Por Juliana Gomes

} Nos dias 17 e 18 de Novembro, acontece a Mostra gratuita de cinema francês @ Centro da Cultura Judaica.

Em comemoração ao Ano da França no Brasil, o Centro da Cultura Judaica exibe gratuitamente, nos dias 17 e 18 de novembro, a partir das 16h, o projeto Cine Multicultural. Serão exibidas sete produções francesas que, de alguma forma, retratam a cultura judaica naquele país. Entre os destaques está “O Último Metrô”, de 1980, um dos últimos e melhores filmes do diretor François Truffaut, com Catherine Deneuve e Gérard Depardieu nos papéis principais.

Temas como relações humanas, imigração e guerra estão presentes também em filmes de François Dupeyron, Karin Albou, Claude Berri, Louis Malle, além do premiado Alain Resnais.

O Cine Multicultural faz parte da programação do 7º Ciclo Multicultural, tradicional projeto do CCJ, que engloba diversas atividades e que nesta edição homenageia o Ano da França no Brasil, promovendo a integração entre as culturas brasileiras, judaicas e francesas.

17 de Novembro, Terça-feira

16h00 | FILME: “UMA AMIZADE SEM FRONTEIRAS”
Gênero: Drama | Direção: François Dupeyron | País/Ano: França/2003
Classificação : a partir de 16 anos | Duração: 95 minutos
Elenco: Omar Sharif, Pierre Boulanger, Gilbert Melki, Isabelle Renauld

18  de Novembro, Quarta-feira

16h00 | FILME: “AS LOUCAS AVENTURAS DE RABBI JACOB”
Gênero: Comédia | Direção: Gérard Oury | País/Ano: França/ 1973
Classificação: Livre | Duração: 100 minutos
Elenco: Louis de Funès, Marcel Dalio

18h00 | FILME: “ADEUS MENINOS”
Gênero: Drama | Direção: Louis Malle | País/Ano: França/1987
Classificação: a partir de 16 anos | Duração: 103 minutos
Elenco: Raphael Fejto, Gaspard Manesse

20h00 | FILME: “O ÚLTIMO METRÔ”
Gênero: Drama/Romance | Direção: François Truffaut |País/Ano: França/1980
Classificação: a partir de 16 anos | Duração: 131 minutos
Elenco: Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Jean Poiret, Andréa Ferréol, René Dupré

Lucien Jean-Baptiste (réalisateur, comédien) était récemment à Strasbourg pour présenter son film La première étoile (sortie le 25 mars). L’histoire d’un glandeur fauché obligé de tenir une promesse faite à la légère : emmener sa famille aux sports d’hiver. Une projet qui suscite moult commentaires amusés ou incrédules dans son entourage : « des Noirs au ski ? » ou « mais ça coûte trop cher! ».
Nous parlerons du film dans la prochaine émission de CUT la radio, en attendant Lucien Jean-Baptiste nous livre ses souvenirs et impressions des films suivants – et parce que l’affiche de La première étoile fait immanquablement penser à celle de Rasta Rocket, c’est par ce film-là qu’on commence…

Rasta rocket

John Turteltaub

Ouhla, je ne trouve pas mes mots… C’était un grand moment Rasta Rocket, j’ai pleuré à la fin. Je suis parti – en regardant ça – en me disant « mais c’est quoi ce truc Disney ? », un peu comme ça. Et puis je me suis dit « mais ils ont tout compris ! » : il n’y a pas de vedette, c’est joyeux, mais en même temps profond… Si mon film peut avoir une aventure un petit peu similaire à celle de Rasta Rocket, pourquoi pas. Pourquoi pas, mais ce ne sont pas les mêmes films. Si tous les films où il y a des Noirs à la neige ont se dit… Parce que mon film, c’est aussi Les bronzés, c’est aussi tellement de choses… Mais Rasta Rocket, non c’était bien… Mon film va exister aussi je pense grâce à Rasta Rocket. Voilà.

Alexandre le bienheureux

Yves Robert

Waouh ! C’était avec Noiret ça ! Le jeu de Noiret, ouais. Ouais, ouais. Et puis Yves Robert. Je crois que j’ai découvert ce réalisateur… Enfin, il en avait fait d’autres avant, mais je ne pensais pas que c’était lui qui avait fait ce film-ci. Quand je l’ai appris, je me suis dit « ah ouais d’accord ! Le mec, il peut vraiment faire des choses assez impressionnantes et diverses ». Mais je me souviens de Noiret vraiment : il est marquant dans tous les rôles, mais celui-ci… Et puis voilà : le message, quoi ! Fuck the world !

The Big Lebowski

Joel et Ethan Cohen

Alors The big Lebowski, j’avoue : j’ai piqué dans The big Lebowski la tenue de Turturro quand il va jouer au bowling. Mon personnage, Jojo, je voulais qu’il ait une tenue à la Turturro dans The big Lebowski. Je ne peux pas vous dire plus pour vous dire à quel point j’ai aimé ce film.

Aide-toi et le ciel t’aidera

François Dupeyron

Ah ça, c’est son imaginaire à lui, c’est… Pour moi, ce sont des raccourcis. C’est un très beau film, hein, qui est très bien joué. Mais c’est un peu trop frontal, c’est l’Afrique dans les HLM : j’ai déjà tellement vu ça. Il a voulu mettre un peu de poésie par moments, avec Claude Rich, tout ça, mais… Mais il faut aller le voir ! Mais pour moi, c’est trop frontal, c’est sa vision à lui de l’Afrique dans les HLM… Je n’ai rien appris. Rien.

Le voleur de bicyclette

Vittorio De Sica

Oh ! C’est, c’est, c’est… C’est tout ce que j’aime au cinéma… C’est Ken Loach avant l’heure, c’est tout ce que j’aime. Je voudrais faire un Voleur de bicyclette, mais pour l’instant je suis encore un peu dans la comédie. J’espère qu’un jour, on me laissera la chance de faire un film comme ça, ou comme Ken Loach. Un film VRAI. Parce qu’il y a des jours où on n’a pas envie de rigoler. Mais on a envie de partager. Et c’est ça qui est dingue, c’est que les mecs arrivent à faire des films durs, mais dans lesquels on plonge avec… C’est bizarre : avec bonheur… Je ne sais pas si c’est le mot, bonheur… On est complètement sensible, mis à nu… On est nu devant des films d’une telle beauté, d’une telle force. Ah Le voleur de bicyclette : rien que d’y penser, je fondrais en larmes et en même temps je suis en colère… Parce que c’est dégueulasse. Et puis c’est comme ça. Enfin voilà… Ouéééé ! Retrouvons un peu de joie !

Ocean’s Eleven

Steven Soderbergh

Je l’ai doublé. J’ai fait Don Cheadle dedans… C’est assez sympa. Il y a une scène que j’ai vraiment adorée -j’espère que c’est dans Ocean’s eleven… Attends… C’est là-dedans que, comment il s’appelle ? Nescafé ? (NDLR : George Clooney, donc) George Clooney fait un numéro de séduction à Julia Roberts pour lui prendre des clefs, ou quelque chose, dans la poche ?… Bref ! Très bon film. J’aime bien ces films un peu à l’ancienne : des bandes de mecs super virils, qui sont super forts tout le temps, c’est des super héros un peu justiciers… Non non, très très bien : le jeu, les partitions que les mecs ont donné, formidable. Mais oui : je double Don Cheadle en français, là-dedans. Voilà.

Irréversible

Gaspar Noé

Ah j’adore. Eh ! Alors ça ! Rah, c’est dur parce que ce film, il y a eu beaucoup de polémiques, mais il ne fallait surtout pas partir au bout des cinq premières minutes ! Il faut rester jusqu’au bout c’est ça qui est terrible. J’ai adoré ce film. Moi, j’aime les films forts, les films qui… En littérature, j’aime des mecs comme Hubert Selby, Fante, tout ça… Alors c’est marrant parce que mon premier film est une comédie sympa – mais en même temps profonde… Mais moi, j’aime les histoires trashs, les films comme Bad lieutenant où les gens se cassent la gueule. C’est ça qui m’intéresse parce qu’on est tous sur un fil… Quand tu vois un mec rentrer dans le mur, pendant toute l’heure, t’es là : « Non ! N’y va pas, n’y va pas ! ». Et boum, bing, beng, bang… Et Irréversible, c’est ça, mais dans l’autre sens : tu vois le mec se casser la gueule et tu vois le parcours… Vous voyez, ça m’emmène loin… Non, Irréversible : waouh, super ! C’est tellement dur et après, pfffiou, il y a un vrai bol d’air. C’est vrai que les gens quittaient la salle, mais il aurait dû vraiment les prévenir encore plus, leur dire « tenez bon ». Pour une fois on va dans le bon sens.

Propos recueillis par Jenny Ulrich

AKA: Little Secrets – Laufzeit: 90 Minuten – Land: Luxemburg

Scroll down for an english version of this review !

Dieser Film basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Roman von Jhemp Hoscheit. Wir schreiben das Jahr 1962, Schauplatz ist die luxemburgische Stadt Esch-sur-Alzette. Norbi (Ben Hoscheit), unser Hauptcharakter, ist ein 12-jähriger Junge der im Luxemburg der Nachkriegszeit aufwächst. Er befindet sich irgendwo zwischen seinem Dasein als Kind, und auf dem Weg in die Erwachsenenwelt – was zu einigen witzigen, aber auch ernsten Situationen führt. So behandelt dieses Drama ein sehr weites Themenspektrum, welches sich aber nicht nur auf das Erwachsenwerden des jungen Norbi beschränkt. Themen wie Sexualität (hier besonders: in Zusammenhang mit Religion), Politik, Krieg werden immer wieder erwähnt, und bieten so zuhauf Diskussionsansätze. Nun denn… !

“Perl oder Pica”… die Eröffnungssequenz des Films

Klingt es komisch wenn ich Ihnen sagen, dass ich auf so einen Film quasi gewartet habe ? Lassen Sie mich erklären. Wieviele Dramen habe ich in der letzten Zeit gesehen, denen stets irgendetwas “gefehlt” hat ? Bei denen man das Gefühl hat, als konzentriere sich alles nur auf ein spezielles Ereignis, woraufhin die Folgen dessen beleuchtet werden ? Nun, “Perl Oder Pica” ist keiner von diesen Filmen. Hier handelt es sich – endlich – mal wieder um waschechte “Coming-Of-Age” Kost. Denn genau darum geht es im Film: um das Aufwachsen des jungen Norbi’s – mit allen Höhen und Tiefen, mit allen Personen und Institutionen die ihn auf seinem Lebensweg beeinflussen. Hierbei wird eine spezielle Detailverliebtheit seitens der Macher deutlich, sodass man tatsächlich ein richtig gutes Gefühl für seine Situation, einen tiefen Einblick in die Seelenwelt dieses kleinen Jungen erhalten kann. Nein, es gibt kein einzelnes, großes Ereignis, auf welches die Geschichte aufbaut – wir bekommen vielmehr einen sehr authentischen Einblick in das Leben der Kinder im Luxemburg der Nachkriegszeit.

Norbi wird langsam erwachsen…

Nachkriegszeit, im Jahre 1962 ? Nun ja – es sind einige Jahre ins Land gezogen, jedoch sind die Folgen des Krieges immer noch merklich spürbar. Eine so tiefe Wunde verheilt nie – wunderbar, mit welchen Seitenhieben die Macher dieses Films immer wieder darauf verweisen, ohne den allzu lehrerhaften Zeigefinger zu erheben. Doch auch alle, die Angst vor einem zu stillen Drama haben, kann ich beruhigen – der Film vermag den Zuschauer über die gesamte Laufzeit von 90 gut zu unterhalten. Beispielsweise gibt es einen Mord, welcher die ganze Stadt in Aufruhr versetzt – woraufhin Norbi und einer seiner Freunde eigene Nachforschungen anstellen. Was hat es mit dem mysteriösen “P” auf sich, dass sein Vater immer wieder in seinem Notizheft vermerkt… ? Eine Frage, der nachgegangen werden muss. Und das ist, weil aus einer authentischen Kindesperspektive erzählt – recht spannend. Ein Thema, welches besonders hervorgehoben wurde, wie es zumindest mir scheint, ist auch die Sexualität.

Norbi entdeckt Dinge, über die nicht gesprochen werden darf

So haben wir auch zahlreiche Verweise auf die damalige Sexualmoral in Verbindung mit der Religion – ein sehr wichtiges, teilweise aufreibendes Themenfeld. Auch hier ist der Film nie voyeuristisch, sondern geht behutsam an die Thematik und die von allen Seiten verlangte Enthaltsamkeit heran. Man merkt schnell, dass es “damals” noch ganz anders lief – so wird Norbi noch von seinen Eltern aufgeklärt; und zwar erst mit 12. Seine Schwester, die schon um einige Jahre älter ist, hat ebenfalls Probleme: sie muss ihre Beziehung zu einem jungen Mann geheimhalten – denn der Vater ist strenger Glaubensmann. Von wegen “streng”: in der Tat. Schläge waren damals ein gängiges Mittel, um “widerspenstige” Kinder gefügig zu machen – sowohl zu Hause als auch in der Schule. Dass wissen wir zwar nicht erst seit diesem Film, dennoch lässt es einen schon (und immer wieder) übel aufstossen.

Ist da irgendwas an mir… ?

Der technische Part weiss durch ein gestochen scharfes Bild zu überzeugen – endlich mal wieder ein Pixelpampe-freier DVD-Silberling ! Dazu gibt es eine passende Musikuntermalung, und eine bemerkenswerte Darstellerleistung. Ganz besonders der Darsteller des jungen Norbi, sowie der Darsteller seines Vaters haben mich absolut überzeugt. So macht das ganze gleich viel mehr Spaß !

Auch etwas, was nicht gerade gerne gesehen ist…

Ein beeindruckender, ungekünstelter Einblick in die Seelenwelt eines kleinen Jungen ! Beide Daumen hoch für dieses doch recht untypische, mutige Machwerk. Die Wertung fällt dementsprechend aus. 8.5 von 10 Punkten. Die offizielle Seite…

Der Trailer:

This film is based on the novel by Jhemp Hoscheit. Happening in the year 1962, the story takes place in an Luxembourgian city named “Esch sur Alzette”. Norbi (Ben Hoscheit), our main character, is a 12-year-old boy who is growing up in this post-war Luxembourg. He finds himself somewhere between his existence as an innocence child and the way into the adult world – which leads to some funny; and in addition: very serious situations also. Thus this drama treats a very wide topic spectrum, which is not only limited to the portrait of the young Norbi. Topics such as sexuality (particularly: in connection with religion), politics and war are also mentioned every now and then – a lot of topics of conversation. Now… !

Does it sound amusing if I said that I have waited quite a long time for such a film to come ? Let me explain this. Lately I have seen so many dramas that all seemed to be missing something. Dramas, where one has the feeling as if everything is build upon a single special moment or event, whereupon the consequences are treated… now, ” Perl Oder Pica” is none of these films. Here we finally have a true coming-of-age experience once again. Because this is what we are able to see in the film: we can accompany Norbi while he is growing up, with all heights and depths, with all persons and institutions he is affected by on his journey through life. One can notice a special love for details here, so that we can actually receive a really good feeling for his childhood situation – which indeed is a deep view into the soul of this small boy. No, there is no particular, large event according to which the history develops – we are rather getting an authentic view of the life of the children in Luxembourg of the post-war period here.

Post-war period, in the year 1962 ? Now – some years pulled in the country, however the consequences of the war are still noticeable. Such a deep wound is never healing – it is just marvelous how the makers are referring to this fact again and again, without lifting a too teacherful finger here. But whoever expects a too quiet drama here, is also wrong: the film is able to entertain the spectator thorughout the entire running time of 90 minutes. For example, there is a murder which tranfers the whole city into riot – whereupon Norbi and one of his friends employ their own investigations. What about the mysterious letter “P” that his father takes down in his note booklet… again and again ? An interesting question, that has to be answered. And that is quite excitingly, because it is told from an authentic child perspective. A topic, which was particularly emphasized, at least it seems like that to me, is sexuality.

So, we have also numerous of references to the sexual moral at that time; in connection with the religion – a very important, partly reaming topic. But the film is never voyeuristic, but rather carefully manages to handle the topic and the abstention that is asked for from all sides. One notices fast that it has been completely differently “back then” – in such a way Norbi is elucidated still by his parents – with 12. His sister who is older already, has likewise problems: she must keep her relationship to a young man secret – the father is a strict faith’s man. Referring to the term “severe”: indeed. Stroking has been kind of ususal back then, both at home and at school. Of course, we do not know this from this film only, yet it leaves a bad after taste. Naturally ! Violence is never a solution.

The technical part knows to convince by a very sharp picture – finally a totally pixel-free DVD ! In addition, there is a suitable music undertone, and remarkable actor achievements. Particularly the actor of the young Norbi, as well as the actor of his father convinced me absolutely. Thus the whole makes equally much more fun !

An impressing, believable view on the world of a small boy ! Both thumbs up for this quite atypical, courageous piece of work. The valuation comes along accordingly: 8.5 of 10 points ! The official site… scroll to the middle of this post for the trailer.

Sonntag, 04.01.09 | 23.40 – 01.05 | ORF2 | F 2003 | Regie: Francois Dupeyron

Im Einwandererviertel von Paris, Anfang der 60er Jahre. Der jüdische Junge Momo freundet sich mit einem muslimischen Lebensmittelhändler an, dessen Weisheit und Güte ihn immer wieder verblüffen. Als Momos depressiver Vater sich das Leben nimmt, wird Monsieur Ibrahim zu einer wichtigen Stütze für den Sechzehnjährigen, der durch ihn die Welt mit ganz anderen Augen wahrzunehmen lernt. Omar Sharifs Leinwandcomeback als türkischer Ersatzvater.

Trailer:

servizio di LUCA SVIZZERETTO

(tratto da Nuovo Oggi di domenica 2 novembre 2008) – Venerdì sera all’Auditorium Parco della Musica sono stati incoronati i vincitori di questa terza edizione del Festival Internazionale del Film di Roma. Decisioni che a quanto sembra sono state particolarmente sofferte da parte della giuria dei critici che è rimasta fino all’ultimo indecisa su diverse posizioni. La grande novità di quest’anno è però il premio al miglior film assegnato dal pubblico partecipante. Un riconoscimento, nessuno ce ne voglia, più importante degli altri, perchè chi riempie le sale è la gente comune e quindi è giusto che siano gli stessi spettatori a dire chi merita di sedersi sul trono.
Il Marc’Aurelio d’oro del pubblico al miglior film del Festival di Roma è andato a ‘Resolution 819′ di Giacomo Battiato, che si aggiudica così i 75,000 euro offerto per il premio da Bnl. La Risoluzione delle Nazioni Unite cui rimanda il titolo è quella presa dal Consiglio di Sicurezza dell’ONU per accertare e condannare i crimini contro l’umanità perpetrati durante la guerra nei Balcani all’indomani dell’indipendenza della Bosnia Herzegovina. Con questo mandato l’Alta Corte di Giustizia de L’Aja invia volontario a Srebrenica il poliziotto francese Jacques Calvez per trovare le prove del genocidio compiuto dai Serbi di Bosnia. Sei anni di ricerche con un team internazionale ad affiancarlo e mille ostacoli da superare, condussero Calvez a istruire il processo che oggi vede imputati Karadzic e Mladic. Un thriller potente per una pagina della nostra storia che si riapre sull’orrore
La giuria dei critici, composta da Edoardo Bruno, Michel Ciment, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Emanuel Levy e Roman Gutek, ha invece assegnato il suo Marc’Aurelio d’Oro al miglior film a ‘Opium War’ di Siddiq Barmak. Nell’inferno afgano, i due piloti americani superstiti di un elicottero abbattuto cercano una via di fuga. Intorno a loro spazi immensi, ombre talebane, pastori e contadini. Ma la realtà vista dalla terra è molto diversa da quel che sembra quando si sta in cielo. E così anche i due “alieni” scoprono che in quel pianeta sconosciuto c’è vita, ci sono esseri umani, bambini e vecchi che della guerra non sanno nulla e ancor meno vorrebbero sapere.
Il Premio Marc’Aurelio d’Argento alla migliore interprete femminile è andato a Donatella Finocchiaro per ‘Galantuomini’ di Edoardo Winspeare, il Premio Marc’Aurelio d’Argento al miglior interprete maschile Bohdan Stupka per ‘With a Warm Heart’ di Krzysztof Zanussi.
Menzioni speciali della giuria sono andate a ‘A Corte Do Norte’ (‘La tenuta al nord’) di Joao Botelho e a ‘Aide Toi, Le Ciel T’Aidera’ di François Dupeyron. Il Premio Alice nella città ‘8 – 12 anni’ è andato a ‘Magique!’ di Philippe Muyl mentre il Premio Alice nella città ‘13 ‘17 anni’ è andato a ‘Summer’ di Kenneth Glenaan.
Venerdì sono stati assegnati anche i ‘premi collaterali’ di questa edizione del Festival.
Premio Libera Associazione Rappresentanza di Artisti (L.a.r.a.) al miglior interprete italiano tra i film in concorso in tutte le sezioni del Festival assegnato a: Michele Riondino, interprete coprotagonista de Il passato è una terra straniera diretto da Daniele Vicari. Questa la motivazione della giuria: “Abbiamo voluto assegnare il nostro Premio a Michele Riondino per la misura interpretativa e la versatilità raffinata con cui è riuscito a costruire, attraverso un personaggio complesso come il suo ‘Francesco’, un ritratto emozionante e degno di verità dei nostri tempi”.
Menzione speciale per l’intero cast di ‘Si può fare’ diretto da Giulio Manfredonia.
Premio Farfalla d’Oro Agiscuola: una giuria composta da ragazzi, provenienti da tutta Italia, ha assegnato il premio al miglior film in concorso nella Selezione Ufficiale a Aide Toi, Le Ciel T’aidera di François Dupeyron con questa motivazione: “Un intreccio di colori, sfondo di una dark-comedy dai brillanti tocchi di surrealismo. Una realtà drammatica velata di humour. Il sorriso e la determinazione della protagonista sono la risposta agli imprevisti della vita. Ma a tutto, c’è una soluzione? E’ dunque con piacere che assegniamo il premio Farfalla d’Oro Agiscuola al film ‘Aide Toi, Le Ciel T’aidera’ di François Dupeyron”
Premio Enel Cuore al miglior documentario sociale, riconoscimento ai documentari in concorso nella sezione ‘L’Altro Cinema | Extra’. Il premio è a sostegno del contenuto sociale del cinema ed è stato assegnato a Life.Support.Music di Eric Daniel Metzgar con questa motivazione: “Per la brillante e felice ricostruzione di una riabilitazione dopo una grave malattia che coinvolge l’intero gruppo familiare e l’ambiente in cui vive e lavora un musicista di successo e per il linguaggio moderno e sensibile con il quale racconta una storia che sembra frutto di una fantasia irreale e invece è accaduta realmente dimostrando quanto sia importante, per la vita di ogni individuo, l’intreccio di legami e affetti che è, o dovrebbe essere, il sottofondo dell’esistenza di ogni persona”.
Premio Cult al miglior documentario: una giuria specializzata ha assegnato il premio tra i dodici documentari in anteprima europea o internazionale presentati dalla sezione ‘L’Altro Cinema | Extra’ a Gyumri di Jana Sevcikova. Come si legge nella motivazione,”La giuria del Premio Cult – Il Cinema della Realtà™, composta da Sherin Salvetti, Vice President Factual Fox Channels Italy, Emanuele Crialese, regista, Gianluca Nicoletti, giornalista, e Andrea Erba, giurato popolare, decide all’unanimità di assegnare il Premio Cult al film-documentario intitolato Gyumri di Jana Sevcikova. Un’elaborazione poetica di un lutto collettivo. Un racconto che propone con grande dignità e sensibilità la sofferenza di un popolo”.”La giuria– continua la motivazione – è stata particolarmente colpita dalla capacità di restituire al presente un evento del passato che assume una dimensione epica attraverso la forza emotiva dei personaggi, dei luoghi e della memoria”.
Il ministro per i Beni e le Attività Culturali Sandro Bondi ha voluto complimentarsi con gli organizzatori da parte del Governo Italiano: “In chiusura della terza edizione del Festival Internazionale del Film di Roma desidero ringraziare il Presidente della Fondazione Cinema per Roma, Gian Luigi Rondi ed il Sindaco di Roma, Gianni Alemanno per il loro alto contributo alla riuscita dell’evento. La manifestazione ha avuto un notevole successo di critica e di pubblico e ha visto al suo interno importanti iniziative collegate al mondo del Cinema”.
“Nelle tre giornate degli Stati Generali del Cinema italiano – aggiunge Bondi – sono state approfondite fondamentali tematiche per lo sviluppo ed il rilancio dell’industria cinematografica, in particolare gli oltre 700 qualificati rappresentanti di tutta la filiera, si sono confrontati sulle nuove norme di incentivazione fiscale, l’attualità del diritto d’autore e il contrasto alla pirateria”.
“Il Mercato Internazionale del Film – continua il ministro – è stata un’importante occasione d’incontro tra produttori e distributori che mancava nel nostro Paese. Sono stati oltre 600 gli accreditati e molti sono stati i film italiani venduti: un segnale positivo dopo mesi di difficoltà. Desidero inoltre ricordare la pregevole iniziativa dedicata al rapporto tra il mondo del cinema e quello dei libri dove registi, scrittori e ragazzi hanno analizzato il modo in cui parole e immagini si uniscono. Indiscusso protagonista di questa edizione – conclude – è stato il cinema italiano a testimonianza del suo valore e della sua rinascita”.

By Sachiko Shiota

On the second day of the Tokyo International Film Festival, due to bad timing and bad organization, I found myself unable to attend a single screening. Deploring my situation, I nonetheless kept busy, hopping from press conferences to Q&A sessions. While I felt guilty covering films that I either had no interest in seeing or would not be able to see, I got to witness firsthand the mechanics of promoting films.

First up was a pre-screening event for The Other Boleyn Girl. A visit to Tokyo by co-stars Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson would have brought the house down; alas, director Justin Chadwick turned up solo.

How do you go about selling a film that has already been deemed a critical and commercial failure overseas? Show up (relatively) young, charming, and British, that’s how. Mr. Chadwick had a puppyish energy and easygoing demeanor, and quickly endeared himself to the audience and the interviewer. He played the game with ease, praising Portman and Johansson for their “intelligence and integrity”. He appealed to the audience by stressing the presence of strong female characters in the film, and excitedly slipped in, “I met [popular Japanese singing group] Chemistry last night!” It was not until later that I found out that Chemistry recorded a new theme song for the film.

From the youthful to the professional: I attended next the post-screening, Q&A session of Aide-toi et le ciel t’aidera (With a Little Help from Myself), the new film by François Dupeyron, director of Monsieur Ibrahim. Lead actress Félicité Wouassi was there to represent the film, in a chic black dress and hot magenta boots. She stood in the middle of the stage and enchanted the audience with three warmly-spoken words: “Bon soir, Tokyo.”

Wouassi spoke of how she was sent the script after the director had seen her perform in the Roman Polanski-directed play Doute (Doubt). Struck by the sheer political incorrectness of the film, which deals with minorities in the suburbs of France, she phoned the director in the middle of the night to confirm that she was not going to shy away from the subject matter. Having worked in theatre and film since the age of fourteen, Wouassi is well aware of the dearth of minorities in French cinema. In fact, she called Aide-toi one of the few films in recent years to focus on black characters.

Perhaps due to her background in theatre, Wouassi had a strong, clear voice and a commanding presence. At the end of the session, photographers gathered to take her photo, prompting, “Smile!” Ever ready, she threw back her head and laughed, “You don’t have to ask me that!”

Immediately after that was the main event of the day, the stage appearance of the cast and crew of Blindness, the latest film by acclaimed director Fernando Meirelles. One by one, the cast and crew filed out: producer Sonoko Sakai, her partner and fellow producer Niv Fichman, screenwriter Don McKellar, cinematographer César Charlone (he is also a member of the jury), director Fernando Meirelles, actor Yusuke Isetani, actress Yoshino Kimura, and Julianne Moore.

They each spoke a few words about the film. Meirelles noted gravely, “We are living in a crisis period, and I hope you can learn from [the film]“. Moore praised the film’s “forward thinking”, and added, “I think it’s time for a movie like this”. Isetani joked about McKellar constantly trying to fix his English (all the better to honor the words that he had written), while Kimura, who also discreetly translated for Moore, cleverly tied the film with the film festival’s “green” theme by revealing that Meirelles planted trees to offset the amount of carbon used to produce the film.

It goes without saying that Julianne Moore was the most famous in the group, perhaps the biggest celebrity at the festival this year. She seemed no more or no less beautiful than she appears in films and magazines, and effortlessly, gracefully handled the extra attention. It was unprofessional, but I couldn’t help it: I was starstruck. So fascinated was I by the sight of her laughing the same laugh as in the movies, I almost forgot to take photos, take notes. Now that’s the power of a real star.

By Esteban Lopez

 I managed to get into a screening at the last minute of the French film Aide-toi et le ciel t`e aidera (With a little help from myself) by acclaimed director Francois Depreyon. And knowing that French cinema has always been known to be avant garde, I was happy to learn that this film was no exception. From the opening scenes, the pace of the movie was kinetic, almost frantic in the cramped apartment Sonia (Felicite Wouassi) shares with her husband and four children. Quick shots, evocative of MTV music videos allow only small glimpses of Sonia, and her family members in the opening scenes.

21st TIFF

 But within the first ten minutes, Sonia’s husband drops dead, of all days on her eldest daughters wedding day. And so begins the dilemma of whether or not to tell the children and spoil the day for everyone. Her choice leads her down a precarious path and unwillingly she seeks comfort in her next door neighbor Robert (Claude Rich) who offers her a way out that is anything but habitué.

The director explores, the social phenomenon of immigrants and old white folk rubbing shoulders together in the Paris suburbs; or what might be considered The Projects. Albeit Depreyon does so in the most politically incorrect manner, presenting Sonia with more moral dilemmas than any single widowed woman should have to endure and to which she begrudgingly replies, “there is a solution to everything.” One almost pities her naiveté through the course of the film.

Felicite Wouassi

Her eldest daughter married off and her husband dead and buried, leaves Sonia to fend for three children on her own; two teenage boys and a teenage daughter who so happens to be seven months pregnant. Again, Sonia, defeated repeats her mantra, “there is a solution to everything.” Nowhere is this mothers love for her children more apparent than when she throws herself at the mercy of the police officer who has arrested her eldest son for dealing narcotics and who so happens to be drawn to the thug life—the poster of Tupac Shakur on the wall was indicative of that. Surprisingly though, he only listened to French rap through the course of the movie.

 All in all, the ending packs the real punch and shows that French cinema still holds a candle to the ideals of avant garde cinema, pushing the boundaries of what the status quo should be in films, and succeeding masterfully. I won`t give away the ending, but suffice it to say, it`s got music and hidden meanings.

Wouassi sporting pink boots

Recuerdo que Géraldine Pailhas había olvidado a Eric Caravaca al final de ‘El pabellón de los oficiales’.

MONSIEUR IBRAHIM ET LES FLEURS DU CORAN – FRANCOIS DUPEYRON – 2003

Bij mijn laatste verblijf in Levroux (FR) stootte ik al shoppend in de Champion op een rekje DVD’s. Je kent dat wel, verloren tussen de instant soepen en de patatten. Meestal slappe films, het rekje trekt zelden mijn aandacht. Maar Omar Shariff op de hoes van de eerste DVD, daar kon ik niet zomaar omheen. Een mij onbekende film, de regisseur deed een belletje rinkelen, toonaangevend in Frankrijk, maar onbekend in België. Ik herinnnerde me niet direct al een film van gezien te hebben. Een interessant gegeven, besloot ik na lezing van korte inhoud. Toch maar meenemen, voor 4,99 eur heb je geen cinematicket en Omar zag er zelfs op oudere leeftijd heel charmant uit.

Het was geen weggesmeten geld. Het bleek een schitterend filmpje te zijn over een Turkse winkeluitbater en een Joodse jongen, Momo, wonend in een hoerenbuurt in Parijs in de jaren zestig. De puberjongen vindt een klankbord bij Monsieur Ibrahim, een aanhanger van de Soefi-beweging. Er onstaat een mooie vriendschap en Ibrahim wordt, met al zijn wijsheid, een ware mentor voor Momo. (Gebaseerd op het gelijknamig boek van Eric-Emmanuel Smitt)

Prachtig in beeld gebracht, schitterende setting van het Parijs van de jaren zestig, heerlijke muziek, meer dan uitstekend geacteerd. Omar Shariff won een Cèsar voor zijn rol in deze film.