12 European films hit screens

08/02/2006

In the wake of the phenomenon of 13 Tzameti [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fanny Saadi
interview: Gela Babluani
film profile] by Gela Babluani, 12 European features were released today in French cinemas, leaving just crumbs for two other new films from the rest of the world. French films predominate, with eight releases, among them the double winner of the De Laurentiis First Feature Film Award at the 2005 Venice Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance, 13 Tzameti, to which Cineuropa dedicated a Focus. Distributed by MK2 Distribution on 50 screens, the film and its cult Russian roulette scene is being released in the midst of a heated argument between its fans and critics.

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The other French films includes three heavyweight titles: Incontrolable (lit. “Uncontrollable”) by Raffy Shart – starring the extraordinary Michaël Youn, Hélène de Fougerolles and Thierry Lhermitte – is being launched on approximately 500 screens by Pathé Distribution; The Trail by Eric Valli is being released on almost 400 screens byGaumont; and Toute la beauté du monde (lit. “All The Beauty of The World”) by Marc Esposito, featuring Zoé Félix, on 350 screens by UGC Distribution.

Also out is French film Un couple parfait (lit. “A Perfect Couple”) by Nobuhiro Suwa with Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi and Bruno Todeschini (on 15 screens by CTV International); French/German co-production 20 nuits et un jour de pluie (lit. “20 Nights and One Day of Rain”) by Lam Le (on 15 screens by Rezo Films); and the documentaries Ils ne mourraient pas tous mais tous étaient frappés (lit. “They Did Not All Die But They Were All Struck”) from Belgians Marc-Antoine Roudil and Sophie Bruneau (on ten screens by Bodega Films) and Havana Hip Hop Underground by Yves Billion (on five screens by Zarafa Films ).

The diversity of cinema from the Old Continent is also represented by Denmark with Brothers [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Susanne Bier (18 screens – Equation); Holland with Guernsey [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Nanouk Leopold, which was screened at the last Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes (see article) and which ASC Distribution is releasing on seven screens; the UK with Nanny McPhee by Kirk Jones, starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth (Mars Distribution ); as well as German animated film The Little Polar Bear 2: The Mysterious Island by Piet de Rycker (see interview and Thilo Graf Rothkirch, which is being distributed on 170 screens by Gebeka Films.