Filming anecdotes, notes of intent, information for moviegoers: every week, discover behind the scenes of cinema releases.
Napoleon by Ridley Scott
With Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim…
What is it about ? Spectacular fresco, Napoleon focuses on the rise and fall of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The film traces Bonaparte’s relentless conquest of power through the prism of his passionate and tormented relationship with Joséphine, the great love of his life.
Did you know ? Napoleon was originally intended for an exclusive release on Apple TV+. The film finally benefits from a theatrical release, before being available at a later date on the streaming platform.
A Winter in Yanji by Anthony Chen
With Liu Haoran, Zhou Dongyu, Chuxiao Qu…
What is it about ? It’s winter in Yanji, a city in northern China, on the border with Korea. Coming from Shanghai for a wedding, Haofeng feels a little lost there. By chance, he meets Nana, a young tourist guide who fascinates him. She introduces him to Xiao, a chef friend. The three bond quickly after a festive first evening.
Did you know ? A Winter in Yanji was presented in the Un Certain Regard selection at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Director Anthony Chen knows the Croisette well since he received a special mention there for his short film Ah Ma then the Caméra d’Or for his first feature, Ilo Ilo.
Nothing to Lose by Delphine Deloget
With Virginie Efira, Félix Lefebvre, Arieh Worthalter…
What is it about ? Sylvie lives in Brest with her two children, Sofiane and Jean-Jacques. One night, Sofiane is injured while he is alone in the apartment. Social services are alerted and place the child in a home while they carry out an investigation. Convinced of being the victim of a miscarriage of justice, Sylvie launches into a fight to get her son back…
Did you know ? With Nothing to Lose, Delphine Deloget wanted to film what remains of a family when everything explodes and tell how this same family learns, in pain, to live without each other. “The story of the placement came later, during the writing to express this difficulty, the pain, but also the need to leave those we love,” specifies the filmmaker.
I’m Not a Hero by Rudy Milstein
With Vincent Dedienne, Géraldine Nakache, Clémence Poésy…
What is it about ? Louis is this super nice guy. And in his law office, that’s not a compliment. The day his doctor mistakenly diagnoses him with a serious illness, the outlook of others changes: we pay attention to him, we ask him questions and listen to the answers, Louis finally exists! So obviously he’s hesitant to say that he’s doing great.
Did you know ? Rudy Milstein wanted to write a film about appearance: how someone can put aside their principles to seduce, be accepted by a group, progress socially and please their parents:
“The character of Louis, played by Vincent Dedienne, embodies a young lawyer caught in the tornado of a case of pesticides allegedly responsible for cancer. He is a nice, naive, rather cute boy.”
Mars Express by Jérémie Périn
With Léa Drucker, Mathieu Amalric, Daniel Njo Lobé…
What is it about ? In the year 2200, Aline Ruby, a stubborn private detective, and Carlos Rivera, her android partner, are hired by a rich businessman to capture a famous hacker on Earth.
Did you know ? Mars Express is the first feature film by Jérémie Périn, who has previously directed episodes of animated series, including Last Man.
The Silver Venus by Héléna Klotz
With Claire Pommet, Niels Schneider, Sofiane Zermani…
What is it about ? Jeanne is 24 years old. She lives in a barracks in the suburbs with her police officer father, her little brother and her little sister. She made the bet to succeed in her life in the world of finance. Not for fame or luxury, but because it is the way she found to gain her freedom.
Did you know ? To write The Silver Venus, Héléna Klotz started from two mythologies. On one side the gendarmerie barracks and the buildings of the suburbs, on the other the finance and the towers of the business districts. She specifies:
“In the middle, a female character who seeks to break the glass ceiling of her social class to create a future for herself.”
Testament of Denys Arcand
With Rémy Girard, Sophie Lorain, Marie-Mai…
What is it about ? In an era of evolving identity, Jean-Michel, a 70-year-old single man, has lost all his bearings in this society and seems to no longer have much to expect from life. But in the retirement home where he lives, Suzanne, the director, is attacked by young demonstrators who are demanding the destruction of a fresco that is offensive to them.
Did you know ? Denys Arcand got the idea for his new film Testament while visiting a large museum in New York. On a large mural was the meeting of Indians from the island of Manhattan with a Dutch explorer. The director remembers:
“It hadn’t bothered anyone for years. One day, a group demanded its destruction on the pretext that this painting was an insult to the natives, to the first arrivals.”
Noah’s Ark by Bryan Marciano
With Valérie Lemercier, Finnegan Oldfield, Elsa Guedj…
What is it about ? An association welcomes young LGBT people put on the street by their families. Behind the apparent comedy, the excesses, the desire to assert oneself, lie broken lives. Everyone has this furious desire to exist, to find their place in society. Here, they have six months to find work, housing and accept themselves as they are.
Did you know ? The project had its genesis when Bryan Marciano saw a report on an association welcoming young LGBT people. The filmmaker remembers: “There was a well-born young guy and a young lesbian girl, who came from the street and played the djembe. It was both upsetting and very funny. Quirky.”
The perpetual leek by Zoé Chantre
What is it about ? The Perpetual Leek is a filmed diary that begins on March 5. Every year on this precise date, an ant comes under my door and I observe it. For her, it’s the arrival of spring, for me it’s my mother’s birthday.
The River by Dominique Marchais
What is it about ? Between the Pyrenees and the Atlantic flow powerful rivers called Gaves. Corn fields make them thirsty, dams block the movement of salmon. Human activity is disrupting the water cycle and the biodiversity of the river.
Did you know ? Dominique Marchais had already filmed rivers with The Watershed. Since then, he has continued to be interested in it: “As a landscape object first, then as a political object, and I was interested in what happens inside, in the water: the fish, the insects, their circulation, their habitat. Why did the fish reproduce in Sauveterre, and why now do they have to go back 50 km further up, to Oloron?”