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FESTIVALS France

European cinema takes centre stage at Arras

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- The 15th edition of the gathering shines a spotlight on the best young talent in Europe, while Asia Argento and Stephen Frears are guests of honour

European cinema takes centre stage at Arras
Stephen Frears, a guest of honour at Arras

With over 35,000 audience members in attendance last year, the Arras International Film Festival has unquestionably proven to be a resounding success. But above all, it serves as a very well focused springboard for young, high-quality European films. The 15th edition (7-16 November 2014) once again stands as a testament to this, as it features a beautifully crafted programme rustled up by Eric Miot (the general delegate) and Nadia Paschetto (the director).

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Among the nine titles in competition (and with almost all of their directors in attendance) for the Golden Atlas 2014 (which will be handed out by a jury chaired by Solveig Anspach) are Fair Play [+see also:
film review
trailer
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]
 by Czech director Andrea Sedlackova (read the review), The Lesson [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Val…
interview: Margita Gosheva
film profile
]
 by Bulgarian duo Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov (winner of the New Directors section at San Sebastian – read the review and the interview), and the Serbian-German feature Monument to Michael Jackson [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Darko Lungulov
film profile
]
by Darko Lungulov (read the review and watch the video interview).

Also in the running are the Albanian-Italian co-production Bota [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Iris Elezi
film profile
]
 by Iris Elezi and Thomas Logoreci (read the review and watch the interview), Aces [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alfonso Zarauza
film profile
]
 by Spaniard Alfonso Zarauza (read the review), Paris of the North [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Icelandic filmmaker Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson (read the review), Pause [+see also:
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trailer
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]
 by Switzerland’s Mathieu Urfer (read the review in Italian), The Fool [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Yury Bykov
film profile
]
 by Russian director Youri Bykov, and Quod Erat Demonstrandum [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrei Gruzsniczki
interview: Andrei Gruzsniczki
film profile
]
 by Romania’s Andrei Gruzsniczki (read the review). 

Featuring on the menu in the “Visions of the East” section are White God [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kornél Mundruczó
film profile
]
 by Hungarian filmmaker Kornel Mundruczo (winner of the Grand Prix in Un Certain Regard at Cannes – read the review and watch the interview), Corn Island [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: George Ovashvili
film profile
]
 by Georgia’s George Ovashvili (which won at Karlovy Vary – read the review and watch the interview), Blind Dates [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Levan Koguashvili
film profile
]
 by his fellow countryman Levan Koguashvili (read the review and watch the interview), Class Enemy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rok Biček
interview: Rok Bicek
interview: Rok Bicek
film profile
]
 by Slovenian director Rok Bicek (read the review and the interview), The Judgement [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stephan Komandarev
film profile
]
 by Bulgarian filmmaker Stephan Komandarev (read the review) and The Way Out [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Petr Václav
film profile
]
 by Czech director Petr Vaclav (read the review and the interview). 

Standing out in the “European Discoveries” programme are 13 features, including the Cannes award winner Force Majeure (Turist) [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruben Östlund
film profile
]
 by Ruben Östlund (read the review and watch the interview), The Dinner [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ivano De Matteo
film profile
]
 by Italy’s Ivano De Matteo (read the review and watch the interview in Italian), Cracks in Concrete [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Austrian filmmaker Umut Dag (read the review), Macondo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sudabeh Mortezai
film profile
]
 by his fellow countrywoman Sudabeh Mortezai (read the review and watch the interview), Pioneer [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Norwegian director Erik SkjoldbjærgFidelio, l'odyssée d'Alice [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lucie Borleteau
film profile
]
by France’s Lucie Borleteau (which won at Locarno – read the review and the interview) and Vincent [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Thomas Salvador (read the review).

Rounded off by other events including the screenings of 17 premieres (click here for more details), the Arras Festival will also be offering four tributes: two dedicated to the guests of honour – Italy’s Asia Argento (who will be presenting The Misunderstood [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
) and English director Stephen Frears – and two themed retrospectives (“Italianamerican” and “The Great War on Screen”).

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(Translated from French)

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