Shooting anecdotes, notes of intent, information for film lovers: every week, discover behind the scenes of cinema releases.
Krypto and the Super Animals by Jared Stern, Sam Levine
With Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Soprano…
What is it about ? Krypto, Superman’s super-dog, is faced with an immense challenge: to save his master, kidnapped by Lex Luthor and his evil guinea pig Lulu. For this, he will have to team up with a gang of kind-hearted but rather clumsy animals.
Did you know ? Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart know each other well, having starred together in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its sequel, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw and especially Almost Secret Agents.
Marcel! by Jasmine Trinca With Alba Rohrwacher, Maayane Conti, Giovanna Ralli…
What is it about ? The little girl is insomniac. The mother is an artist. The dog’s name is Marcel. The little girl loves her mother passionately, but her mother loves Marcel more than anything. Will an unforeseen event allow these chains of love to reconnect?
Did you know ? Italian actress Jasmine Trinca signs her first feature film as a director with Marcel! : “I’ve been on camera for over twenty years and I felt the need to change my perspective more and more. After being the object for so long, I wanted to try being the subject.”
The Auschwitz Report by Peter Bebjak
With Noel Czuczor, Peter Ondrejička, John Hannah…
What is it about ? Deported to Auschwitz in 1942, two young Slovak Jews managed to escape on April 10, 1944. Their goal: to reveal to the world what was happening in the death camps, and to try to save thousands of lives. But their story seems so implausible that the Allies may not believe it.
Did you know ? For Peter Bebjak, The Auschwitz Report participates, like films like Schindler’s List and The Son of Saul, in not forgetting the horrors caused by the rise of fascism: “Several years ago, the socio-political situation in Slovakia brought the extreme right to parliament. And, alas, this problem goes beyond Slovakia.”
Sundown by Michel Franco
With Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Iazua Larios…
What is it about ? A wealthy English family is spending a luxurious vacation in Acapulco when news of a death forces them to rush back to London. When boarding, Neil claims that he forgot his passport in his hotel room. Returning from the airport, he asks his taxi to drop him off at a modest boarding house in Acapulco…
Did you know ? Michel Franco finds Tim Roth after Chronic (2015). The director also wrote the central character of Sundown especially for the actor. He explains : “Our sensibilities are similar, and I thought he would be receptive to this story. I wrote the screenplay in a few weeks, unlike Nouvel Ordre, which took me years.”
Mi iubita mon amour by Noémie Merlant
What is it about ? With Gimi Covaci, Noémie Merlant, Sanda Codreanu… Jeanne leaves to celebrate her bachelor party in Romania with friends. There she meets Nino and his family. Everything separates them. It’s the beginning of a passionate and timeless summer.
Did you know ? Gimi Covaci is a young Rom who started filming in Shakira and co-wrote Mi iubita mon amour with director Noémie Merlant. From 8 to 13 years old, he grew up on the streets in Paris, Place de la République. He remembers : “I saw the wickedness of people towards the Gypsies while in my family, no one ever hurt, no one stole.”
A Summer Like This by Denis Côté
With Larissa Corriveau, Aude Mathieu, Laure Giappiconi…
What is it about ? Invited to a nursing home to explore their sexual discomforts, three young women spend their days and nights taming intimate demons. Under the quiet supervision of a German therapist and a benevolent social worker, the group tries to maintain a fragile balance.
Did you know ? Denis Côté first noticed that Quebec cinema seldom films sexuality frontally. However, he did not feel like the ideal filmmaker to tackle the subject. Then he read a book around the word nymphomania, written by Carol Groneman, a New York historian.
Costa Brava, Lebanon by Mounia Akl
With Nadine Labaki, Saleh Bakri, Nadia Charbel…
What is it about ? Lebanon, in the near future. Soraya and Walid have built an idyllic life in the mountains, far from the disorder and pollution of Beirut. The peaceful life of the family is brutally called into question by the installation of a supposedly ecological landfill.
Did you know ? Costa Brava, Lebanon refers to a beach located near Beirut and named Costa Brava in reference to the beaches of Spain. In 2015, it became a gigantic dumping ground for waste from the entire region.
Becoming Father by Tetsuya Mariko
With Yu Aoi, Tokio Emoto, Kanji Furutachi…
What is it about ? Clumsy and naive, Miyamoto, a young salaryman in a stationery company, falls in love with the enigmatic Yasuko. This uses Miyamoto to get rid of an unwanted boyfriend, but ends up growing attached to her admirer’s zeal.
Did you know ? Becoming Father is the adaptation of a cult manga in Japan, Miyamoto kara kimi e by Hideki Arai, released at the end of the 1990s. Tetsuya Mariko was marked by reading it when he was 20 years old.
Destruction Babies by Tetsuya Mariko
With Yuya Yagira, Masaki Suda, Nana Komatsu…
What is it about ? Mitsuhama, port of Shikoku, the most rural south of Japan. There live two orphan brothers, Taira and Shota Ashiwara. The eldest, Taira, is obsessed with fighting. One day when he was beaten up by a mob, he travels to Matsuyama, the nearest big city, in search of strong opponents to face.
Did you know ? In Destruction Babies, the characters are locked in spirals of ultra-violence, with a very brutal representation of it. While writing the film, Tetsuya Mariko traveled to Matsuyama, a town in Ehime Prefecture, and met a man of his own age who told him about his violent youth.