BEIJING -- The influence of Asia will be felt from the moment Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights lights the opening-night screen Wednesday at the 60th edition of the Festival de Cannes.
Shot in the U.S., the Hong Kong director's English-language debut stars Jude Law and features the acting debut of singer Norah Jones. It joins three other Asian films in the official selection at Cannes.
"There is definitely some kind of love affair between Cannes and Asian cinema," said Christine Pernin, chief China representative of Unifrance, the French government's cultural envoy.
Also In Competition is Breath, the 14th film by Kim Ki-duk, one of South Korea's biggest names on the international film festival circuit. Breath stars Taiwanese actor Chang Chen as a man awaiting execution who falls for a betrayed wife.
Also from Korea is Secret Sunshine, by Lee Chang-dong, a former minister of culture and tourism and one of Korea's most respected filmmakers. Lee's 2002 film Oasis -- about a social misfit who falls in love with a woman with cerebral palsy -- won the FIPRESCI prize and Marcello Mastroianni awards at Venice.
In Secret Sunshine, Lee again tackles a challenging subject, the story of a grieving widow who travels to her late husband's hometown only to find that her newfound religious faith fails her when she is struck by another tragedy.
The lone Japanese entry In Competition comes from director Naomi Kawase, who, at 27, won the Camera d'Or at Cannes in 1997 for her first feature film, Moe No Suzaku. Kawase is back this year with Mogari No Mori (The Mourning Forest).
Shot in the U.S., the Hong Kong director's English-language debut stars Jude Law and features the acting debut of singer Norah Jones. It joins three other Asian films in the official selection at Cannes.
"There is definitely some kind of love affair between Cannes and Asian cinema," said Christine Pernin, chief China representative of Unifrance, the French government's cultural envoy.
Also In Competition is Breath, the 14th film by Kim Ki-duk, one of South Korea's biggest names on the international film festival circuit. Breath stars Taiwanese actor Chang Chen as a man awaiting execution who falls for a betrayed wife.
Also from Korea is Secret Sunshine, by Lee Chang-dong, a former minister of culture and tourism and one of Korea's most respected filmmakers. Lee's 2002 film Oasis -- about a social misfit who falls in love with a woman with cerebral palsy -- won the FIPRESCI prize and Marcello Mastroianni awards at Venice.
In Secret Sunshine, Lee again tackles a challenging subject, the story of a grieving widow who travels to her late husband's hometown only to find that her newfound religious faith fails her when she is struck by another tragedy.
The lone Japanese entry In Competition comes from director Naomi Kawase, who, at 27, won the Camera d'Or at Cannes in 1997 for her first feature film, Moe No Suzaku. Kawase is back this year with Mogari No Mori (The Mourning Forest).
- 5/16/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BEIJING -- Bringing two years of intense film industry exchange to a head, members of a French delegation landed in China's capital Thursday to negotiate a co-production contract, open the third annual French film festival here and honor two Chinese directors. Led by Jerome Seydoux, president of venerable French studio Pathe, the delegation will meet Friday with Zhao Shi, vice minister of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, Unifrance representative Christine Pernin said. France has been seeking a co-production agreement in China for two years as such a deal guarantees distribution, a greater share of China's growing boxoffice and the opportunity for French filmmakers to tap China's spectacular landscapes and large pool of low-cost skilled film crews.
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.