18/12/2008

Potential contenders are queuing up to join Rachid Bouchareb’s French/UK production London River [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which has already been selected in official competition at the 59th Berlin Film Festival (February 5-15, 2009).

Besides François Ozon’s Ricky [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] –previously cited as a possible contender (see news - to be released domestically on February 11, 2009 by Le Pacte) – several French films by Berlinale regulars have been predicted to take part.

These include André Téchiné’s La fille du RER [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (“The Girl on the RER”, see news), starring Catherine Deneuve, Belgian actress Emilie Dequenne, Michel Blanc, Mathieu Demy, Nicolas Duvauchelle and Israel’s Ronit Elkabetz. The feature will be launched domestically on March 18 by UGC Distribution.

Berlinale jury president Costa Gavras may also compete with his French/Italian/Greek co-production Eden is West [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news). Featuring young Italian star Riccardo Scamarcio, French actors Sophie Raive, Éric Caravaca, Anny Duperey and Michel Bouquet, as well as Germany’s Ulrich Tukur and Alexandra Maria Lara, the film will be released on February 11 by Pathé.

Previously selected in competition at Cannes and Venice, Benoît Jacquot could be headed for triple success by presenting his French/Swiss co-production Villa Amalia [+see also:
trailer
film profile] at Berlin. The feature – whose cast includes Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Hughes Anglade, Xavier Beauvois and Italian actresses Maya Sansa and Clara Bindi – will be released on March 4 by EuropaCorp.

There is also a chance that Berlinale regular Claude Chabrol (six-time contender for the Golden Bear) will vie for honours with Bellamy (see news). The title – which stars Gérard Depardieu, Clovis Cornillac, Jacques Gamblin, Marie Bunel and Vahina Giocante – is set to be launched in theatres on February 25 by TFM Distribution.

Outsiders favourites for selection include Cédric Kahn’s Regrets [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news), starring Yvan Attal and Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi; Philippe Lioret’s Welcome (see news - set for release on March 11 by Mars Distribution) featuring Vincent Lindon; and Bertrand Tavernier’s enigmatic In the Electric Mist, starring Tommy Lee Jones.

The latter film – set to be released in spring 2009 by TFM Distribution – would thus emerge from the limbo into which it was plunged by the lengthy dispute between French and US partners on the editing. The director has at last retrieved the final cut.

(Translated from French)