhat for Tessalit Productions, Two Men In Town was coproduced by Pathé (which also handles international sales and French distribution), the Algerian Agency for Cultural Influence, France 2 Cinéma, Solenezara (Paul Giovanni), Belgian outfit Scope Pictures and American companies Cohen Media Group and Taghit. The film was also pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+.

(Translated from French)