01/09/2015 - Christian Vincent and Xavier Giannoli are leading the impressive charge of strong French films in competition at the 72nd Venice Film Festival, which gets under way tomorrow

French film production will have an exceptional presence in the official competition of the 72nd Venice Film Festival (2-12 September 2015), with five majority French productions and seven minority ones – in other words, 12 out of the 21 hopefuls for the Golden Lion 2015.

Two feature films by French directors are being showcased, with L'hermine [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Christian Vincent (read the article – starring Fabrice Luchini and Danish actress Sidse Babett Knudsen in the leads – staged by Albertine Productions, and co-produced by France 2 Cinéma and Gaumont, which is also handling its sales and will release the movie in France on 18 November) and Marguerite [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile] by French director Xavier Giannoli (read the article – produced by Fidélité Films together with Belgium and the Czech Republic – sales by Memento, which will also distribute the title in France on 16 September).

Three other majority French productions will be vying for the top prize: Rabin, The Last Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai (co-produced by LGM, les Films du Worso and Orange Studio – distributed in France by Le Pacte – sold by Indie Sales), Francofonia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Russia’s Aleksandr Sokurov (produced by Idéale Audience and co-produced by Arte France Cinéma and the Louvre Museum together with Germany and the Netherlands) and the documentary Behemoth [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Chinese director Zhao Liang (co-produced by Arte France and the Institut National de l’Audiovisuel, which is also managing the movie’s sales).

Featuring among the seven minority French productions that will be duking it out for the Golden Lion are the four Italian selections: A Bigger Splash [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Luca Guadagnino
film profile] by Luca Guadagnino (co-produced and sold by StudioCanal), Blood of My Blood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marco Bellocchio
film profile] by Marco Bellocchio (co-produced by Barbary Films and set to be distributed in France on 7 October by Bellissima Films), The Wait [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lou de Laâge
interview: Piero Messina
film profile] by Piero Messina (starring Juliette Binoche and Lou de Laâge in the leads – co-produced by Barbary Films and Pathé, which is in charge of the sales – released in France on 25 November, courtesy of Bellissima Films) and Per amor vostro [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Giuseppe M Gaudino
film profile] by Giuseppe Gaudino (co-produced by Les Films des Tournelles).

Other titles starring in the Mostra’s most beautiful showcase are Frenzy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emin Alper
film profile] by Turkish filmmaker Emin Alper (co-produced by Paprika Films), The Endless River [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by South Africa’s Oliver Hermanus (starring Nicolas Duvauchelle in the lead role – co-produced by Swift Productions and sold by Urban Distribution International) and Heart of a Dog [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by US director Laurie Anderson (co-produced by Arte France – sold by Celluloid Dreams). Lastly, it should be noted that Paris-based outfit Celluloid Dreams is selling another, non-European, candidate for the Golden Lion 2015: Desde allá by Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vigas.

(Translated from French)