Assayas, Besson, Gatlif, Binoche, Léaud, Polanski, Varda... All feature on the program of Switzerland's most prestigious film festival, which will take place from August 6 through 16, 2014.
“Overlapping, sharing, exchange." It is with these words that Carlo Chatrian, the artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, defined the program of the 2014 edition, which will take place from August 6 through 16. Once again, this year's selection offers a panorama of rich, eclectic, and surprising French auteur films, where emerging talents rub shoulders with established masters.
Eight thousand spectators in the Piazza Grande will discover, on the evening of their respective open-air screenings, the latest films by Luc Besson (Lucy, opening the festival, in the presence of the director), Jean-Pierre Améris (Marie Heurtin, in the presence of the director and two of the film's actresses Isabelle Carré and Ariana Rivoire), Jean-Jacques Zilbermann (To Life, in the presence of the director and the film's cast Suzanne Clément, Julie Depardieu, Johanna Ter Steege, and Hippolyte Girardot), Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria, in the presence of the director and Juliette Binoche), Tony Gatlif (Geronimo, in the presence of the director and two of the film's actresses, Céline Sallette and Nailia Harzoune), and Eran Riklis (Dancing Arabs, in the presence of the director and actress Laëtitia Eido).
Venus in Fur, will also be presented, in the presence of its director Roman Polanski and his favorite actor Emmanuelle Seigner. Agnès Varda, honored with the 2014 Pardo d'onore Swisscom, will walk the red carpet to present The Beaches of Agnes, one of the nine films by the director that will screen at the event. Agnès Varda will also take part in a conversation open to the public.
Last but not least, two French actors will be celebrated at the Piazza Grande: Juliette Binoche, who will receive the Excellence Award Moët et Chandon, and Jean-Pierre Léaud, who will receive the Pardo alla carriera.
SELECTIONS
Three French films will be presented in the Fuori Concorso section devoted to master filmmakers:
Goodbye to Language by Jean-Luc Godard, the Jury Prize winner at the 2014 Cannes International Film Festival,
Le Temps perdu, the debut documentary by Pierre Schoeller (Versailles, The Minister),
I, Kamikaze, a documentary by Masa Sawada.
In Concorso Internazionale:
Fidelio, Alice's Journey by Lucie Borleteau (known for her acting work, in particular in La Fille du 14 juillet),
La Sapienza, the fifth feature by Eugène Green, starring Fabrizio Rongione (Marion Cotillard's husband in Two Days, One Night),
White Nights on the Pier by Paul Vecchiali (shot with an iPhone and starring Pascal Cervo and Astrid Adverbe).
In the Concorso Cineasti del presente section:
Brother and Sister, a documentary by Daniel Touati,
South to North, a documentary by Antoine Boutet,
A Young Poet, the debut feature by Damien Manivel.
In the Signs of Life section:
What's Your Job Daddy ?, the third feature by Hpg, starring Gwenaelle Baïd, Alberto Sorbelli, andThierry Lounas,
Fort Buchanan, the debut feature by Benjamin Crotty,
Amours et métamorphoses, a feature film by Yanira Yariv.
In the independent Semaine de la critique section:
Death of the Serpent God, de Damien Froidevaux
UniFrance Films and the Ambassade de France in Switzerland will celebrate French cinema on Friday, August 8 during the traditional cocktail they host, and which all the festival's French guests attend.
Jean-Paul Salomé, president of UniFrance Films, and Isabelle Giordano, executive director of UniFrance films, will be present in Locarno from August 6 through 10 to accompany the French delegation.
