05/06/2003

Gallic theatrical distributor, Océan Films has put together an appetising line up for the autumn-winter season with titles that include Good Bye Lenin! [+see also:
trailer
interview: Wolfgang Becker
film profile], Il cuore altrove and La meglio gioventù [+see also:
trailer
film profile].
The company hopes that its policy of investing in quality films will pay dividends over the coming months. Ocèan bought Marco Tullio Giordana’s La meglio gioventù and Pupi Avati’s Il Cuore Altrove prior to Cannes and the films are scheduled for release in France on, respectively, 9 July and 17 December. La Meglio Gioventù will be released in two consecutive parts since it lasts almost 6 hours.
Last November Océan released another Italian film, Marco Bellocchio’s L’ora di religione, although Thierry Decourcelle, the company’s chief buyer said “we are interested in the quality of a film and not its nationality. It is also very important to strike the right balance between the type of film, i.e. arthouse or mainstream and the circuit where you release it.” This strategy will be applied to Wolfgang Becker’s Goodbye Lenin!, out on 10 September. Océan will also distribute Wong Kar-Wai’s latest feature, 2046.
Thierry Decourcelle added that Océan is in talks to buy more European films.

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(Translated from French)