Filming anecdotes, notes of intent, information for moviegoers: every week, discover behind the scenes of cinema releases.
Me captain by Matteo Garrone
With Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall, Issaka Sawadogo…
What is it about ? Seydou and Moussa, two 16-year-old Senegalese people, decide to leave their native land to join Europe. But on their way the dreams and hopes of a better life are quickly destroyed by the dangers of this journey. Their only weapon in this odyssey will remain their humanity.
Did you know ? Moi Captain won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, as well as the Marcello Mastroianni Prize for Best Newcomer for Seydou Sarr at the same ceremony.
Priscilla by Sofia Coppola
With Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Dominczyk…
What is it about ? When Priscilla meets Elvis, she is a middle school student. He, at 24, is already a world star. From their secret romance to their iconic marriage, Sofia Coppola paints the portrait of Priscilla, a self-effacing teenager who slowly wakes up from her fairy tale to take charge of her life.
Did you know ? Priscilla is not a rigorous biopic of the life of Priscilla Presley. Sofia Coppola sought to recreate something visceral and internalized: “What I’ve always loved most about movies is the feeling you get when you’re totally immersed in someone’s world and seeing things that resonate with elements of our own universe, but also things that surprise and disturb us.”
Finnish Love by Selma Vilhunen
With Eero Milonoff, Alma Pöysti, Oona Airola…
What is it about ? Julia discovers that her husband is having an affair. To save their marriage, she suggests that they experiment with polyamory and invent new rules for their married life. A field of possible lovers then opens up to them…
Did you know ? Selma Vilhunen felt the need to explore the reasons why she chose a monogamous relationship. Thanks to fiction, the director was able to question this problem. She explains : “It also comes from the fear of being abandoned or losing someone. What if they love someone else, what will happen? What if I’m not the only one?”
The Diver by Francis Leclerc
With Henri Richer-Picard, Charles-Aubey Houde, Joan Hart…
What is it about ? Stéphane, 19, dreams of becoming an illustrator. Addicted to gambling, he falls into a downward spiral. In debt, without an apartment, fleeing his friends to whom he owes sorrel, he finds a job as a dishwasher at the La Trattoria restaurant to get by.
Did you know ? To find Stéphane’s interpreter, Francis Leclerc carried out a series of auditions. Henri Richer-Picard is the only one who arrived not gloomy or withdrawn, but super confident, with a smile and the attitude of a liar. The director confides: “That’s the role. He really understood the script well.”
Iris and the men by Caroline Vignal
With Laure Calamy, Vincent Elbaz, Suzanne de Baecque…
What is it about ? A wonderful husband, two perfect daughters, a thriving dental practice: everything is going well for Iris. But since when has she not made love? Maybe it’s time to take a lover. Registering on an ordinary dating app, Iris opens Pandora’s box. Men are going to fall… As if it were raining!
Did you know ? The director describes Iris and the men “as a manifesto in favor of desire, of encounters; a voluntarist story, knowingly optimistic, to overcome the fear, the laziness, the prudence, the inertia which sometimes keep us under cover, in a private space where we ‘asphyxia”.
Night Swim by Bryce McGuire
With Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle…
What is it about ? Ray Waller is a former American football player who had to give up his career due to a degenerative disease, when he moved into a new house, with his family: his wife Eve, their daughter Izzy and their youngest son. Ray, against all odds, does not despair of resuming his career and convinces the whole family that the swimming pool in the garden will be perfect for his rehabilitation and for his children.
Did you know ? At the origin of Night Swim, there is the short film of the same name written and directed in 2014 by Bryce McGuire and his close friend Rod Blackhurst. Filmed in the garden of musician Michelle Branch and starring Megalyn Echikunwoke as the young woman who disappears during a night swim, this five-minute film created a buzz on YouTube and launched the filmmaker’s career.
The Hess by Alexandre Lemoine-courx
With Pierre Colleau, Elyes Sabyani, Séléna Diouf…
What is it about ? In a city in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, Vlad dreams of becoming a professional athlete despite the obstacles. He embarks on a clandestine race to escape poverty. But between godfather Markus and his own father, his destiny oscillates. “La Hess”: a captivating journey, a quest for triumph. Hope shines even in the darkness.
Youth (Spring) by Wang Bing
What is it about ? Zhili, 150 km from Shanghai. In this city dedicated to textile manufacturing, young people flock from all the rural regions crossed by the Yangtze River. They are 20 years old, share dormitories, eat in the corridors. They work tirelessly to one day be able to raise a child, buy a house or set up their own workshop.
The Factory, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly by Marianne Lère Laffitte
What is it about ? Chapelle-Darblay is the last and only factory to manufacture 100% recycled newsprint in France. Closed since September 2019 by decision of its Finnish owner, the century-old paper mill is now threatened with dismantling. In its place, a hydrogen production site is planned.
Koban Louzou by Brieuc Schieb
With Audrey Carmes, Neel, Laurence Sanchez…
What is it about ? Audrey joins a participatory worksite isolated from the outside world where volunteers from various backgrounds live under the supervision of Aymeric. Everyone tries to find their bearings, create connections and create a community.
Did you know ? The film was part of the following selections:
– FIFIB Bordeaux International Independent Film Festival, October 2022 – Contrabands section
– Belfort Interviews, November 2022 (Grand Prix André S. Labarthe)
– Sacho Festival, November 2022
– Woche der Kritik from the Berlinale, February 2023
– Festival Côté Court de Pantin, June 2023 – Prospective section (Grand Prix Prospective)
– Losing the Plot, June 2023
– FLiMM Free Medium Film Festival, October 2023.