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CANNES 2007 Competition

Bac Films chooses Mexicans and wild card Reygadas

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A true darling of the Cannes Film Festival with a 2002 Caméra d’Or Special Mention for his debut film Japan and the controversy triggered by the 2005 official competition screening of Battle in Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Reygadas
interview: Jean Labadie
film profile
]
(see Focus), Mexican director Carlos Reygadas confirmed yesterday his much deserved presence among the elite of world cinema with Silent Light [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
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Presented to the press and in competition, the film turns its back on the sexual scandals of Battle in Heaven without, however, abandoning Reygadas’ pet themes: sociological realism and a psychological study of the human soul confronted with the moral consequences of its actions.

This time, the director has gone for a more clear-cut, minimalist plot (a man torn between his wife, his several children and his lover, all suffering from the situation), with laconic, rural characters isolated in a vast and splendid countryside. Filmed over four seasons, Silent Light basks in concentrated lucidity, each gesture, look and word intensifying extremely concealed emotions.

With great visual beauty (fascinating opening and closing scenes), the film, which could seem long (almost two and a half hours) to audiences, is yet another stage of experimentation for the exceptionally gifted and perfection-seeking Reygadas.

A 30% co-production by France’s Arte France Cinéma and Bac Films, who will release the film in French theatres in October, and who are also handling international sales, the €1m Silent Light was backed by the Berlin World Cinema Fund and co-produced by Dutch outfit Motel Films.

Bac Films is also handling the French release and international distribution of another Mexican film selected in Directors’ Fortnight: Pedro Aguilera’s La influencia [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
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However, the interest of European industry professionals in Latin American cinema does not end there, with Un Certain Regard documentary Santa Fe Street by Chile’s Carmen Castillo, produced by France (Les Les Films d'IciINALove Streams Agnès B Production) and Belgium (Les Films de la Passerelle) and Critics’ Week entry XXY [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Argentina’s Lucia Punzo, co-produced by Spain’s Wanda Vision and French outfit Pyramide.

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(Translated from French)

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