French films-winners of documentary film festivals

“The Wall”

France, 2004, colour, DV cam, 100 min.

Director Simone Bitton

It is a personal, cinematographic reflection of  Simone Bitton. The author gathers songs in Arabic and Hebrew and meets people, historically divided by the wall of hatred. Not being hateful, the author admits the existence of two cultures: Hebrew and Arabic: “It seems that uniting and dividing people became part of me. This film is political as everything is politics, but it doesn’t speak about politics”.

Grand Prix Fidmarseille 2004

Production Cine-Sud Promotion (France) et Arna Productions (Israel)

“Odessa… Odessa!”

France, 2004, colour, DV cam, 100 min.

Director Michale Boganim

“Odessa is one of the places with magic names, a mythical town – the origin of Hebrew culture.” The author of the film, a young woman of Franco-Hebrew origin, tells us about the life of the Hebrew population of Odessa, driven out to Israel and The USA, and offers a gripping nostalgic triptych, organized around three towns of different colours: Odessa, old town of faded blue colour, Little Odessa of the Russian enclave in New York of brick colour, and the town-mushroom of Ashdod appeared in the Israel Desert and shining with white colour.

Grand Prix Marcorelles (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Production Moby Dick Films (France) et Transfax Films Production (Israel)/Arcadi

“Salvador Allendee”

France, 2004, b/w / colour, Beta num, 35 mm, 100 min.

Director Patricio Guzman

Military revolt suppressed peace revolution in Chili, overthrowing the president, a charismatic person, inclined to suicide, whom the dictatorship tried to sink into oblivion. This fact is mentioned by the author at the beginning of the film “Nothing, almost nothing is left from Salvador Allendee. Just the broken glasses and some paper, found after the murder of the president. The director gives this man his due and reflects on political ideals.            

Production JBA Production

“Valerie’s case”

France, 2004, colour, Mini DV, 75 min.

Director Francois Caillat

A young girl from the mountains among the Alp lakes. The author and director of the film investigates the case of Valerie, who disappeared twenty years ago. A short newspaper article in the accident section becomes a case of the disappearance of a young girl. It is assumed that she was killed by a Canadian tourist and disappeared leaving no signs. The witnesses’ evidences, memories change one another and we have a feeling that Valerie is disappearing for the second time. Almost unreal, she literally dissolves in the Alp nature, magnificently shown by the film director. Grand repeating landscapes, abysses and water whirls become imaginary, metaphorical characters of the film. The film-essay, where the memories of a long dead girl become the main character on the high level of abstraction.      

Production  INA Arte France

“Bad boys. The Chronicle of ordinary cruelty”

France, 2004, colour, DV cam, 90 min.

Director David Carr-Brown, Pierr Bourgeois, Patricia Bodet

The film shows how a small bourgeois residence becomes a ghetto in 40 years. It is the time of losing old values and principles, the time of everyday cruelty…

During 2 years the authors-directors of the film observe the life of the ghetto, gradually plunging in its atmosphere. The film also reflects different aspects of the migration policy of the last years.

Production Novaprod, France 2

“Nightingale”

France, 2004, colour, HD 16/9, 50 мин.

Director Christian Chaudet

The film is an audio-visual adaptation of the first musical lyrical work by Igor Stravinskiy “Nightingale”. It is a brilliant combination of opera sound and digital animation technologies to create a modern musical fairy show, magic ballet performance. The film transfers the viewer to the magic world of the emperor’s court in China and connects ancient China with a virtual world. Comments and subtitles are read by Nataly Dessey, The National orchestra of Paris conducted by James Conlon performs its works.

Awards FIPA d’or, 2005

Production Agat Films & Cie Arte France / Mikros Image

“Paradi”

France, 2004, colour, Mini DV, 52 min.

Director Marie Helen Rebois

The film is an investigation of new tendencies and discoveries in the world of modern dance to the music of José Montalvo, French choreographer of Spanish origin. This film is about  the choreographic performance “Parady” based on the novel with the same name in 1997, Lion, Montalvo/Hervieu company. The film is an impressing theatrical show with pyrotechnical effect, live sound, energetics and a mixture of genres: hip-hop, classical ballet and African dance.

Production Les films Penelope. Arte France

“Paul’s life”

France, 2004, colour, DVCAM, 100 min.

Director Remi Mauger

The main character of the film is the bachelor Paul –a peasant, fisherman who is going to be 75. He lives with two unmarried younger sisters and is preparing to go on pension, having lived and worked all his life in Cotenten. The director chooses this very moment of his fellow Paul’s life to introduce him to the viewer. Paul represents the world which is not affected by modern rhythms, the disappearing world. The penetrating director observes the life of the main character from the outside, admirs his plane and simple principles. ‘do you want to shoot a film? It will hurt you. You are like everyone. You think I’m amusing. But I’m not. It is my life…”

Awards FIPA D’ARGENT 2005

Production Les Films d’ici / France 3 Normandie

“Torn skin”

France, 2004, colour, Beta num, 56 min.

Director Julien Samani 

The film tells us about the adventures of five brave fishermen who set off on the boat “Maridor” for the dangerous vast Irish lakes to catch a monster shark.

Monotonous sound of the engine, long wait, monotony scenery and separate words of the silent fishermen is all you can see on the screen until the middle of the film and the first hit of the harpoon. After this the action of the film develops very quickly. Attracted and killed with the harpoon the fish is dragged on board the last convulsions, agony and blood. Everything mixes together: extreme and ordinary! Almost mythical characters, primitive beauty of the lakes, a lonely and gloomy place, struggle, cruelty, savagery and a desire to survive…

Production by Avenue B Productions