Swiss films attract interest in La Rochelle
25.06.2009
The 37th La Rochelle International Film Festival (June 26-July 6, 2009) will focus on succinct productions by four Swiss film directors. The fiction film “Du bruit dans la tête” by Vincent Pluss, the essay film “The Sounds of Insects” by Peter Liechti, the documentary film “Nomad’s Land” by Gaël Métroz and an episodic film which Pierre-Yves Borgeaud shot in conjunction with a workshop of several months with youth in La Rochelle, are all on the festival programme, which reflects on new trends in Swiss filmmaking for the past five years.
In 2004 the festival in La Rochelle surprised ist audience with a film series called “Vincent Pluss et le nouveau cinéma suisse”, which showcased the oeuvre of the Genovese filmmaker who had made “On Dirait le Sud” together with films by Jean-Stéphane Bron, Ursula Meier and Pierre-Yves Borgeaud. For the first time since the “New Swiss Cinema” of the 1970s has there been mention of a young generation of filmmakers from the French-speaking region of Switzerland again at a festival and in the French media. Pierre-Yves Borgeaud was invited as the artist-in-residence to the festival in 2008 to shoot a short film. The project quickly took on a new development, resulting in the episodic film “Mireuil-La Rochelle: Subjectif Cinéma”, which was made in a workshop for youth led by Pierre-Yves Borgeaud in the district of Mireuil. The film will celebrate ist premiere at this edition of the festival. As partner of the film festival, the film promotion agency SWISS FILMS has supported this project since ist inception, thereby enabling renewed presence of Swiss filmmakers: attending the festival in La Rochelle, together with Pierre-Yves Borgeaud, will be Vincent Pluss and Celine Bolomey, the leading actress in “Du bruit dans la tête”, as well as Gaël Métroz.
The La Rochelle International Film Festival, one of the largest film festivals in France, focuses on filmmakers from yesterday and today. The main features of this year’s festival programme are retrospectives honouring American director Jospeh Losey, Ladislas Starewitch, the pioneer of puppet animation films, and the two brothers Jacques and Pierre Prévert, as well as tributes to film directors Bent Hamer, Ramin Bahrani, Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Jacques Doillon. The festival deliberately dispenses with competitions and awards in order that the spotlight remain on the films, their directors and the festival audience.
Zurich, June 25, 2009
The La Rochelle International Film Festival, one of the largest film festivals in France, focuses on filmmakers from yesterday and today. The main features of this year’s festival programme are retrospectives honouring American director Jospeh Losey, Ladislas Starewitch, the pioneer of puppet animation films, and the two brothers Jacques and Pierre Prévert, as well as tributes to film directors Bent Hamer, Ramin Bahrani, Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Jacques Doillon. The festival deliberately dispenses with competitions and awards in order that the spotlight remain on the films, their directors and the festival audience.
Zurich, June 25, 2009