19/04/2013 - The Polish, Iranian and Chadian directors will compete for the Palme d’Or 2013 under the colours of their home countries and thanks to French funding

As was underlined by the General Director Thierry Frémaux when he unveiled the Official Selection of the 66th Cannes Film Festival (from May 15th to 26th, 2013), the question of the nationality of films has become complicated in a globalized world. Nationality of the filmmakers, funding or even of the artistic soul? The question remains open and the presence of three French majority productions selected in competition (article) and presented under the banner of their home countries, is a perfect illustration of this fact, just like it demonstrates France’s extraordinary implication to help the best talents of the cinema planet to complete their most ambitious works.

This is the case for Polish maestro Roman Polanski (79 years old) who will return for the third time in competition after Le Locataire in 1979 and Le pianiste, Palme d’Or in 2002. Winner of an Oscar (Best Director in 2003), in competition in Berlin (in 1965 – Special Prize of the Jury -, 1966, 1972 and 2010 – Best Director) and Venice (in 1962 and 2011 – Petit Lion d’Or), the filmmaker will unveil on the Croisette his 20th feature film, based on a theatre play freely inspired by the eponymous novel by Sacher-Masoch: Venus in Fur [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Roman Polanski
film profile] (article). Played by Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathieu Amalric, the film was produced by RP Productions and A.S. Films, and coproduced by the Polish company Monolith. Sold by the American company Lionsgate-Summit, it will be distributed in France by Mars. 

Special Prize of the Jury in Venice in 2006 (Daratt [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and Prize of the Jury in Cannes in 2010 (Un homme qui crie [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), Chadian director Mahamat Saleh Haroun (51 years old) will join for the second time the race for the Palme d’Or with his 4th feature film: Grigris [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (article). Entirely filmed in Africa, the film was produced by Pili Films for a budget of 2.74 M€ including notably coproduction’s by France 3 Cinéma and the Chadian company Goï Goï Productions, pre-purchases by Canal+ and Ciné+, and an advance on receipts of the CNC. The distribution in French theatres (August 28th) and the international sales will be handled by Les Films du Losange.

Finally, Memento Films carried the production of the first French language film by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (41 years old): The Past [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (article). The 6th feature film by the director of A propos d’Elly (Best Director in Berlin in 2009) and Une séparation (Golden Bear at the Berlinale 2011 and Oscar 2012 for Best Foreign Film), the film features Bérénice Bejo and Tahar Rahimin the cast. Produced with a budget of 7.99 M€, the feature film was coproduced by France 3 Cinéma and at 10% by Italy (Bim Distribuzione). Also funded by Eurimages and the advance on receipts of the CNC, it was pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+. The French release will be handled on May 17th by Memento, who will also deal with the international sales.

(Translated from French)