New faces of French films at Cannes fest

German hitmakers back

LOS ANGELES, May 12, (RTRS): UniFrance hosts talks to the New Faces of French Cinema at the UniFrance Terrace.

Leila Bekhti — “Sink or Swim”: After debuting with supporting roles in such films as the gonzo-horror pic “Sheitan” and offering the sole female presence in macho juggernaut “A …,” actress Bekhti became movie star Bekhti with the release of her 2010 comedy “All That Glitters.” Though that breakthrough role landed her a Cesar and increased her box-office clout, the Parisian has not allowed herself to get too comfortable in any one gear. “All my roles have to scare me,” she says. “Fear is reassuring; if one day I arrived on set and didn’t feel a bit afraid, that would be the end. Being afraid doesn’t stop me, it pushes me forward.”

So she has continually sought out first-time filmmakers, and is trying her hand at producing, developing a feature with theater director Julie Duclos. “It’s very moving to pay witness to an artist’s first work,” Bekhti notes.

And when the then-expecting star was offered a part in Cannes out-of-competition comedy “Sink or Swim,” she happily accepted, on the condition that the film make no mention of her current state. “I didn’t want my character to be pregnant. That was my personal life, and I didn’t want to share it. On the other hand, seeing myself like that gave me a kind of freedom!”

Pierre Deladonchamps — “Sorry Angel,” “Little Tickles”: Deladonchamps arrived at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival a relative unknown and left on the fast track to stardom.

Before landing his first leading role in “Stranger by the Lake,” the actor spent a decade working bit parts in films and TV; then, he hit Cannes, and soon enough his lead debut carried Deladonchamps to the Cesars, where he won the most promising newcomer award.

The critically acclaimed film “changed many things in my life,” says the actor. “It gave me a kind of legitimacy, recognition, and confidence.”

Since then he’s worked regularly, returning to the Cesars with Philippe Lioret’s “A Kid” and to Cannes with Andre Techine’s “Golden Years.” This year, he is back on the Croisette with a one-two-punch of “Sorry Angel” in competition and “Little Tickles” in Un Certain Regard.

“The public discovered me with ‘Stranger,’ which was a radical, very austere work. I didn’t breakout with a mainstream hit, and so I’m not the first person people think of when casting such films,” he notes.

Vanessa Filho — “Angel Face”: From rock star (the duo Smoking Smoking) to art photographer to documentarian, Filho has worn many hats throughout her career, but one thing has always remained a constant: since the age of 13, she has always wanted to direct features. And “at a certain point, I couldn’t keep on several different paths at the same time. I really threw myself into writing.”

Though the filmmaker had to put certain artistic pursuits on pause while making “Angel Face,” which stars Marion Cotillard as a wayward mother and premieres in Un Certain Regard, the project is something of a culmination of her diverse experiences.

“Music and film are indistinguishable to me,” says Filho. “There’s a lyrical dimension to film, and music is an intrinsic part of the creation of the overall work.”

Indeed, the project presented itself as but one more opportunity to work with longtime collaborators Smoking Smoking bandmate Audrey Ismael and rocker Olivier Coursier, for whom she has directed several music videos.

Romain Gavras — “Born Free”: Every time Michele Ray-Gavras would produce one of her husband, Costa-Gavras’, films, their family home would become the shoot’s main production office, with actors and set designers waltzing in and out. So, naturally, their son Romain never once considered another career. “You don’t become a lawyer or a doctor or something that makes sense for the parents. I didn’t see any other routes,” says Gavras fils.

Though the filmmaker followed his parents and siblings into the family business, he’s made his biggest impact in the world of music videos, directing clips for the likes Justice, M.I.A., Kanye West and Jay-Z.

He’s developing an urgent, politically agitated style that uncomfortably matches our current fractious landscape. “I should ask for a copyright for a lot of those apocalyptic because it seems like they’ve been ripped off from some of my videos,” he offers with a grim laugh.

Still, despite his vast experience shooting in L.A. (“If you want a guy that has only one leg, and a prosthetic he can blow up at the same time, you can find that!”), when it comes to features, Gavras prefers his native country.

Bekhti

Historical romance, literary adaptations, arthouse drama, star-studded comedies, children’s pics, animated fare and a high-profile documentary are among the many German films and co-productions on offer at this year’s Cannes Film Market.

Unspooling as part of the festival are Wim Wenders’ “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word,” repped by Focus Features and bowing in Special Screenings; “In My Room,” Ulrich Koehler’s story of a man who suddenly realizes everyone around him has disappeared, which world premieres in Un Certain Regard; and, in Intl. Critics’ Week sidebar, Anja Kofmel’s Swiss co-production “Chris the Swiss,” a partially animated documentary from Urban Distribution that investigates the mysterious death of a young Swiss journalist during the Yugoslav wars.

On the market side, one historical niche that is proving particularly successful is that of the turn-of-thecentury artist.

Picture Tree Intl is following its 2016 hit “Egon Schiele — Death and the Maiden,” by Dieter Berner, with the Austrian helmer’s upcoming “Alma & Oskar.” Likewise set in Vienna’s illustrious world of art and music in the early 1900s, the fact-based drama explores the tumultuous relationship between Alma Mahler, widow of the renowned composer, and Austrian artist and enfant terrible Oskar Kokoschka.

The shelf life of such historical dramas “is just endless,” says Picture Tree co-managing director Andreas Rothbauer. “We know that with ‘Egon Schiele’ when we see the video figures and the TV sales.”

“Egon Schiele” has sold to more than 30 territories, including the US, where it was acquired by Film Movement. This year marks the anniversary of the Austrian painter’s death and that has boosted interest in the film.