14/12/2005

Nine European productions or co-productions come out this Wednesday in the French cinemas and will attempt to take on a Kim Ki-duk and four American films including the unbeatable King Kong. In the programme are three Italian features from Roberto Benigni, Marco Tulio Giordana and Ferzan Ozpetek, a massive release of Italian films rarely seen in France. Backed by a significant promotional campaign, The Tiger and the Snow [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Roberto Benigni (read the interview) starts with a solid total of 199 prints from Pathé. While, Mars Distribution launches Once you were born, you can no longer hide [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marco Tullio Giordana
interview: Riccardo Tozzi
film profile] by Marco Tulio Giordana (see Focus) with around 30 prints, and Zootrope Films releases on 13 screens Facing windows [+see also:
trailer
interview: Ferzan Ozpetek
film profile] , the penultimate work by Ferzan Ozpetek with Giovanna Mezzogiorno on ???? prints.

French production this week bets on Little Jerusalem by Karin Albou, appreciated at the Critics’ Week at Cannes (readcompte-rendu) and is distributed by Océan Films on 55 prints. Among the new films are Gentille by Sophie Fillières with Emmanuelle Devos, Lambert Wilson and Bruno Todeschini distributed by Les Films du Losange on 60 prints, and the comedy Le Cactus from the duo Gérard Bitton - Michel Munz with Clovis Cornillac launched by UGC Distribution on 490 screens. Note too the arrival of Seven Invisible Men by Sharunas Bartas, screened at the Cannes Directors Fortnight (consult critique) and distributed by Gémini Films. Also there is the French-Swiss co-production Delwende by Burkino Faso director Pierre S. Yameogo, honoured at Cannes 2005 in the section Un Certain Regard (see news) and distributed by Les Films du Safran, as well as Being Julia [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Hungarian Istvan Szabo (co-production GB – Hungary – US – Canada) which has 12 prints (La Fabrique de Films).

(Translated from French)