19/05/2003 - In Bonello’s 3rd feature, the blind clairvoyant is a Brazilian transsexual living near Paris. Critics horrified

Controversy and perspective for Tiresia, the third feature by Frenchman, Bertrand Bonello that was screened today in competition. Needless to say, audience reactions varied from admiration to total rejection.
Bonello is accustomed to rattling cages: his ultra-personal style ignited the Croisette in 2001 when he won Critics’ Week with The Pornographer. His new film, Tiresia is a contemporary take on a Greek legend.
“Tiresia” is a Brazilian transexual who’s kidnapped by Terranova, a weird aesthete. Unable to take the hormones Tiresia needs to stay female, he goes back to being a man at which point Terranova scratches Tiresia’s eyes out and runs off. Tiresia develops a special gift of clairvoyance and he becomes something of a prophet until his accidental death puts an end to all that.
Exquisitely filmed and slow-paced, Bertand Bonello takes every artistic risk in the book to bring us his vision of filmmaking from another planet. This put Bonello in a category of his own. Tiresia has revealed a very watchable young acting talent in France’s Laurent Lucas who plays Terranova and a priest in this film. Lucas also stars in Qui a tué Bambi?.
Brazilian actress Clara Chovaux gives a stunning debut as the female Tiresia. Produced by Haut et Court, with principle co-production partner, Arte with a Euros2.18m budget, Tiresia has only just begun making waves in Cannes.

(Translated from French)