INTIMATE ENEMIES (L’Ennemi intime)
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH CO-WRITER AND DIRECTOR
Thursday, April 17 – Theater 1 – 8.30 PM

US Premiere
Drama/History
France, 2007
In French with English subtitles
35mm/Scope/2.35:1/Dolby SRD DTS/108 min

Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival (2007), Cairo International Film Festival (2007), Dubai International Film Festival (2007)

Directed by: Florent-Emilio Siri
Written by: Florent-Emilio Siri, Patrick Rotman
Based on a novel by: Patrick Rotman
Cinematography: Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci
Editor: Christophe Danilo, Olivier Gajan
Music: Alexandre Desplat
Produced by: François Kraus, Denis Pinneau-Valenciennes
Production Company: Les Films du Kiosque
Co-production: SND, France 2 Cinema

With: Benoît Magimel (Terrien), Albert Dupontel (Dougnac), Aurélien Recoing (Vesoul), Marc Barbé (Berthaut), Eric Savin (Chapeau), Fellag (The Prisoner)

With Intimate Enemies, Florent-Emilio Siri digs deep into the French psyche to show the reality and horrors of the French-Algerian war. Set in 1959, the story focuses on two antagonistic characters: Lieutenant Terrien (Benoît Magimel, Skyfighters (COLCOA 2006), A Girl Cut in Two), a young soldier arriving in Algeria as the conflict is intensifying, and Sergeant Dougnac (Albert Dupontel, Paris, Avenue Montaigne (COLCOA 2006)), who is as disillusioned and cynical as Terrien is idealistic. The film explores the “war as hell” metaphor, illustrating the propensity to become one’s own worst enemy.

A SECRET (Un secret)
Friday, April 18 – Theater 1 – 6.00 PM

West Coast Premiere
Drama
France/Germany, 2007
In French with English subtitles
35mm/1.85/Color/Dolby DTS/100 min

Awards: 2008 Cesar Award for Julie Depardieu (Best Actress in a Supporting Role)

Official Selection: Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival (2007), Montreal World Film Festival (2007), Rendez-Vous with French Cinema Today (2008), Unifrance French Film Festival in Japan (2008)

Directed by: Claude Miller
Written by: Claude Miller, Natalie Carter
Based on a novel by: Philippe Grimbert
Cinematography: Gérard de Battista
Editor: Véronique Lange
Music: Zbigniew Preisner
Produced by: Yves Marmion
Production Company: UGC YM
Co-production: France 3 Cinéma

With: Cécile de France (Tania), Patrick Bruel (Maxime), Ludivine Sagnier (Hannah), Mathieu Amalric (37 year-old François), Julie Depardieu (Louise), Nathalie Boutefeu (Esther), Quentin Dubuis (14 year-old François), Myriam Fuks (Hannah’s mother), Sam Garbarski (Joseph), Eric Godon (Serge Klarsfeld)

Adapted from Philippe Grimbert’s best selling novel, A Secret is a story of passion and guilt in troubled times, which unfolds as a young teenager uncovers the truth about his parents’ past. He finds out that before the war, his father Maxime (Patrick Bruel, The Comedy of Power, O Jerusalem) was married to Hannah (Ludivine Sagnier, 8 Women, A Girl Cut in Two, Love Songs) when he fell madly in love with his mother Tania (Cécile de France (The Russian Dolls, Avenue Montaigne, (COLCOA 2006)). As a young Jewish couple living in Nazi-occupied France, Maxime and Tania had to make difficult choices to survive the war and the Holocaust. 

LA VIE D’ARTISTE
Saturday, April 19 – Theater 1 – 3.00 PM

North American Premiere
Comedy
France, 2007
In French with English subtitles
35mm/Scope, 2.35:1/Color/Dolby SRD/107 min

Awards: Winner of MPA’s Michel D'Ornano prize for promising first film

Official Selection: Deauville International Film Festival (2007)

Written and directed by: Marc Fitoussi
Cinematography: Pénélope Pourriat
Editor: Serge Turquier
Music: Tim Gane, Sean O’Hagan
Produced by: Caroline Benjo, Carole Scotta, Barbara Letellier, Simon Arnal-Szlovak
Production Company: Haut & Court
Co-production: France 2 Cinema

With: Sandrine Kiberlain (Alice), Émilie Dequenne (Cora), Denis Podalydès (Bertrand), Valérie Benguigui (Solange), Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet (Frédéric), Aure Atika (the steakhouse manager), Jean-Pierre Kalfon (Joseph Costals), Maria Schneider (Joseph Costals’ wife)

La Vie d’artiste is a comedy chronicling the experience of three characters, a singer, a writer and an actress, determined to succeed in their art but struggling to have their talent recognized. Writer/director Marc Fitoussi has assembled a cast of French indie darlings in this meditation on art and success: Sandrine Kiberlain (Alias Betty (COLCOA 2002), For Sale, Seventh Heaven), Émilie Dequenne (The brotherhood of the Wolf, The Housekeeper, The Light (COLCOA 2005) and Denis Podalydès (Nothing about Robert, Comedy of Innocence, Diary of a Seducer). 

THE WALKING MAN (L’Homme qui marche)
Saturday, April 19 – Theater 2 – 3.45 PM

US Premiere
Drama
France, 2008
In French with English subtitles
35mm/1.66/Color/Dolby SR/82 min

Official Selection: San Sebastian Film Festival Zabaltegi Official Competition (2007), Cannes, Sélection ACID (2007)

Directed by: Aurélia Georges
Written by: Aurélia Georges, Elodie de Monlibert
Cinematography: Hélène Louvart
Editor: Jean-Christophe Hym
Music: Arnaud Sallé
Produced by: Cédric Walter
Production Company: Château-Rouge Production
Co-production: CNC, Procirep, Région Centre Val-de-Loire

With: Cesar Sarachu (Atemian), John Arnold (Daniel), Mireille Perrier (Liliane), Judith Henry (Irene), Florence Loiret-Caille (Edwige), Miglen Mirtchev (Micha), Gilles David (L’editeur), Françoise Meunier (Catherine)

Inspired by Russian writer Vladimir Slepian, The Walking Man chronicles the life of Viktor Atemian (César Sarachu, The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes), a political refugee who comes to Paris and briefly becomes a celebrated writer in intellectual circles. A poetic meditation and Situationnist dérive, the film follows an uncompromising Atemian as he withdraws from the literary world and its idiosyncrasies. As time passes and success doesn’t return, he finds himself penniless, staying in cheap hotels to finally end up homeless. 

BEHIND THE WALLS (Les Hauts murs)
Saturday, April 19 – Theater 1 – 8.30 PM

World Premiere
Drama
France, 2008
In French with English subtitles
35mm/1.85/Color/Dolby SRD DTS/95 min

Directed by: Christian Faure
Written by: Albert Algoud
Based on a novel by: Auguste Le Breton
Cinematography: Jean-Claude Larrieu
Editor: Jean-Daniel Fernandez Qundez
Music: Charles Court
Produced by: Jean Nainchrik
Production Company: Septembre Productions
Co-production: EuropaCorp, France 3 Cinéma, Canal +, CinéCinémas

With: Carole Bouquet, Catherine Jacob, Michel Jonasz, Emile Berling, Pascal Nzonzi, Guillaume Gouix, Julien Bouanich, Anthony Decadi, Jonathan Reyes, Finnegan Oldfield, Simon Perret, Antoine Chaleyssin, Oscar Baudot, Aurélien Godreau, Joël Pyrène, Bernard Blancan, Pascal Nzonzi, François Damiens, André Penvern

Set in the austere décor of 1930s French juvenile correctional facilities, Behind The Walls is a drama written by Albert Algoud, based on a novel by Auguste Le Breton. The film follows the tribulations of 14 year-old orphan Yves Tréguier, who is sent from one facility to the next. For a daydreamer and escape artist like Yves, life in juvenile institutions resembles the harsh reality of prison. As he stares at the walls circling the house, Yves dreams of escaping and going to New York City.