Unifrance and the French Embassy in Brazil are hosting the first Panorama of French Cinema in Brazil from June 19-26 in Sao Paulo, and from June 21-26 in Rio de Janeiro.
This event, whose patron this year is Vincent Cassel, will showcase eight films that have been acquired by local distributors: L'Avocat de la terreur (Terror’s Advocate) by Barbet Schroeder, Les Chansons d'amour (Love Songs) by Christophe Honoré (in the presence of Clotilde Hesme), La Graine et le mulet (The Secret of the Grain) by Abdellatif Kechiche, Lady Jane by Robert Guédiguian (in the presence of Ariane Ascaride), Molière by Laurent Tirard, Le Scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) by Julian Schnabel, and Une vieille maîtresse (The Last Mistress) by Catherine Breillat, in the presence of the director and Roxane Mesquida). Vincent Cassel will represent the film Sheitan (Satan) along with its director Kim Chapiron and the actress Roxane Mesquida. These artists will meet with audiences after each screening, and will also take part in meetings with Brazilian media representatives.
The Panorama of French Cinema will open in São Paulo on Thursday, June 19, with a screening of Lady Jane at the Reserva Cultural Cinema. The opening film in Rio de Janeiro will be Les Chansons d’amour, screened at the Odeon Petrobras Cinema on Saturday, June 21. That date coincides with the annual Music Festival, with the Alliance Française organizing three concerts in the city center.
37 French films were released on Brazilian screens in 2007, attracting over 2 million spectators. This shows an 86% hike in attendance to French films compared to last year.
Riding on this wave of renewed interest in French fare, Unifrance has responded to requests from Brazilian distributors, who have for some time expressed a desire for an event of this kind, in order to boost the visibility of French films prior to their commercial release. This first edition of the event will also provide an insight into the future potential of this festival, in the lead-up to the “Year of France in Brazil” in 2009.
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