variety_0622_day1

DAY 1 JUNE 22, 2020

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GUTTER CREDIT Francoise Dorleac (left) and Catherine Deneuve attend the 1965 Cannes Film Festival.

VARIETY 1

2020 CANNES MEET US
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DIRECTOR HONG Won Chan DIRECTOR JK YOUN
LANGUAGE Korean LANGUAGE Korean
CAST HWANG Jung Min . LEE Jung Jae . PARK Jeong Min CAST CHUNG Sung Hwa . KIM Go Eun . NA Moon Hee . CHO Chae Yun .
BAE Jung Nam . JO Woo Jin . PARK Jin Joo . LEE Hyun Woo

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DIRECTOR PARK Jung-bae DIRECTOR LEE Yong-zoo DIRECTOR Trinh Dinh Le Minh
LANGUAGE Korean LANGUAGE Korean LANGUAGE Vietnamese
CAST LEE Je Hoon . SHIN Hae Sun . CAST GONG Yoo . PARK Bo Gum CAST Phuong Anh Dao . Quang Tuan .
JO Woo Jin . LIM Wonhee Otis . Ai Phuong . Anh Tu

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1

MONDAY,
JUNE 22

EXCLUSIVE Exclusive First Look: ‘Lansky’ EXCLUSIVE

IFC Journeys “Lansky” stars Harvey Keitel (right) as aging gangster Meyer Lansky, who persuades a BTF Turns
Into ‘No writer (Sam Worthington, left), to pen his memoir. Voltage Picture selling at Cannes. ‘Others’ Into
Man’s Land’ TV series
BIZ LOGS ON
By Brent Lang By Anna Marie de
Big Projects Hit la Fuente
I FC F I L M S is acquiring North Virtual Market
American rights to “No Man’s N E A R LY 2 0 years after its stun-
Land,” a modern-day Western By John Hopewell off on a line-up led by such Cannes Offi- ning 2001 debut, Alejandro
set along the border between and Elsa Keslassy cial Selection titles as Thomas Vin- Amenabar’s horror classic
the U.S. and Mexico. The indie terberg’s “Another Round,” Fernando “The Others” is set to have a
studio is planning a release in DESPITE THE pandemic and disruption Trueba’s “Forgotten We’ll Be,” Fran- Spanish-language TV series
2021. of the global entertainment industry, cois Ozon’s “Summer 85” and Naomi spin-off.
at the Cannes virtual market, it’s game Kawase’s “True Mothers.”
Filmed in Guanajuato, Mex- on. Hugh Jackman, Mark Wahlberg, Will Miami-based BTF Media
ico, the movie was directed Smith, Kristen Stewart, Bruce Willis, Both digital markets were initially has snagged the series format
by Conor Allyn (“Walk. Ride. Nick Jonas, Laurence Fishburne, Lily conceived as being mainly initiatives rights from FilmSharks sub-
Rodeo.”) and written by Jake James and Tessa Thompson all headline to reconnect industry players. Three sidiary the Remake Co. and
Allyn (“The Quad”), brothers projects being brought onto Cannes’ months later, many companies have Enrique Cerezo’s Video Mer-
who grew up going back and pre-sales market and directed by the decided as push comes to shove to cury Films.
forth across the border. Jake likes of Michael Mann, Antoine Fuqua, launch at least some of their bigger proj-
Allyn also stars in the movie, Baltasar Kormakur, Pablo Larrain and ects now rather than wait for the fall. In the original, WWII is com-
joining a cast that includes Pablo Trapero. ing to an end and a mother,
Frank Grillo, Andie MacDow- “Since there’s no perfect timing this played by Nicole Kidman, is
ell and George Lopez. Alex Deals are already going down on year, and no clear idea of what the fall anxious to protect her photo-
MacNicoll (“Vice”) and Jorge A. select movies, even before the Holly- or even Berlin is going to look like, we’re sensitive children in a gloomy,
Jimenez (“Narcos”) also star. wood agencies present their A Demain jumping in now,” said MK2 Films’ Fion- isolated mansion while she
Marché online platform of projects over nuala Jamison. waits for her husband to return
The film follows border June 22-23. from battle in France. The
That seems to be pretty well every-
‘NO MAN’S’ CONTINUED P.22 At a second virtual market, Cannes one’s mantra for this market. ‘OTHERS’ CONTINUED P.22
Marché du Film Online, which screens
EXCLUSIVE completed films, trading has also kicked “This year there’s five or six big EXCLUSIVE

Latido Films MARKET CONTINUED P.22 Global
Grabs ‘Tales’ Screen Inks
‘World’ Sales
By Emiliano De Pablos
By Leo Barraclough
M A D R I D - B AS E D Latido Films
has picked up international M U N I C H - B AS E D sales agent
sales rights to omnibus fea- Global Screen closed major
ture “Relatos Con-fin-a-dos” European deals for drama
(“Tales of the Lockdown”), pro- “Veins of the World,” the fic-
duced by Spanish film and TV tion feature film debut of direc-
house Morena Films. tor-screenwriter Byambasuren
Davaa, whose “The Story of
Scheduled for a July 3 the Weeping Camel” was nom-
release in Spain via Amazon inated for an Oscar for docu-
Prime Video, “Tales” is making mentary, and sold to more than
its world market premiere at 60 territories.
Cannes Marché du Film Online.
“Veins of the World,” which
Filmed during the COVID- premiered at the Berlin Film
19 lockdown in Spain, the five Festival and will also be
self-contained stories range screened at the Marché du Film
from a romantic comedy to a Online, has been picked up by
drama and a thriller, as well as
terror and dark humor. ‘WORLD’ CONTINUED P.22

‘TALES’ CONTINUED P.22

VARIETY 1

Visit our virtual booth at
ZZZ PDUFKHGXĆOP RQOLQH

Supported by

Enfant Terrible - Biopic - Private Screening / RSVP by email
TODAY / Monday June 22nd / Private Screening – By invitation only

Sales Contact Yuan Rothbauer I Phone: +49 151 5061 7388 Scan for full lineup:
[email protected] I picturetree-international.com

PICTURE TREE INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS

NEWS Exclusive First Look: ’The Doorman’

EXCLUSIVE Japanese director
Ryûhei Kitamura
Merad Hits helms thriller “The
‘Playback’ Doorman,” starring
for Luxbox Ruby Rose (left),
which DDI is selling
By John Hopewell at the Cannes market.
and Elsa Keslassy
EXCLUSIVE
K A D M E R A D, star of Dany
Boon’s “Welcome to the Sticks,” PTI on ‘Wedding’ Side
the highest-grossing film of By Leo Barraclough their daughter, Diana, they are Film in Sweden. Buyers will be
all time in France, will star in probably the worst parents in presented with a promo and
Stéphane Berthomieux’s “Play- PICTURE TREE Intl. has the world, they constantly fight selected scenes from the film
back,” which has been picked acquired international sales yet are miraculously still in at the Cannes Market, where
up for international sales by rights to the Norwegian love by the time Diana is pre- Picture Tree Intl. will also
Paris-based Luxbox. romantic comedy “Diana’s paring for her own wedding 30 launch sales on “Enfant Ter-
Wedding,” directed by Char- years later. rible,” the film about German
Produced by director lotte Blom, and will selling the director Rainer Maria Fass-
Mathieu Demy (“Americano”), film at Cannes Market Online. “Diana’s Wedding” is direc- binder by Oscar Roehler.
the fiction feature debut of tor Blom’s second feature after
documentarian Berthomieux- Nordisk Film will han- “Staying Alive” in 2015. She The biopic was recently
co-stars Déborah François dle distribution in the Scan- worked from a script she wrote announced as one of the titles
(“The Child”) and Geraldine dinavian territories, with a with Mette M. Bølstad. The of the Cannes Official Selection
Chaplin. theatrical release in Norway two leads are played by Marie 2020.
scheduled for Sept. 25. Blokhus and Pål Sverre Hagen.
Co-written by Demy and A promo reel with current
Berthomieux, “Playback” The film, described as a The film was first presented and upcoming films will be
begins on the day of Dean Mar- “bittersweet tribute to love,” as a work in progress at the screened at the market, includ-
tin’s death, when a French tells the story of Liv and Terje, Nordic Film Market in Gote- ing the first clips from “A Stasi
crooner, decides to go to Los and the unconventional, borg earlier this year. It is pro- Comedy” by Leander Hauss-
Angeles for the funeral of his stormy marriage they embark duced by Maipo Film’s Synnøve mann, and starring David
idol. The film is scheduled to on the very same day as Diana Hørsdal, and co-produced by Kross (“The Reader,” “Bal-
shoot late 2020 and combin- Spencer and Prince Charles Charlotta Denward of Avanti loon”).
ing usic and cinema as a back- exchange vows in London. To
drop, “Playback” turns on “the
search for identity, remem-
brance, filiation, redemp-
tion, and a fascination for the
Golden Age of Hollywood,” Ber-
thomieux said.

“Having Kad Merad on
board will draw the attention
of distributors who appreciate
his enormous range as an actor
and his high popularity ratings
with international audiences,”
added Luxbox founding part-
ners Fiorella Moretti and Hédi
Zardi.

EXCLUSIVE

Mister Smith Adds Trio to ‘Leslie’

By Jamie Lang John Hawkes. almost immediately squanders plays Royal, an upbeat burnout DRAGOS BARBACIORU
Claude Dal Farra and Brian Keady the money and her relationship intent on keeping his friend Swee-
BCDF PICTURES and Clair de Lune with her son. Having burned many ney (Hawkes) from getting involved
Entertainment’s family drama from BCDF are producing alongside bridges, the film picks up as Les- with Leslie. Teague, a Steven King
“To Leslie” will make its market Kelsey Law of Clair de Lune Enter- lie attempts to rebuild her life with regular from the “It” films and CBS’
debut at this year’s Marché du Film tainment. Michael Morris (“Blood- help from eccentric motel manager upcoming “The Stand” adaptation,
Online, sold internationally by Mis- line,” “Better Call Saul”) will direct Nancy (Janney). plays James, Leslie’s estranged son.
ter Smith Entertainment, which from Ryan Bianco’s screenplay. UTA
shared details of the film’s now-fin- Independent Film Group is selling Tucker, a regular on Showtime’s “To Leslie” is one of three films
ished casting with Variety. domestic rights to the drama. “City on a Hill,” will play Petey, a Mister Smith brings to Cannes,
young man bent on tormenting Les- along with “Balestra,” a psycho-
Jonathan Tucker, Andre Royo and Based on events from Bianco’s lie for his own amusement, while logical thriller starring Tessa
Owen Teague will join previously mother’s life, “To Leslie” turns on a Royo, best- known for his portrayal Thompson and animated feature
announced cast members Andrea single mother in West Texas (Rise- of Bubbles in HBO’s “The Wire,” “Mooned.”
Riseborough, Allison Janney and borough) who wins the lottery but

4 VARIETY

©PLATTFORM PRODUKTION

Cannes

Pleasure
by Ninja Thyberg

sfi.se

NEWS

FRESH VOICES

Greek Cinema Comes of Age

By Christopher Vourlias

T H E R E WAS a time not long ago when any medium and of reality itself. They don’t NEW WAVE something that excites me, and I find
talk of Greek cinema quickly turned to a necessarily belong to the same generation, traces of that in Konstantatos’ ‘Pretty
movement loosely characterized as the but they all have in common that they are New Greek films such Horses,’ or Efthimis Kosemund Sanidis’
Greek Weird Wave, known for a certain citizens of the whole planet rather than as Christos Nikou’s debut feature, ‘That Burning Light,’ that
deadpan aesthetic that was popularized strictly Greeks.” “Apples” (top and I’m currently developing.”
with the breakout success of Yorgos Lan- below) about a man
thimos (“Dogtooth”) and Athina Rachel Drandaki will be presenting “Animal,” who becomes a victim Five features were also selected for
Tsangari (“Attenberg”). the sophomore feature of director Sophia of amnesia, defy easy a digital presentation of Thessaloniki
Exarchou (“Park”), which was selected labels. Goes to Cannes, the Cannes Film Market’s
That has changed, if the label ever for the Cannes Cinefondation’s L’Atelier. annual pics-in-post industry showcase
truly fit to begin with. “I don’t believe that The producer says the film bristles “with supported by the Thessaloniki Intl. Film
there is a specific Greek wave,” says Chris- a striking, vibrant and dark youthfulness” Festival.
tos Nikou, whose debut feature, “Apples,” that was also characteristic of Exarchou’s
about a lonely man who becomes a victim debut. This year’s selection includes “Green
of an unexplained surge of amnesia in his Sea,” the story of a woman struggling to
city, is being sold by Alpha Violet during Also on Drandaki’s Cannes slate is rebuild her past after losing her mem-
the Cannes virtual market. “Titanic Ocean,” the feature debut of Kon- ory, directed by Angeliki Antoniou; “Dog,”
stantina Kotzamani, whose short films Yianna Americanou’s portrait of a boy
“My intention was to make a movie more have played in Cannes, Venice and Berlin; from a broken home on the cusp of man-
close to the cinema I love as a viewer,” he “Faraway,” by Yorgos Zois (“Interruption”); hood and longing for a stable family
continues. “Movies that create their own and “The Dragon Has Come,” by Christos life; “Esperanto,” Stratis Chatzielenou-
worlds and have conceptual ideas and at Passalis. das’ documentary about the members of a
the same time have an unusual and com- bird-breeding club that explores the com-
plete story to narrate.” Yorgos Tsourgiannis, of Horsefly Films, munication, language and the relationship
will be presenting Michalis Konstanta- between humans and avians; “If It’s Not
It’s an artistic vision that, in fact, unites tos’ “All the Pretty Little Horses,” about a OK It’s Not the End,” a documentary about
him with many of his Greek contemporar- married couple seeking refuge in a small a three-time boxing champion who rein-
ies. “All the filmmakers I’m working with coastal town after a major setback in their vents himself in the ring while trying to
have the common characteristic that their lives. “Besides the diversity in subjects repair his relationship with his wife and
body of work defies genres and crosses and themes, I perceive the conversation children, from director Salvador Muñoz
borders,” says Maria Drandaki of Home- in the larger landscape of the Greek cin- Saiz; and “Made in Vain,” Michael Klioumis’
made Films. “They are all stretching and ema to be on cinema itself in a way. What intimate look into the world of profes-
challenging the limits of the cinema as a is cinema now?” says Tsourgiannis. “It’s sional body building.

“The selection process aims to showcase
bold films from the most unique and pio-
neer voices that reflect these critical times,”
says Thessaloniki Film Festival general
director Elise Jalladeau, who curated the
line-up. “The films come from established
directors as well as newcomers, female as
well as male voices, showing the range and
diversity of Greek cinema.”

ALPHA VIOLET

6 VARIETY

visit us at SEE NL

NEWS WRITER-DIRECTOR Francis Lee’s DAVID FISHER/BAFTA/SHUTTERSTOCK
2017 feature debut, “God’s Own
Lee Digs Into Past Country,” so impressed Kate
Winslet and Saoirse Ronan that
By Gregg Goldstein they agreed to five months of
rehearsal before filming his
8 VARIETY second LGBT romantic drama,
“Ammonite.” And the story of
a 19th-century paleontologist
(Winslet) who falls in love with
a married woman (Ronan) so
impressed domestic distrib
Neon that “for the first time
in Neon’s history, they bought
[a feature] without seeing it,”
Lee says. Neon nabbed North
American rights for $3 million
in a blind bidding war this year.
Their bet has already paid off:
the See-Saw Films production
(made with BBC Films and BFI
and sold by See-Saw’s Cross
City Films, which partnered
with CAA Media Finance on the
Neon deal) is a 2020 Cannes
Official Selection and likely
future awards contender. In
his first interview about the
project, Variety talked with Lee
about his filmmaking process
and plans for the future.

What inspired you to write “Ammonite?”
In 2017, I was researching a gift for some-
body who liked polished stones and fossils,
and every time I typed “fossil” or “ammo-
nite” into Google, Mary Anning’s name
came up. So I read about this woman, who
lived in Lyme Regis on the south coast of
England in the early 19th century. She was
born into a very poor family, her father
died when she was 10 and she became the
main breadwinner. She didn’t have any
education apart from Sunday school, yet
rose to become the leading paleontologist
of her generation. But Britain was a very
patriarchal, class-ridden society, so her
scientific finds were not recognized as
hers. That really struck a chord with me —
somebody not being seen or recognized.

And at the same time, my then-boy-
friend sent me an article about female
relationships in the 18th and 19th century,
backed up with evidence from all these
letters women were writing to each other
that described passionate, loving relation-
ships totally unrecognized at the time. I
started to think of Mary as somebody who
possibly would have had a relationship
with a woman.

FRENCH FILMS AT
THE MARCHÉ DU FILM ONLINE

Discover 24 French films at marché sneak previews
during the Marché du film de Cannes online

For more information, check out UniFrance at
the Marché du film de Cannes online!

WWW.UNIFRANCE.ORG #

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We are looking forward to meeting you virtually GLOBAL SCREEN PRESENTS AT THE
RQb=RRPbDQGb7HDPV
All screenings at your local time. Julia Weber
Head of Acquisitions & Sales Theatrical International
From the Producers of [email protected]|Ph + 49 173 3599306

LUIS AND THE ALIENS and NIKO

MARKET PREMIERE | SCREENINGS (PER INVITATION ONLY) MARKET SCREENINGS

MON| JUN 22 | 15:00 H ARCADES 15 WED | JUN 24 | 17:30 H ARCADES 4
Ulysses Films, the producer of world- dog is based on the well-known original
WED | JUN 24 | 12:00 H FILMS KINO 1 THU | JUN 25 | 18:30 H GERMAN
ARCADES 11
GERMAN wide successes “Niko” and “Luis and novel by Eric Knight.
FILMS KINO 2 Warner Bros. will release the family
the Aliens”, our courageous youngsters
FRI | JUN 26 | 09:00 H once again go through many thrilling
/DVVLH WKH PRVW IDPRXV GRJ LQ ȴ OP KLVWRU\ LV EDFN entertainment adventure theatrically in

In this second instalment of the internationally suc- adventures and eventually save all of on cinema screens. The heartwarming story of the Germany.

FHVVIXO ' DQLPDWLRQ Ȋ2RRSV 1RDK LV JRQHb ȋ IURP the animals in the ark. inseparable friendship between a boy and his Collie

COMING SOON MARKET PREMIERE COMING SOON

$Q XQEHDWDEOH WHDP RI ȴ YH WHHQDJH IULHQGV WKH 3HSSHUFRUQV MON | JUN 22 | 09:30 H ARCADES 4 7KLV LQFUHGLEO\ HQWHUWDLQLQJ DQLPDWHG IHDWXUH ȴ OP LV EDVHG RQ
XQLWHV WR ȴ QG RXW ZKR LV EHKLQG WKH NLGQDSSLQJ RI D PLVVLQJ TUE | JUN 23 | 11:30 H ARCADES 6 one of Sir Terry Pratchett’s highly popular “Discworld” novels
oceanographer. This pacy, live-action adventure, full of that have sold more than 90 million books worldwide. Terry
humour and gripping twists and turns will be distributed in 6.< 5$Ζ'(56 LV DQ XSOLIWLQJ DGYHQWXUH IHDWXUH ȴ OP IRU WKH Rossio (“Shrek”) has penned the screenplay. Carter Goodrich
Germany by Wild Bunch. entire family which was released nationwide in Israel. (“Despicable Me”) is on board for the character design.

E MARCHE DU FILM 2020 Klaus Rasmussen Global Screen GmbH
Senior Sales Manager International/Acquistion Sonnenstr. 21|80331 Munich|Germany
Alice Buquoy [email protected]|Ph + 49 172 3164256 Ph + 49 89 2441295 500|F + 49 89 5587619 106
Senior Sales Manager International/Acquisition [email protected] | www.globalscreen.de
[email protected]|Ph + 49 173 9319804
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL AND THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
SWISS FILM OF THE
PAST YEARS.

”A DELICATE
MISE-EN-SCÈNE…
SARAH SPALE AND
NEWCOMER LUNA MWEZI
ARE BRILLIANT!“
- NZZ
”A MASTERPIECE OF
SWISS FILM HISTORY.“
- Basler Zeitung

SARAH SPALE LUNA MWEZI

Based on a true story

A FILM BY PIERRE MONNARD

MARKET PREMIERE MARKET SCREENINGS

TUE | JUN 23 | 15:30 H RIVIERA 2 with her heroin addict mother by taking WED | JUN 24 | 16:00 H GERMAN
THU | JUN 25 | 19:30H ARCADES refuge in a joyful dream world of hope FILMS KINO 1 of the Weeping Camel”, sold to over 60
SUNSET with the aid of an imaginary friend.
FRI | JUN 26 | 12:00 H OLYMPIA 5 territories.
An almost unbelievable story set in the midst of Zurich’s NEEDLE PARK BABY became the most The producer is BASIS BERLIN FILM-
Byambasuren Davaa (“The Cave of the Yellow Dog”) cel- PRODUKTION, who was also proud to
drug scene and told in an engaging way from the per- VXFFHVVIXO 6ZLVV ȴ OP RI WKH SDVW WZR HEUDWHV KHU ȴ FWLRQ IHDWXUH ȴ OP GHEXW 6KH ZDV QRPL be nominated for the Best Documenta-
nated for an Oscar for Best Documentary for “The Story ry Oscar 2019 for “Of Fathers and Sons”.
spective of 11-year-old Mia who is able to bear living years in Switzerland.

MARKET SCREENINGS MARKET SCREENINGS COMING SOON

TUE | JUN 23 | 16:30 H GERMAN 2 TUE | JUN 23 | 18:00 H GERMAN 1 “A Hidden Life” actor August Diehl stars on the side of
FILMS KINO FILMS KINO “Blade Runner 2049” ’s Sylvia Hoeks in the post-World War II
drama PLAN A. The German-Israeli co-production addresses
THU | JUN 25 | 18:00 H OLYMPIA 5 WED | JUN 24 | 13:00 H ARCADES 3 profound questions about justice, revenge and morality.

A psychological thriller with Sandra Hüller (“Toni Erdmann”) in ΖQ KLV QRQ ȴ FWLRQ EHVWVHOOHU SXEOLVKHG LQ RYHU FRXQWULHV 3HWHU
a village community haunted by a never ending nightmare. Wohlleben opens up our eyes to the hidden world of the forest.

NEWS

Did you try to track down any ancestors “God’s Own Country” was a pretty strong honored and thrilled to get the Cannes
Mary might have had to verify that? statement about the kind of films that I selection, but obviously it’s disappointing
I didn’t, I guess I because I wanted to make want to make, in terms of style, acting and that there isn’t a physical festival to
her my Mary Anning. And I found all the the world in it. It’s very much a film about show the film. Until we can see what the
research that there was about her: virtually the unsaid. landscape is going to be like, it’s difficult
nothing. Because it isn’t a biography, I felt to put a date on it. But Neon and Lionsgate
as long as I was respectful of her and the Will it have similarly graphic love scenes? in the U.K. are very committed to a good
characters, that that was justifiable. This is a film about a deep, romantic, inti- theatrical run. We’ll try and make the
mate relationship. So it does follow them best decisions, depending on what the
Why was the rehearsal time so lengthy? through that process. world looks like. I’ve used this period of
Both Kate and Saoirse wanted to com- lockdown to write another film.
mit to the way in which I work, and very Why and how did you transition from act-
generously did, so we could investigate the ing in the 1990s and 2000s to filmmaking? Will it center around gay themes like your
characters fully and build them three-di- Because I wasn’t a good actor. I was really first two features?
mensionally. Kate went out fossiling on lucky, so I got some work, but I didn’t like Yes, it’s men again, the next one.
beaches for weeks and learned how to it very much. I always knew I wanted to
draw, because I didn’t want any stunt or write and direct, but I was never confident Are you going to continue switching
hand doubles. We shot the film where enough. And coming from a working-class between men and women?
Mary lived, on the beaches where Mary background in Yorkshire [England], I didn’t [Laughs.] I don’t know. I write stories about
would have worked. And the acting is know how people did it. It took me until I things I’m trying to figure out and where
phenomenal — Kate and Saoirse are both was about 40 to go, “I need to do this, and I I’m at in my life, in terms of relationships
doing something very different from what don’t want to regret not doing it.” and stuff. So we’ll see.
they’ve done before, in such a glorious way.
I would kill to work with them again. We Do you see yourself ever directing a Holly- “Both Kate and Saoirse
had such a great time and formed a strong wood feature or an episode of a series? wanted to commit to the way
bond that has continued after the filming. My God, if DC or Marvel rang, I’d be
there in a shot! [Laughs.] And because in which I work, and very
Does the title have a double meaning? television is so great, I would definitely generously did, so we could
Yes, it does. An ammonite is a very vul- be up to doing that.
nerable, soft sea slug, and to protect itself, we could investigate the
it encases itself in a very hard shell [like Given everything going on with theatrical characters fully and build
Winslet’s character does]. exhibition, when do you expect this film them three-dimensionally.”
to be released, and would you consider
What can viewers expect in terms of a streaming or multiplatform release? Francis Lee
its tone? We’re still discussing all of that. I’m deeply

OLD ROMANCE

Kate Winslet
(left) and Saoirse
Ronan star in 19th
century love story
“Ammonite,” from
filmmaker Francis
Lee, which was
selected for Cannes.

SEE SAW FILMS

12 VARIETY



NEWS

REVIEWS

MARKET made the most of that kinship. You can’t the Wild” adaptation: In its own abstract, VIVO FILM,/BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL
BY GUY LODGE say that about “Siberia,” a beautiful, roundabout way, there’s rather more of
unhinged, sometimes hilarious, trek into Jack London’s visceral, lost-to-nature
Siberia geographical and psychological wilder- spirit in Ferrara’s admittedly less rous-
ness that will delight some and mystify ing adventure, not to mention better,
DIRECTOR: Abel Ferrara many others. As a study of a rugged indi- wholly undigitized dogs too: The captivat-
STARRING: Willem Dafoe, Dounia Sichov, Simon vidualist looking back on long-withered ing team of huskies pulling Dafoe’s hero
McBurney, Cristina Chiriac connections — to others, to the main- through assorted landscapes and dream-
stream world, and indeed to himself — it scapes are perfectly wrangled even when
“S I B E R I A” I S T H E sixth film Abel Ferr- feels personally invested both as a star this unruly film is not.
ara has made with Willem Dafoe, and by vehicle and an auteur piece. If it isn’t, the
the end of it, were it not for vivid mem- joke’s on us, and still pretty funny. For a time, “Siberia” fools its audience
ories of past collaborations with Harvey into thinking it might be a straightfor-
Keitel and Christopher Walken, it would Though it’s one of the more antici- ward, even austere, character study. Over
be hard to conceive of him ever having pated big-name titles in this year’s Ber- a black screen as the opening credits run,
cast anyone else. Ferrara and Dafoe were lin competition, distributors may well Clint (Dafoe, the light gravel in his voice
always an obvious fit — both toughened, be shy of an unabashed free-form curi- recognizable in a flash) delivers an anec-
wily eccentrics happy to sit outside the osity that goes as off-grid cinematically dotal monologue, reflecting on childhood
system — though their previous pairings, as its explorer protagonist does into the fishing trips with his father and brother
including the surprisingly restrained unknown: After all, it took the compar- — the only experiences he can recall of
quasi-biopic “Pasolini” and last year’s atively straightforward “Pasolini” five male bonding in a life that, it seems, has
navel-gazing doodle “Tommaso,” never years to reach U.S. screens after its Ven- been lived spiritually alone for many
ice 2014 premiere, while “Tommaso” is years. Only gradually and partially do we
14 VARIETY still awaiting a Stateside release. In an assemble the life events that have seen
ideal world, however, “Siberia” would be Clint retreat to a desolate snow-laden
perversely double-billed in theaters with cabin in the Siberian mountains, where
Disney’s soul-challenged new “Call of he runs a ramshackle bar frequented



REVIEWS

by a few Inuit locals and the odd foreign in the book — be it stoic hardiness, hyste- MARKET VIVO FILM,/BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL
explorer. One of his patrons is pregnant: ria, or cathartic, limb-flying dancing to Del BY PETER DEBRUGE
We suspect he’s the father, though Fer- Shannon’s “Runaway” — as his Clint seem-
rara restricts our understand even of ingly splinters across space and time into Undine
this bare premise by not subtitling any the identities he’s left behind en route to
non-English dialogue, situating viewers frozen self-exile. With an apparent wisp DIRECTOR, WRITER: Christian Petzold
firmly inside Clint’s already detached of a script to go by, this wouldn’t come off CAST: Paula Beer, Franz Rogowski, Maryam Zaree,
headspace. without a director and star themselves Jacob Matschenz
joined at the heart: Whatever the complex-
Those who require a standard A-to-B ities behind its conception, “Siberia” cru- CHRISTIAN PETZOLD’S “Undine” begins
narrative would be best advised to check cially pulls off the sense that the camera with a breakup. Framed tightly on the
out at this early stage, for Ferrara has has simply followed Dafoe’s instincts with face of lead actor Paula Beer, we absorb
something far more sinuous and sub- a soulmate’s trust. the news as she does. But this is no ordi-
conscious-led in mind. The term “dream nary separation, and as jilted lovers go,
logic” can be casually used with regard “Siberia” is at once a film that’s impos- Undine’s far from typical. Her name
to any film that dabbles in surrealism, sible to spoil — nothing happens in it, betrays what sets her apart, although in
though “Siberia,” in a manner compa- as much as everything does — but best the vast realm of mythological entities,
rable to Lynch at his freakiest or Leos experienced, well, very cold indeed. The undines are hardly the well-understood
Carax’s admittedly more expansive “Holy breaks in register and realities are the creatures that Petzold’s revisionist con-
Motors,” genuinely earns the descrip- surprises here, negotiated with deft, temporary fable assumes (not in America,
tor with its irregular, shape-shifting scale-switching wit by editors Fabio Nun- at least). As a result, this overripe roman-
successful of images, vignettes and occa- ziata and Leonardo Daniel Bianchi. (In a tic tragedy — which represented the
sional erotic visions that sometimes melt film not short of elegant formal trickery, a Berlin School in competition at the Ber-
together in sequence, and brashly disrupt particular match dissolve, taking us from lin Film Festival — won’t have the same
each other elsewhere. Dissatisfied with snow to tundra, is subtly breathtaking.) impact abroad as the three critical dar-
his attempts to find true peace in isola- lings that preceded it, “Barbara,” “Phoe-
tion, Clint hauls out his dogsled, gees up To scour Ferrara’s film too hard for nix” and “Transit.”
his huskies, and embarks an a journey meaning isn’t the best way to unlock its
that could be literal, metaphysical or both. pleasures: There’s certainly feeling and “If you leave me, I’ll have to kill you,”
fury in its study of disaffected masculin- Undine tells Johannes (Jacob Matsch-
Thus do spectacularly shot snowy vis- ity left to fester in isolation, but just as enz), who has beckoned her to their usual
tas give way to disconnected sites of much playful, knowingly silly revelry in café, across the street from the Berlin City
memory, fantasy and nightmare: gaping the elastic form and function of cinema Museum, where she works as a historian.
caves of actual forgotten dreams, caramel itself. “Respect the presence of sleep,” This is the part in water sprite folklore
expanses of distinctly un-Siberian des- Clint is advised at one point on his mad when things typically turn dark. To our
ert, an abandoned Russian death camp, a odyssey. Bored or bewildered viewers eyes, Undine looks human (Beer is big-
spring garden adorned by a pastel may- could easily turn this line against the film, eyed and lovely, and she plays the scene
pole. Along the way, Clint is confronted but perhaps it’s our cue to experience it with surprising subtlety, considering that
with various versions and reflections of as we would a dream: pulled along by its an operatic reaction would have been rea-
himself, or past loved ones tainted so strong, seductive, senseless current, and sonable for one whose lover has doomed
much by his own soured memory of them woken when the darkness lifts, to wonder them both). Though the film doesn’t
that they may be avatars of him too. When how any of it happened at all. explain it explicitly, Undine was a water
an ex-lover accused him of ruining her sprite by origin, and as such, she was only
life, his response (“We ruined our life!”) CREDITS:(Italy-Germany-Mexico) A Vivo Film, Rai Cinema presentation able to achieve her present form by falling
feels less like a bitter rejoinder than a of a Maze Pictures, Piano production in association with Faliro House, in love with a man — one who must remain
solipsistic observation: His life and self Rimsky Prods., Bavaria Filmproduktion. (International sales: The Match faithful to her or else forfeit his life.
consumes everyone in it. Factory, Cologne.) Producers: Marta Donzelli, Gregorio Paonessa, Philipp
Kreuzer, Jörg Schulze, Julio Chavezmontes, Diana Phillips. Executive pro- By beginning at this point, Petzold has
It’s a exploration ideally headed by ducers: Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Michael Weber, Michel Merkt, skipped over the sexy part of the story,
Dafoe, whose noble, jagged features and Alessio Lazzareschi, Regina Solórzano, Alessandro Del Vigna. Director: at least as it is usually relayed in liter-
livewire physicality are called upon here Abel Ferrara. Screenplay: Ferrara, Chris Zois. Camera: Stefano Falivene. ature and the arts — and, on very rare
to project just about every male condition Editors: Fabio Nunziata, Leonardo Daniel Bianchi. Music: Joe Delia. occasion, in film (as in Neil Jordan’s Irish
Reviewed at Berlin Film Festival, Feb. 23, 2020. Running time: 92 MIN. “Ondine”). Like Hans-Christian Anders-
With: Willem Dafoe, Dounia Sichov, Simon McBurney , Cristina Chiriac, en’s little mermaid, undines long to live
Valentina Rozumenko, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Phil Neilson, Fabio Pagano, among humans, and true love makes that
Anna Ferrara, Laurentio Arnatsiaq, Ulrike Willenbacher. (English, Russian, possible. Now, the question becomes: Is
Inuit dialogue) Petzold’s heroine obliged to fulfill her
destiny? (Must she kill Johannes?) Or is
there something she can do to alter it?

Looking back through Petzold’s oeuvre,
we see that his heroines share a version
of the undine ambition: They, too, want to
lead a life — free from tragedy, oppression
and the shadows of 20th-century German
history. Few male directors of Petzold’s
stature have committed themselves so
deeply to women-centric narratives. With
“Undine,” the classical-minded helmer

16 VARIETY



REVIEWS

returns to the present, while remaining “Should she come back into contact with Johannes to get his reckoning. The scene
anchored to a female POV. His Undine her element after her marriage, she must feels like something out of a late-night
does not wish to return to the lake from return to it.” But Undine is already break- cable movie, minus the unearned nudity,
which she came. Although almost liter- ing the rules, and Christoph seems to rep- though “Undine” returns to its more
ally a “fish out of water,” she seems to resent a loophole. Or maybe she’s her enchanted tone for the final reel, in which
have adjusted well to life on land: Undine own exception, since Petzold tends not Christoph gets caught up in the movie’s
holds a respectable job, inhabits a mod- to define his heroines through their rela- ill-defined curse.
ern Berlin apartment and spends her tion to men, but rather in terms of their
days learning about the city — one whose strength and resourcefulness. Could his It would help enormously if Petzold
complicated urban history occupies an Undine actually be free from the curse of had, at some point, managed to articulate
inordinate amount of the film’s otherwise co-dependence? the rules that govern Undine and her kind,
economical run time. so that audiences might appreciate how
Frankly, trying to parse how Petzold’s he intends to break them — and of course,
Johannes has betrayed her, but before “Undine” stacks up against mythology that the way in which she simply cannot over-
she can even find time to grieve, Undine many audiences don’t know to begin with come her fate. There’s a stylistic and nar-
meets an industrial diver named Chris- feels like something of a fool’s errand. Bet- rative elegance to Petzold’s approach,
toph (Beer’s “Transit” co-star Franz ter to let the romance wash over you. Savor with its clean lensing and repeated use of
Rogowski), who sweeps her off her feet the way that Christoph reveres her intel- a single piece of music (the rolling piano
in an unexpected — and very wet — way. ligence. At one point, he interrupts their Adagio from Bach’s Concerto in D Minor,
Christoph couldn’t be less like Johannes. lovemaking to flatter her intellect, insist- BWV 974), that suggests restraint, where
He’s sweet, and sentimental, and devoted ing that she try out her latest speech on a queer filmmaker might have propelled
to the point of being clingy, all of which him. “You say such clever things, and in a things into camp territory. In a way, it’s
the movie idealizes over the course of a beautiful way,” he tells her in all sincerity. a shame that “Undine” stops short, since
gushy half-hour courtship. Christoph has the material feels thin, and the statement
been working in a lake near Wuppertal, If Johannes represented the seemingly as murky as the lake to which the camera
Germany, where he comes face-to-face inevitable infidelity of man, Christoph ultimately returns.
with a giant catfish — a good sign that serves as a humble counter-example. But
he’s not easily intimidated by underwater the movie isn’t ready to wish them “hap- CREDITS: Reviewed at Berlin Film Festival, Feb. 23, 2020. Running time:
creatures, perhaps. pily ever after,” and when Johannes resur- 90 MIN. PRODUCTION: (Germany-France) A Schramm Film, Koerner &
faces at the movie’s midway mark, we can Weber production, in co-production with Les films du Losange, with the
Christoph recalls having seen Undine’s feel the plot kick into gear: Undine must support of Canal Plus, Ciné Plus, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Film-
name stenciled on one of the ancient deal with unfinished business, and in so und Medienstiftung NRW, BKM Die Beaufrtragte der Bundesregierun
arches beneath the surface, and he takes doing, risk losing Christoph. She’s a crea- für Kulturund Medien, FFA Filmförderungsanstalt, CNC Centre National
her diving there on a date. According to ture of the water, and as such, a swim- du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée, Deutsh-FranzUosisches Koproduk-
undine legend (or the film’s press notes), ming pool seems a reasonable place for tionsabkommen, Deuscher Filmförderfonds. (Int’l sales: The Match Fac-
tor, Cologne.) Producers: Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael Weber.
Co-producer: Margaret Menegoz. Executive producer: Anton Kaiser.
Director, writer: Christian Petzold. Camera: Hans Fromm. Editor: Bet-
tina Böhler. WITH: Paula Beer, Franz Rogowski, Maryam Zaree, Jacob
Matschenz

MARCO KRÜGER/SCHRAMM FILM

18 VARIETY







NEWS

‘NO MAN’S’ CONTINUED FROM P.1 MARKET CONTINUED FROM P.1 band together and keep our busi- The Exchange are shopping “The
ness flowing,” said Rena Ronson, Inventor,” an animated feature by
vigilantes Bill Greer (Grillo) and his son premium packages — which is head of UTA Independent Film “Ratatouille” scribe Jim Capobi-
Jackson (Allyn), who are out on patrol par for the course for any Cannes Group. anco featuring a voice cast head-
when Jackson accidentally kills a Mexican market,” said AGC Studios chair- lined by Daisy Ridley and Stephen
immigrant boy. Bill tries to take the blame man-CEO Stuart Ford. “Our indi- Big title news has certainly Fry; Gaumont introduces period
but Texas Ranger Ramirez (Lopez) sees cations are that distributors are flowed, if steadily. Antoine Fuqua thriller “The Mad Women’s Ball,”
through the lie, spurring Jackson to flee buying the big stuff. Buyers need will direct Will Smith in Civil War helmed by and starring Mela-
south on horseback across the Rio Grande. premium product they can build a action thriller “Emancipation,” to nie Laurent. Pulsar Content and
Pursued by Texas Rangers and Mexican 2021-and-beyond slate around.” be introduced at Cannes by Film- XYZ Films present Russian sci-fi
federales, Jackson journeys across deserts Nation, according to press reports. thriller “Superdeep” with Milena
and mountains to seek forgiveness from “There’s product definitely FilmNation also has Larraín’s Radulovic (“The Balkan Line”).
the dead boy’s vengeful father (Jimenez). and deals are being negotiated,” “Spencer,” with Stewart as Prin-
said Martin Moszkowicz, execu- cess Diana. Above all, COVID-19 is power-
“My brother and I set out to make a clas- tive board chairman at Germany’s ing a fundamental repositioning of
sic Western that asks the audience to cross Constantin Film, who indicated Jackman looks attached to much of independent distribution,
the border within ourselves,” said director Constantin was in talks on a cou- STX-sold “Ferrari,” from Michael which may well be seen at Cannes.
Conor Allyn. ple of titles. Mann. Wahlberg re-teams with
Kormakur for Sierra/Affinity-sold “The key independent buyers
“No Man’s Land” was produced by But Cannes two virtual mar- adventure movie “Arthur the we’re dealing with are real, theat-
Conor Allyn, Jake Allyn and Rob Allyn kets still raise as many questions King.” Jonas and Fishburne star rically driven cinema companies,”
under the Allyn’s Margate House Films as they’ve now answered, includ- in AGC Studios’ action thriller said Endeavor Content’s Alex
production banner with a Mexican team, ing: Will projects ever get made? “The Blacksmith.” Willis will shoot Walton.
including cinematographer Juan Pablo What is the independent distribu- “Killing Field” for Emmett/Furla
Ramírez (“The Gasoline Thieves”), pro- tors’ ability to step up to the plate? Films; Thompson heads Mister “Cannes is slanted more than
duction designer Liz Medrano (“Para- Will some titles, having lit a fire at Smith Entertainment’s psycholog- ever towards the high-end pre-buy
medicos”), executive producer Araceli Cannes, be taken off the market ical thriller “Balestra”; James stars marketplace — bigger movies that
Velazquez (“Desierto”) and co-screenwriter by far-deeper pocketed studios or in Pablo Trapero’s thriller “The have talent packages that more or
and executive producer David Barraza platforms? Paris Trap,” for Studiocanal. less guarantee big theatrical expo-
(“Guardia-Garcia)”. sure,” Ford added.
“The point of the virtual mar- Among titles from other
Victor Almeida and Joel Shapiro also ket is to … say, ‘We’re not going to France-based companies, MK2/ Manori Ravindran contributed to
produced the film, while Luke Daniels, stop.’ We’re going to continue to this report.
Simon Fawcett, Grillo and Alan Pao execu-
tive produced. ‘WORLD’ VIEW ‘WORLD’ CONTINUED FROM P.1
“Veins of the World,” the ficture feature film debut of
“With their gripping new film, Conor Byambasuren Davaa, world-premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Les Films du Preau for France, Surtsey Films
and Jake Allyn have brought a fresh and for Spain, Angel Films for Scandinavia and
complex perspective to the Western,” Ari- Filmcoopi for Switzerland. Further deals are
anna Bocco, EVP of acquisitions and pro- in negotiation. The drama will be released in
ductions of IFC Films said. “Powered by a Germany by Pandora Film later this year.
brilliant cast, ‘No Man’s Land’ is a prime
example of new voices in filmmaking that The film centers on Amra, an 11-year-old
we’re committed to supporting.” boy who lives the traditional life of a nomad
with his mother Zaya, father Erdene and
The deal for the film was negotiated for little sister Altaa in the Mongolian steppe.
IFC by Bocco and director of acquisitions While Zaya takes care of the flock, Erdene
Aijah Keith with CAA Media Finance and works as a mechanic, and sells Zaya’s
XYZ Films working on behalf of the film- homemade cheese at the local market.
makers. Voltage Pictures is handling inter- Their peaceful routine is threatened by the
national sales, which is launching this encroachment of international mining com-
week at the virtual Marche du Film. panies, digging for gold and devastating the
natural habitat.
‘OTHERS’ CONTINUED FROM P.1
The film was produced by Basis Ber-
arrival of three enigmatic servants reveals lin Filmproduktion, whose “Of Fathers and
some unexpected and chilling secrets. Sons” was nominated for the best documen-
tary Oscar last year.
The gothic film grossed more than $200
million worldwide. ‘TALES’ CONTINUED FROM P.1 (“Narcos”) and Clara Méndez Leite (“Invader”) and TAREK TABET
Sara Sálamo (“Everybody Knows”) and Real Madrid
BTF founders Ricardo Coeto and Fran- Produced by Morena’s Álvaro Longoria and soccer player Isco Alarcón.
cisco Cordero will produce the series while Anna Saura, and Cecilia Gessa at Gessas Produc-
FilmSharks’ Guido Rud and Cerezo execu- ciones, the “Tales” episode are directed by Fernando “These are five stories recorded in optimal tech-
tive produce. Colomo (“Isla Bonita,” “Tigres de papel,” “Alegre ma nical conditions. Each one works separately but
non troppo”), Álvaro Fernández-Armero (“Span- together they give you a highly interesting perspec-
BTF Media previously acquired the ish Shame”), David Marqués (“Dioses y Perros”), tive on a whole generation,” said Latido Films CEO
remake rights to four other titles from Miguel Bardem (“Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Antonio Saura.
the Remake Co, including the U.S. adap- — Save the Planet”) and Juan Diego Botto (“En los
tation rights to romantic comedy “Me márgenes”). “Quarantine productions have a way of shoot-
Case con un Boludo,” which is currently in ing that respects confinement. Thanks to technology
development. The stories topline five pair of actors: Luis Tosar and cell phones, it’s possible to shoot without leaving
(“Miami Vice”) and Maria Luisa Mayol (“Eye For home,” said Longoria. “Then you can also try to por-
With offices in Chile, Mexico, Argen- an Eye”), Alvaro Rico (“Élite”) and Carlos Bardem tray confinement in the script. That we haven’t done.
tina and Spain, BTF Media has continued (“Assassin’s Creed”), Manuela Velasco (“REC”) and The stories don’t deal explicitly with confinement but
to grow its slate of series across the Span- Rafa Castejón (“Frozen Silence”), Alberto Ammann happen in confinement.”
ish-speaking world, scoring big hits with
television hits such as “Hasta Que Te Con-
ocí” and “El Secreto de Selena.”

22 VARIETY



NEWS

FOCUS

Women Producers Follow
Female Directors’ Success

CATALONIA HAS TALENT BUT NEEDS MORE COIN TO BUILD ON By EMILIO MAYORGA

T H R E E O R S O years ago, a new generation FEMME POWER their second or third features: Simón with (“Panthers”), Alba Sotorra (“Isis Widows”) SOPHIE KOEHLER
of directors, many women, were beginning “Alcarrás,” Ballús (“The Odd-Job Men”), double up as directors.
to break out in Catalonia. That was no flash “The Innocence,” Colell (“Duo,” “Transoceánicas,”), Rico
in the pan. directed by Lucia (“The Little Loves”), Pilar Palomero (“La Catalonia’s newest generation is now
Alemeny, was produced maternal”) and Reguera (“The Grandson”), “landing in production,” says Mar Medir at
Following on Nely Reguera’s “María by Belén Sánchez, one among others. Catalan Films.
(and Everybody Else)” and Carla Simón’s of a growing number
Berlinale Generation Kplus pic “Sum- of women producers in Now, women producers are taking cen- The region has carved out a tradition
mer 1993,” first features by Diana Toucedo Catalonia. ter stage: Belén Sánchez at Un Capricho in independent and documentary cin-
(“Thirty Souls”), Meritxell Colell (“Facing Producciones (Lucía Alemeny’s “The Inno- ema. The new generation, male and female,
the Wind”), Neus Ballús (“The Plague”) and cence”), Patricia Franquesa at Gadea Films ranges far wider in its work.
Celia Rico (“Journey to a Mother’s Room”) (Laura Herrero’s “La Mami”) are succeed-
have set the film festival circuit alight, ing. Many producers including Anna María Of movies from women producers, “The
garnering bullish reviews and a slew of Bofarull at KaBoGa (“Barcelona 1714”), Innocence” is an arthouse coming-of-age
prizes. Many of these women are now on to Érika Sánchez at Antivaho Cinematográfico rural tale; “Barcelona 1714” has the pro-
duction ambitions of historical drama; “La
Mami” and “Isis Widows” are docs.

24 VARIETY

Catalan Films at pVavivisritiltulioaoulnr
Marché du Film

Upcoming Catalan Presenting
Films Catalonia's Minoritary
Coproduction Fund
23/06 at 15:00 Arcades #9
25/06 at 19:00 Cinema from 25/06 at 12:00
Spain

Market Screenings ___ ___
ROPES THE INNOCENCE
___ José Luis Montesinos Lucia Alemany
32 MALASAÑA STREET Reel Suspects Filmax
Albert Pintó 23/06 at 15:30 Arcades #12 23/06 at 19:00 Cinema from Spain
StudioCanal ___ 25/06 at 17:30 Arcades #12
24/06 15:00 Arcades #9 ROSA'S WEDDING ___
___ Iciar Bollaín THE MYSTERY OF THE PINK
A THIEF'S DAUGHTER The Match Factory FLAMINGO
Belén Funes 24/06 at 12:00 Olympia #3 Javier Polo
Latido ___ The Party
25/06 at 10:00 Cinema from Spain SCHOOLGIRLS 25/06 at 17:30 Arcades #8
___ Pilar Palomero ___
JOSEP Film Factory THE OFFERING
Aurel 26/06 at 15:30 Arcades #12 Ventura Durall
The Party ___ Moonrise Pictures
23/06 at 9:00 Arcades #3 THE CURSE OF THE 22/06 at 15:00 Cinema from Spain
25/06 at 11:30 Arcades #16 HANDSOME MAN 25/06 at 15:00 Cinema from Spain
___ Beda Docampo ___
LONE WOLVES Filmax THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS
Sergi Arnau 22/06 at 15:00 Arcades #13 Cesc Gay
House of Film 24/06 at 10:00 Cinema from Spain Filmax
25/06 at 17:00 Arcades #1 ___ 22/06 at 11:00 Arcades #13
___ THE EUROPEANS 25/06 at 15:30 Arcades #2
ONE FOR ALL Victor Garcia ___
David Ilundain Filmax WISHLIST
Film Factory 25/06 at 12:00 Cinema from Spain Alvaro Diaz
22/06 at 17:00 Arcades #15 26/06 at 14:00 Olympia #9 Latido Films
23/06 at 12:00 Cinema from Spain
24/06 at 15:30 Arcades #4
26/06 at 10:00 Cinema from Spain

CATALONIA

MAINSTREAM PITCH Filmmakers
“The Odd Men” (top) and “A Perfect Enemy” aim for larger audience appeal. Embraces
International
As for directors, “some, notably, are with larger audience appeal, such as Co-Production
diversifying, nurturing their auteurist Rodrigo Cortés’ “Love Gets a Room” (for
streak but also opening up to a more main- Nostromo), Lluís Quílez’ “Below Zero” (for Catalonia’s producers look to grow
stream work with platforms and broadcast- Amorós Producciones), Cesc Gay’s “The international networks for their own
ers,” Medir notes. People Upstairs,” (Imposible Films), David and third-party movies
Victori’s “Cross the Line” (Filmax), Mar Tar-
Carlos Marques Marcet, director of garona’s “The Cuckoo” (Rodar y Rodar), PRODUCERS SCRAMBLING for finance should
SXSW Special Jury Prize winner “10,000 Kike Maíllo’s “A Perfect Enemy” (Sábado spare a thought for Catalonia. Aimed at boosting
Km.,” and Leticia Dolera, a CannesSeries Películas) and Icíar Bollaín’s “Rosa’s Wed- its minority international co-productions, a new
double prize-winner for “A Perfect Life,” ding” (Setembro Cine). public support scheme was launched in June by
have both directed episodes of HBO con- the Catalan Institute of Cultural Enterprises (ICEC).
finement series “En casa,” along with Elena Talent is flourishing in Catalonia, most
Martín, a writer on Atresmedia’s “Veneno.” industry players agree. What they miss Fiction, documentary or animation proj-
is robust support from Spain’s regional ects are eligible for funding, running to a total
Many of this new generation hail broadcasters. Some producers, neverthe- €1.2 million ($1.4 million) this year. Finance can’t
from the documentary field, which has a less, underscore the need for a proactive exceed 60% of total Spanish participation and is
strong tradition in Catalonia, bulwarked pubcaster. Public-sector subsidies should capped $335,000 per project.
by schools such as Ramon Llull or Pom- be a complement, not the engine of film
peu Fabra. Anna Giralt is directing “Robin financing. We need a strong TV [compo- A long-standing demand from producers, the
Bank,” a personal crusade against the nent], one says. measure seeks “to begin the process of consoli-
banking system. Among docs in the works, dating our cinema on international markets,” says
Ballús has comedic doc “Men”; Sotorra is A second challenge is the threat of talent ICEC director Miquel Curanta.
working on “Isis Widows,” a psychologi- leaving for Madrid. A few producers, direc-
cal study of women in the West who have tors and DPs have moved there. Spain’s Only projects that have covered 40% of their
joined the organization; Miguel Ángel main broadcasters have always been there. budget through an international producer and
Blanca and Raúl Cuevas’ analyze low-cost Now they’re being joined by the global plat- Catalan partner can apply, but there is no mini-
tourism in “Magaluf Ghost Town” and “Olé forms, another producer says. mum required from the Catalan applicant.
mi coño,” about a woman’s riposte to cyber
stalking, is still in development. What Madrid can’t match, at least for the Of 84 Catalan productions last year, 47 were
moment, is the vigorous state support from produced 100% out of the region, 19 were co-pro-
In economic terms, documentaries Catalan film agency ICEC. Its $19.2 million ductions with another region of Spain and 18 were
lower the entry level for first features, while budget this year is up 50% on 2019 when it international co-productions, just down from 21
priming cooperation. lost revenues from a regional levy on local in 2018. Eight were minority co-productions, nine
telecoms. majority and one saw equal co-financing. France
Other directors are readying movies and Argentina were the most-frequent countries
of co-production with four cases each, followed
by Mexico (three), and Italy and the U.S. (two).

Recent minority Catalan co-productions
include Albert Serra’s Un Certain Regard prize-win-
ner, “Liberté,” Sebastian Lelio’s Academy Award
winner “A Fantastic Woman” and Stefano Cipani’s
“My Brother Chases Dinosaurs,” a European Film
Academy Young Audience Award laureate.

“Producers have to build up networks of trust
in international markets,” Curanta says. “Depart-
ing from initial minority participations, our com-
panies will be able to find regular partners for
their own future projects.”

“This new line will favor crucial exchange
between countries, building a stronger future,”
says Raimon Masllorens, president of Catalan
producers lobby Proa. — Emilio Mayorga

“This new line
will favor crucial
exchange between
countries, building
a stronger future.”

Raimon Masllorens, president of
Catalan producers lobby Proa

26 VARIETY

Catalan Films ___ ___
congratulates the JOSEP FORASTERA
films selected at Aurel Lucía Aleñar
Festival de Iglesias
Cannes

CATALONIA worked with Simón and Gaga on “Sum-
mer 1993” and “Matria,” respectively.
Region’s Producers Graell is now co-producing Gago’s direc-
Deliver the Goods torial debut, “Something Similar to
Happiness.”
FROM DOCU TO GENRE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN,
THIS GENERATION WANTS TO TACKLE IT ALL ADRIÀ MONÉS

By EMILIO MAYORGA Before founding Fasten Films, Monés
served as exec producer for Filmax. He
NURIA VALLS Forum entry “Facing the Wind,” based recently co-produced David Ilundain’s
out of El Capricho Producciones, she pro- “One for All”; is developing Laura Ferrés’
Valls already has 14 producer or exec pro- duced Lucía Alemany’s San Sebastian hit (“The Disinherited”) debut, “The Perma-
ducer credits, including Eugenio Mira’s “The Innocence.” Now prepping María Rip- nent Picture”; and “Four Loves,” from
“Grand Piano” and Dan Krauss’ “The oll’s dramedy “Leave the Guns Behind” and Jorge Dorado. “We have two production
Kill Team” alongside her partner Adrián Rocío Mesa’s “Tobacco Barns.” lines — one more auteur-ish, the other
Guerra at Nostromo. She will soon resume for wider audiences. Our targets are
shooting on “Los favoritos de Midas,” cre- ORIOL MAYMÓ clear in each case. We don’t beat around
ated by Mateo Gil, her first TV series. “I’d the bush,” he says.
like to do exactly what we’ve done so far: Maymó participated in Rodrigo Cortés’
making all kinds of movies we’d like to “Buried” production, among many others MARTA RAMÍREZ
watch, not only genre,” she says. and, now based out of Corte y Confección,
produced Leticia Dolera’s Canneseries Involved with Claudia Llosa’s “The
PATRICIA FRANQUESA winner “A Perfect Life” and Mariano Bar- Milk of Sorrow” and J.A. Bayona’s “The
roso’s Basque conflict origins story “The Orphanage,” Ramirez founded Coming
Trained in Barcelona, where she Invisible Line.” Maymó’s planning the sec- Soon and co-produced Elena Trapé’s
co-founded Gadea Films with Laia Zanon, ond season of “Life” and creative docu- “The Distances.” Now she’s re-team-
she produced Laura Herrero’s doc “La mentary “Mulleres,” from Marta Lallana. ing with Trapé on “The Enchanted” and
Mami,” which was selected for SXSW. She’s “I’m interested in films that surprise is developing Victor Cuadrado’s debut
now in post on “Oh Dear Sara,” her first me, open new windows of emotion and “Sleeping Woman.” “We’re interested
doc feature as a director, and developing knowledge.” in stories that speak to us about univer-
“Olé mi coño,” about a stalker who stole sal themes by showing a strong personal
her laptop and threatened to reveal inti- MIREIA GRAELL point of view,” she says.
mate photos.
“I’m excited by creators, the reasons why JORGE CABALLERO RAMOS
BELÉN SÁNCHEZ they want to tell their stories,” says Graell,
who studied at the London Film School Caballero has experience in cinema, tele-
“I love characters who question every- where she met Berlinale winner Carla communications engineering and arti-
thing, whatever the consequences,” Sán- Simón and Sundance Grand Jury Prize ficial intelligence. His company, Gusano
chez says. Having participated in the winner Álvaro Gago. Years later Graell Films, is about to release the latest from
production of Meritxell Colell’s Berlinale Elías Seminiani, “The Stillness Syn-
drome.” Also in production is Anna
Valls (clockwise from top left), Francquesa, Sánchez, Maymó, Graell, Monés, Ramirez, Ramos, Rodríguez, Carrizosa Giralt’s “Robin Bank.” “We started out
fond of social documentary and evolved
to reflect on new technologies and how
cinema can change our conception of the
world,” he says.

GERARD RODRÍGUEZ

“Our direction is independent, aes-
thetic cinema, not focused on a concrete
genre,” Rodríguez says. His first fea-
ture from Japonica Films, Javier Polo’s
“The Mystery of the Pink Flamingo,” is a
humorous rumination on the search for
happiness and the kitschy symbol of pop
culture. A SXSW selection, it’s a docu-
mentary, a road movie and a comedy.

TONI CARRIZOSA

“Movies are collaborative, and I like that,”
says Carrizosa. His resumé includes Rafa
Cortes’ “Yo,” Kike Maíllo’s “Eve” and El
Terrat-produced “Somos gente honrada”
from Alejandro Marzoa. With his com-
pany, Sábado Películas, recent produc-
tions include Kike Maíllos’ “A Perfect
Enemy” and Dani de la Orden’s rom-com
for Netflix, “Llámame loco.” Future ambi-
tions include making romantic comedies
and adventure movies.

28 VARIETY

Catalonia,
new incentives,
new possibilities

Catalan Institute for More information:
Cultural Companies www.catalunyafilmcommission.cat
ICEC

CHILE

FOCUS (Sanfic) for “Aracne,” a noirish thriller set
in Santiago.
Female Power Soars
in Chilean Film In recognition of this surge, 2019’s
Sanfic hosted its first Women’s Encoun-
WOMEN, ESPECIALLY AS PRODUCERS, ARE INCREASINGLY DRIVING ter in which more than 30 Latin American
CINEMA WITH MORE DIVERSE AND AMBITIOUS PROJECTS women got together to relate their individ-
ual experiences and the challenges they
By ANNA MARIE DE LA FUENTE and JOHN HOPEWELL faced in the region’s audiovisual indus-
try. As they sat in a circle, they exchanged
WO M E N A R E dominating the Chilean film “With the advent of new distribution anecdotes and advice on how to navigate a
industry more than ever, replicating what platforms, led by Netflix, we’re seeing big predominantly male workplace, long work
is happening across most of Latin Amer- changes in the industry as demand for pre- hours and the right work-home balance.
ica. In Bolivia, 85% of the producers are mium content rises,” notes Larrea, who has
said to be women and in Mexico, nearly observed higher production values, more The conversation continues to this day.
half of the audiovisual workforce is female. competitive titles and a boom in talent. “One good thing to come out of this COVID-
Of the 10 key Chilean titles participating 19 pandemic and the lockdown is that
at the Marché du Film Online Producers “Women have taken advantage of this it has made the men now working from
Network Spotlight this year, eight are pro- evolution, bringing a new vision, subjects home realize how challenging it is to bal-
duced by women. with other protagonists; stories which have ance one’s work and home life,” says San-
to be told by women, not only directors doval, Storyboard Media producer and
Films made by this ever-growing gener- and writers but also DPs, in art and sound Sanfic Industry head. Aside from produc-
ation of female producers are “ever more design and editing,” Jadue says. ing historical drama “El Cardenal” and
robust, of a larger caliber, with big casts, executive producing Sofia Paloma Gomez
and made in international co-production, Female DPs of recent films include and Camilo Becerra’s drama “Quizas es
not small films made with just Chilean Maura Moraes (“Entierro”), Francisca Cierto lo que Dicen de Nosotros,” she is
funding,” says Constanza Arena, execu- Saez (“Héctor”), Valeria Fuentes (“Perro producing the debut feature documenta-
tive director of Chilean film-TV promotion Bomba”), Emilia Martín (“Fiebre Austral”), ries of upcoming directors Patricia Cor-
board CinemaChile. She cites Florencia Laura Salinas (“Haciendo Sombra”) and rea (“Tercer Acto”) and Francina Carbonell
Larrea’s “My Tender Matador,” Macarena Michelle Bossy (“Fiebre”). (“El Cielo Está Rojo”). She recalls that more
Lopez’s “La Felicidad,” Gabriela Sandoval’s than half of the projects and works in prog-
“Jailbreak Pact” and Karina Jury’s “Vera To date, there are four noteworthy ress at last year’s Sanfic Industry featured
de Verdad,” co-produced with Italy and editors: Soledad Salfate (“A Fantastic female directors or producers.
selected for the Marché du Film’s Fron- Woman,” “Gloria Bell”), Andrea Chignoli
tières genre showcase. (“No,” “Araña”), Melisa Miranda (“El Pacto “Women are more collaborative, we
de Adriana,” “El Viaje de Monalisa”) and help each other; we form friendships, not
“The whole industry is evolving in how Camila Mercadal (“Flow”). rivalries,” says Karina Jury, who’s also pro-
we make films and tell stories,” says Roció ducing children’s series and documenta-
Jadue, head of Latin American film at Fab- A handful of femme filmmakers are ries. She concurs, moreover, that women
ula. “Audiences are looking for new stories, venturing into genre films, led by Pau- are more suited to producing as they tend
not necessarily complicated, nor feminist lette Lecaros and Yeniffer Fasciani of Nie- to be more detail-oriented and adept at
ones, but simply ones which relate with a bla Prods. with their supernatural thriller multitasking.
more or less a female audience that wants “Ancestra” and Florencia Dupont and Pilar
to see stories that represent them.” Díaz of Santiago Independiente, who took Jury noticed a change in Chile after
home the inaugural Morbido Fest prize returning from six years in Italy. “Our
at last year’s Santiago Intl. Film Festival male directors are less misogynistic, more
respectful, even more admiring of women,”
LADY VANISHES she notes, partly crediting the #MeToo
movement for the shift in attitudes.
Karina Jury’s “Vera
de verdad” has been “I make sure my sets are democratic:
selected for Cannes Everyone eats at the same time, there’s no
Market’s Frontières shouting and no one is considered more
genre showcase. important than the other,” says Larrea,
who is also co-producing Argentine Mar-
tin Rejtman’s comedy “La Practica” with
Argentina’s La Union de los Rios, Pandora
(Germany) and Rosa Filmes (Portugal).

In 2017, a group of five Chilean women
in the biz formed femme networking group
Nosotros Audiovisuales, which swiftly
grew to a membership of some 3,000
today. “Our goals are threefold: to raise our
members’ visibility, promote their work
and encourage networking,” says co-man-
ager Elisa Torres.

While the number of female producers
and — to a lesser extent — directors have
blossomed, there are still only a few in the
fields of editing or cinematography.

“It’s been harder to penetrate the boys’
clubs in these fields,” Torres says. “That
may be one other reason most women have
turned to producing.”

30 VARIETY

2020

chile
at
marché
dufilm

TOP CHILEAN PRODUCERS

PRESENT AT PRODUCERS NETWORK 2020

R O C Í O J A D U E MACARENA LÓPEZ ANDRÉS MARDONES C L A R A T O R I C C O

FABULA MANUFACTURA DE PELÍCULAS A LT I R O F I L M S LA FORMA CINE

ROBERTO DOVERIS I S A B E L O R E L L A N A GABRIELA SANDOVAL FLORENCIA LARREA

NIÑA NIÑO FILMS ARAUCARIA CINE STORYBOARD MEDIA FORASTERO

@cinemachile

CHILE

PROTECTOR

“The Cardinal,” directed by
Benjamin Avila, participated

in the San Sebastian Co-
Production Forum last year.

FOR SALE

Chilean Films at Cannes Mart

By ANNA MARIE DE LA FUENTE Happiness Photos, who then decides to live as a
hermit in northern Chile. Seeking sales
A B R E A K down of some of the Chilean PEPA SAN MARTIN agent.
movie highlights being moved at Cannes’
2020 virtual market: Produced by Macarena Lopez of Manufac- The Sorcerers
tura de Peliculas, a dramedy following Ana,
The Cardinal 65, who despite failing health, is bent on CHRISTOPHER MURRAY
fulfilling her one dream: to swim the frigid
BENJAMIN AVILA Beagle channel between Chile and Argen- A drama set in the mystical Chiloé Island
tina. In development. where an 11-year-old indigenous girl
Produced by Gabriela Sandoval of Story- turns to witchcraft to seek justice for her
board Media, Magma Cine (Argentina), Gul- My Tender Matador murdered father, from Oscar-winning
lane (Brazil). Sole Chilean participant at Fabula. Co-producers: Pimienta (Mex-
2019 San Sebastian Co-Production Forum. RODRIGO SEPULVEDA ico), the Match Factory (Germany).
Set in 1973 Chile where Cardinal Silva
Henriquez faces the harsh realities of pro- Produced by Forastero’s Florencia Larrea, Vera de Verdad
tecting victims of the military dictatorship. a drama turning on an aging transvestite,
In development. played by Alfredo Castro (“Tony Manero”), BENIAMINO CATENA
who gets entangled in a clandestine oper-
Dear Vera ation after falling for a young leftist guer- Playing the Marché du Film’s Frontières
rilla. Seeking international distribution. selection, this sci-fi drama, produced by
JOSE LUIS TORRES LEIVA Karina Jury of Atomica Films and Italy’s
Patient(ly) Enduring Suffering Macaia Film, is about 10-year-old Vera
From Catalina Vergara of Globo Rojo Films who vanishes in Liguria, Italy, only to
comes the story of an alcoholic actress CONSTANZA FERNANDEZ reappear two years later, aged 25. Sales
whose life changes when she’s called to gent is Coccinelle Film.
work on an unfinished 1973 film, starring Roberto Doveris’ Niña Niño Films presents
Vera Ratto. In development. a drama based on the true story of a seri- The Viper Hunt
ously ill prominent doctor at the mercy of
Fever Chile’s inhumane health system. Seeking ESTEBAN LARRAIN
post-production finance.
ELISA ELIASH Altiro Films thriller co-produced with
Sergio Larrain, the Selenium Films (France) and Toned
Live action/animation kid adventure pro- Eternal Moment Media (Spain). A journalist in a rut finds
duced by Clara Taricco’s La Forma Cine new impetus when clues lead her to the
and Peru’s Tiempo Libre, Films Bastardia. SEBASTIAN MORENO whereabouts of a notorious sect leader
An 11-year-old boy’s high fever transports and revelations about her late father.
him to a different world through a paint- A Peliculas del Pez documentary produced Latido Films reps sales.
ing. In post. by Claudia Barril about Sergio Larrain, the
only Chilean photographer to join Magnum

32 VARIETY

CHILE AT marché du film 2020

frontières buyers showcase

ITALY · CHILE

vera de verdad

Directed by

Beniamino Catena

PRODUCTION COMPANIES PRODUCERS COPRODUCTION COMPANY SALES AGENT

Atomica (Chile) - Simone Gandolfo & Manuel Macaia Film (Italy) Coccinelle Film (Italy)
17Producciones Stefanolo (Italy), & Karina Jury (Chile) [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]

Take a look

at our new
International Chilean Film Catalogue 2020!

The 97 Chilean films that will be This includes feature length
released to the world in 2020 fiction, documentary, shorts,
trace the political, from the and animation-- we have it all,
most recent social movements including future art-house hits!
to personal experiences shaped
by an ever-changing world.

@cinemachile

SHOOT THE BOOK

Great Stories Stand would like to launch these discussions and
on Bigger Platform make contact with producers,” she says. 

CANNES MARCHÉ’S SHOOT THE BOOK EXPANDS B2B “If people can do business online, if they
can use these virtual applications to create
COMPONENT IN ONLINE EVENT By Ben Croll partnerships, that can allow them to com-
mercially develop a catalog they might not
T H E S H O OT the Book adaption market — a Other jurors included producers Jean- HOT TITLE have otherwise had the time or money for.”
staple at the Marché du Film since 2014 Claude van Rijckeghem (“Zagros”), Zdenka
and a rising player on the global film scene Gold (“God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya”) Literary adaptation Accounting for nearly one-fifth of
— continues to evolve. and Hayley Brown (“Chubby”), editor “Simple Passion” domestic production, literary adaptations
Sophie Reine (“Frankie”), documentar- screens under the — such as the war film “Home Front” and
As the program — a joint initiative ian Aboozar Amini (“Kabul, City in the Cannes 2020 label and the steamy drama “Simple Passion,” both
between publishing trade group SCELF Wind”) and screenwriter Haitham Dabbour in the market. of which are presented in the market
(Société Civile des Editeurs de Langue (“Gunshot”). under the Cannes 2020 label — continue
Française) and the publicly funded Institut to be major drivers of the French film
Français — continues to host curated pitch Per Shoot the Book rules, the titles have industry. Meanwhile, on the international
sessions at markets in Cannes, Shanghai to be of recent vintage and already bene- side, streamers are beginning to quickly
and Los Angeles, it will also look to expand fit from a foreign-language translation. The follow suit.
its B2B rendezvous component that was English-language pitches will then be pre-
introduced last year. sented by the publisher, rather than the “I think producers today see adapta-
author, because, as the organizer explains: tions in a different light than they did a
“Our ambition is very simple,” says “We don’t think the author is always the best few years ago,” says Didier Dutour of the
SCELF director Nathalie Piaskowski. “We person to pitch the work. We think those Institut Français. “The problems and risks
want to entrench and entwine the two who already commercially position the work are different now. They know that adapted
events. We want to make the rendezvous are in the best position to present it.”  properties are in fact advantageous for
a fixture — and export it to other markets platforms.
and festivals.” As the event opens in the afternoon to
include a wider array of international pub- “We’ve heard this directly from Amazon
And so on June 25, Shoot the Book will lishers, this year’s decentralized, digital and Netflix,” he continues. “Far from being
kick off this year’s edition with a morn- nature could play a role in further expand- a problem, adaptations are enormously
ing pitch session — spotlighting 10 liter- ing the field. advantageous to them. They develop faster
ary properties selected by an industry jury and they bring in an existing fan base. So
— and return in the afternoon for a three- “[We’re better-positioned to welcome] independent producers know they can
hour meeting platform that will bring publishers who don’t have the means to attract the attention of an international
together publishers and producers and come down to Cannes but who nonetheless streamer more easily with an adaption.”
allow them to book direct discussions with
one another. Keeping those market forces in mind,
Shoot the Book will host a conversation
“The two elements are inextricable,” with Element Pictures’ Ed Guiney — the
says Piaskowski. “The pitches are the win- Dublin-based producer behind literary
dow display, the 10 titles offer a showcase adaptations “Room,” BBC/Hulu’s limited
in order to attract producers’ attention. series “Normal People” and its upcom-
Then with the subsequent rendezvous, we ing “Conversations With Friends” — to be
open” on a more industry-wide level. broadcast on June 26.

Chosen for their adaptation poten- With the talk, Dutour hopes to not only
tial, the 10 pitch titles were selected by a highlight one notable recent success, but to
nine-member jury that includes Cannes- interrogate some of the creative choices that
lauded filmmakers César Diaz (“Our Moth- led to it. “As a producer, Ed Guiney brought
ers”), Gaya Jiji (“My Favorite Fabric”) and on [‘Normal People’ author] Sally Rooney as
Philippe Lacôte (“Run”) alongside fellow screenwriter,” the organizer says.
screenwriters, producers and directors
with a serious international pedigree. “This wasn’t a case where the produc-
tion bought the rights to a text and cut the
author out; it wasn’t just a transaction. I
think this kind of process is more inter-
esting,” he adds. “And it’s something we
wanted to spotlight.”

Shoot the Book’s 10 Adaptation Candidates

Arrival The Fearsome Mozart The Yankee Comandante This Little Family Tous les Hommes n’habi-
Widow tent pas le monde de la
BY GOHRIL GABRIELSON BY GANI JAKUPI BY INÈS BAYARD même façon
BY ISABELLE DUQUESNOY
 A scientist studying loses herself True story of William Morgan who A woman is unsure who the father BY JEAN-PAUL DUBOIS
as she waits in vain for her lover. Constanze Mozart pulls her family fought with Che Guevara. of her unborn child is.
out of poverty.   Winner of Goncourt Prize for 2019.
Black Water Lilies The Miracle Workshop To Die in Spring
Les Fleurs de l’ombre Kinderzimmer
BY MICHEL BUSSI BY VALÉRIE TONG CUONG BY RALF ROTHMANN
BY TATIANA DE ROSNAY BY VALENTINE GOBY
Murder outside Claude Monet’s Three people are given the oppor- Two teenage boys are pushed into
garden. Dystopian Paris in 2035  tunity to repair their mistakes. the German army in 1945. Concentration camp drama

34 VARIETY



FRENCH CINEMA

GLOBAL REACH In 2019, French films accounted for 2.4%
of all titles on global SVOD platforms, plac-
Streaming Platforms ing the Gallic industry fourth in the world
Benefit From Shutdown behind the U.S., India and the U.K.

ONLINE VIEWING JUMPS AND DISTRIBUTORS TAKE For those looking to increase French cin-
ema’s overall footprint, catalog deals have
ADVANTAGE OF CAPTIVE AUDIENCES By Ben Croll become another avenue of opportunity. In
April, MK2 finalized a long-in-the-works
W H I L E R EC E N T shutdowns and work stop- the film a limited theatrical release. HIGH PROFILE deal with Netflix that gave the streamer NETFLIX
pages engendered by this year’s pandemic Of course, that is not always the case. If non-exclusive French rights to 60 library
have led to a halt in France’s normally Cannes Critics’ titles for a year, and the company brought
robust exhibition landscape, streaming plat- deep-pocketed players such as Netflix and Week winner “I Lost on producer Rosalie Varda to advise on fur-
forms — both international and local — have Amazon, which picked up all rights for its My Body” received ther catalog deals.
emerged from the crisis all the stronger. first French film, “Ballsy Girl,” in early April, an awards campaign
can be counted on for the occasional splashy from distributor “Today’s viewers are cross-media, so
The effects of this shift have been felt acquisition, their data-driven strategies can Netflix. you have to go and find them where they
across the French industry. On the local make them somewhat fickle friends. are,” says Varda, noting that MK2 signed a
front, distributors including Le Pacte, Stu- similar deal with Amazon. “The deal sur-
dioCanal and Pyramide have taken advan- “Their opacity is more a result of an prised everyone. But the feedback has been
tage of temporary exemptions issued by always-changing process,” Baraton says. extremely positive, and Netflix says that
the CNC in order to release current titles “Their algorithms change their needs many people are watching the films. I know
directly onto paid-VOD platforms, while depending on what they show. … [So you don’t they are interested in continuing the adven-
SVOD hybrid services such as the Wild always know] what you should propose to ture, which proves that it works and can
Bunch-backed Filmo TV have seen an expo- them, because that could change quickly.” continue to work.”
nential increase in traffic and subscriptions.
In select cases, sellers bringing titles to In an effort to better model the viewer
On the international front, however, the market can look to niche platforms with a engagement patterns streaming platforms
recent upheavals in the market have rein- clearly defined voice. In the North Ameri- often keep close to the vest, UniFrance has
forced existing trends. can market, AMC Network’s streaming ser- deployed its My French Film Festival pro-
vice Shudder has become a leading genre gram, offering 60 partner platforms a pack-
“The existence of platforms, both local buyer, picking up French titles including “Jes- age of 10 features and 10 shorts it can then
and transnational, creates more opportu- sica Forever” from MK2 and “Revenge” from use to track what works and where.
nities in general,” says sales agent Carole Charades, while the U.K.-based Mubi offers a
Baraton. “That was already the case before, home for auteur and festival fare. “With the current context, it’s very
and I think COVID just pushed that even fur- important to track the evolution of French
ther. There are more and more platforms Sweetening the pot for certain sellers, cinema’s place on these platforms,” says
looking for films, and those platforms are both services have partnered with local dis- Quentin Deleau, head of digital distribution
more aggressive now in terms of acqui- tributors to offer their acquisitions theatri- at UniFrance. “With 12 million views this
sitions because they need to renew their cal windows in recent years. After picking up past year, the festival is UniFrance’s window
offerings.” North American rights to Coralie Fargeat’s to better understand the various economic
“Revenge,” Shudder brought on upstart Neon models and acquisition policies of our part-
An industry veteran with two decades’ to give the film a well-publicized theatrical ner platforms.”
experience, Baraton co-founded the sales push it could build upon ahead of its stream-
outfit Charades, which handled Netflix’s ing premiere. When the film did hit the ser- According to UniFrance’s data, genre
acquisition of the prize-winning “I Lost My vice, it broke records, becoming a flagship films performed best in Southeast Asia,
Body” in Cannes last year. title for the genre platform. while action fare clicked with Russian
audiences, romantic comedies with South
In some ways, that deal represented a “Selling to SVOD now doesn’t mean your Americans and North American view-
kind of high-water mark for a platform sale. movie won’t have a theatrical release,” says ers preferred arthouse titles in an SVOD
The streamer paid a competitive price for Baraton, who brokered the deal with Shudder. context.
the Critics’ Week winner, guaranteed an “That’s true everywhere, but especially so for
awards campaign, and — most important French filmmakers. It’s not always one or the Moreover, the study illuminated some
of all — was willing to partner with interna- other, and that can be an important ingredi- clear market opportunities. “If there’s one
tional distributors in some territories to give ent for them.” thing we’ve learned over the past two years
of My French Film Festival, it is that you
have to give AVOD a closer look,” Deleau
says. “In territories like Russia and South-
east Asia, the number of platforms offering
AVOD revenue is getting higher and higher.
If they want to increase worldwide visibility,
rights holders need to consider AVOD as a
possibility in certain cases.”

Deleau adds: “There’s no miracle solu-
tion to get those numbers higher. You need
deals with the global players and deals with
the more niche ones. French sales agents
keep those lines open for worldwide all-
rights sales to global players, not to bypass
local distributors, but to find a home for cer-
tain films that aren’t guaranteed a domes-
tic release. And in such cases, UniFrance is
there to offer as much economic data and
analysis as possible in order to make that
happen.”

36 VARIETY

FRENCH CINEMA

UP NEXT

French Films in the Pipeline

Atomic Summer A struggling actor puts Home Front My Best Part
together an all-prisoner pro-
Director: Gaël Lépingle duction of “Waiting for Godot” Director: Lucas Belvaux Director: Nicolas Maury
Cast: Shaïn Boumedine, Car- and takes it out on tour. Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Cather- Cast: Nicolas Maury, Nathalie
men Kassovitz Sales: MK2 Films ine Frot, Jean-Pierre Darroussin Baye, Laure Calamy
Unable to evacuate the area Decades after returning home, After suffering professional
after a nuclear incident, a Downstream to two veterans remain haunted by and romantic setbacks, an
young couple hides out in a Kinshasa their service in the Algerian War. aspiring actor returns to the
farmhouse hoping to avoid the Sales: The Party Film Sales/Wild countryside to move back in
radioactive cloud. Director: Dieudo Hamadi Bunch with his intrusive mother.
Sales: Le Pacte A documentary following Sales: Les Films du Losange
victims of Congo’s Six-Day How to Make Out
Beasts War as they fight for offi- Rascal
cial recognition and financial Director: Adeline Picault
Director: Naël Marandin compensation. Cast: Ramzy Bedia, Vincent Director: Peter Dourountzis
Cast: Diane Rouxel, Jalil Les- Sales: Andana Films Macaigne Cast: Pierre Deladonchamps,
pert, Olivier Gourmet Four awkward high-school boys Ophélie Bau
A young woman must turn Drift Away pay a female classmate to teach A thriller about a vagrant who
toward a lascivious financier in them how to score. moves through Paris rely-
order to save her family. Director: Xavier Beauvois Sales: Pathé Films ing only on charm, using it to
Sales: Kinology Cast: Jérémie Renier, Iris Bry seduce and eventually kill.
A rural cop’s life begins to Josep Sales: Kinology
Bergman Island come apart after he acciden-
tally kills a man he was trying Director: Aurel Slalom
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve to save. A poetic, animated portrait of
Two married directors head Sales: Pathé artist Josep Bartolí’s time in a Director: Charlène Favier
to the Swedish island Ingmar French internment camp after Cast: Jérémie Renier, Noée
Bergman called home in order A Friendly Tale the Spanish Civil War. Abita
to prepare respective films. Sales: The Party Film Sales A promising teenage skier
While working on their screen- Director: Daniel Cohen falls into a toxic relationship
plays, they soon lose track of Cast: Florence Foresti, Ber- Just Like a Woman with her coach, an overbear-
reality. enice Bejo, Vincent Cassel, ing ex-champion who has
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Vicky Francois Damiens Director: Amro Hamzawi decided to make the young
Krieps, Tim Roth A 40-something woman Cast: Nora Hamzawi, André girl his protégée.
Sales: Kinology becomes an unexpected liter- Marcon Sales: The Party Film Sales
ary success, sparking a wave An unsuccessful novelist takes a
Between Two Worlds of jealousy among her mid- job as an assistant at a publish- The Speech
dle-age friends. ing house specializing in erotic
Director: Emmanuel Carrère Sales: SND Groupe M6 romance. Director: Laurent Tirard
Cast: Juliette Binoche Sales: Le Pacte Cast: Benjamin Lavernhe,
An established journalist Gagarine Sara Giraudeau
spends six months looking for Love Affair(s) Stuck at an endless family
gig-economy work in order to Director: Fanny Liautard, dinner, a neurotic 30-some-
better understand issues fac- Jérémy Trouilh Director: Emmanuel Mouret thing has a minor meltdown
ing the modern working class. Cast: Lyna Khoudri, Finnegan Cast: Caméia Jordana, Niels when asked to give a speech.
Sales: France TV Distribution Oldfield Schneider, Vincent Macaigne Sales: Charades
A teenager, who shares his When her partner must rush back
The Big Hit name with the Russian cosmo- to Paris, a young woman spends Spring Blossom
naut, tries to save his housing four days bonding with her part-
Director: Emmanuel Courcol project in the suburbs of Paris. ner’s cousin in the French coun- Director: Suzanne Lindon
Cast: Kad Merad, Marina Sales: Totem Films tryside, sharing love stories. Cast: Suzanne Lindon,
Hands Sales: Elle Driver Arnaud Valois
Tiring of boys her own age, a
LES FILMS D’ICI TALE FROM THE ART 16-year-old girl starts a rela-
tionship with an older actor.
Animated feature Sales: Luxbox
“Josep” follows
artist Josep Summer of 85

Bartoli’s time in Director: François Ozon
an internment camp Cast: Félix Lefebvre, Ben-
after the Spanish jamin Voisin, Valeria Bruni
Civil War. Tedeschi
At a coastal resort, two
boys experience a passion-
ate summertime romance
shaded with ominous
undertones.
Sales: Playtime

VARIETY 37

FINAL CUT

 Peter Chelsom This is the second novel by Amidon set JIM SMEAL/SHUTTERSTOCK
‘I want to be Italian … in the U.S. and transposed to Italy, after
though I’m not quite there.’ “Human Capital,” which was directed by
Paolo Virzì. Other similarities? It’s a kind
By Nick Vivarelli of companion piece to “Human Capital” in
that it’s both the same novelist and the same
PRIOR TO THE pandemic, British filmmaker Peter Chelsom (“Serendipity,” producers. Similarly, it starts with a crime
“Shall We Dance?,” “Hannah Montana”) shot an Italian-language movie titled that takes the duration of the film to solve. I
“Security” based on the novel of the same name by U.S. author Stephen would say that while “Human Capital” asks
Amidon. The film, set in the posh Tuscan seaside town of Forte Dei Marmi, the question “What is the price of a human
wrapped just before lockdown. It stars Italian A-lister Marco D’Amore life?” “Security” asks: “What is the price
(“Gomorrah,” the TV series) as a cop looking into a web of sexual-abuse we pay for security in an ever-threatened
cases. The entirely Italian cast comprises Maya Sansa, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, world?”
Valeria Bilello, Silvio Muccino and Tommaso Ragno. The cinematographer,
Mauro Fiore (“Avatar”), is Italian-born. Chelsom spoke exclusively to Variety Tell me more about the story. It starts with
about “Security,” which is co-produced by Indiana Production and Vision a local teenage girl who has been sexually
Distribution and being sold as a market premiere at the Cannes virtual Marché assaulted wandering the streets. This crops
du Film by Vision Distribution’s new world sales arm. up on CCTV, and it takes the duration of the
film to solve that crime. The central charac-
38 VARIETY ter is of course massively conflicted because
his wife is running for mayor, being funded
by the wealthiest person in Forte Dei Marmi.
Also his daughter is at the same school as
the girl who was sexually assaulted. 

Was it tough transposing a story set in Mas-
sachusetts to Forte Dei Marmi? I think Ste-
phen (Amidon) must be genetically Italian.
Kind of like me. I want to be Italian … though
I’m not quite there. It’s amazing how his
work in “Human Capital” suited the Italian
setting, and the same goes for “Security.”

You and Amidon both have a close connec-
tion to Italy. I’ve been trying to make a film
in Italy for about 15 years … I have a house in
Lunigiana, Tuscany, quite close to Forte Dei
Marmi ... I’ve been going to Italy all my life.

In Amidon’s novel the sexual assault is
perpetrated by a rich New Yorker. Does that
remind you of anyone? What I’m pleased
about with the film is there is an attempt
within the (Forte Dei Marmi) community to
diminish the crime, and yet a girl’s life has
been destroyed. But I think justice is defini-
tively served. What’s timely is how conflict-
ed everybody suddenly becomes because
of their contact and associations with the
perpetrator of the crime. With wealthy New
Yorkers ... you are talking about the likes of
Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein, of
course. But what’s interesting is how people
either run for the hills, if they can, or they go
very, very silent because of their conflict. In
that sense this story has many layers.

Any other timely elements? One of the
points that the film seems to make is how
sad it is that communities seem to become
united only in times of tragedy. In other
words, we are living in a world in which you
don’t know your neighbor until an earth-
quake, or until a flood, or until the corona-
virus — and in that case you are supposed
to keep away from your neighbor anyway
— or until a crime. That’s what’s happening
everywhere. The film does feel very timely
in that sense 



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