Swiss presence in Cannes 2012, with films by Nicolas Wadimoff and Basil da Cunha in the Directors’ Fortnight
Nicolas Wadimoff’s fiction film “Opération Libertad” (production: Dschoint Ventschr, Zurich, and Akka Films, Geneva) as well as the 30-minute short film “Os vivos tambem choram” (“Les vivants pleurent aussi”) by Basil Da Cunha, a Swiss-Portuguese coproduction of Box Productions in Vaud, will be screened in the 44th Directors’ Fortnight section.
15.05.2012
“Opération Libertad” is the fifth fiction film by Genfer director Nicolas Wadimoff. He gained a great deal of attention with his directing debut in 1997 with “Clandestins,” which he made together with Denis Chouinard, and has since made a name for himself with such documentary films as “Aisheen (Still Alive In Gaza)” (2010). Wadimoff is also a film producer and has produced several works by Arab cineastes in recent years with his production firm Akka Films, the most recent being “Rouge parole” by Elyes Baccar and “Les mécréants” by Mohcine Besri.
Wadimoff takes a closer look at truth and lies in today’s communication society in his film “Opération Libertad.” An underground group of young leftist revolutionaries in Geneva denounces the political system and points out the link between money in Swiss banks and dictators. Videotapes made by a student at that time mysteriously reappear 30 years later.
After Basil Da Cunha’s short film “Nuvem” (“Le poisson lune”) was screened in the Director’s Fortnight last year, the 27-year-old film director of Portuguese origin who studied at HEAD - the Geneva University of Art and Design will present a 30-minute film again this year. The film “Os vivos tambien choram” (“Les vivants pleurent aussi”) tells of a 50-year-old dockworker in Lisbon who dreams of escaping his miserable existence and secretly emigrating to Sweden with all his savings.
At the world’s largest film festival and market, a Swiss film producer will be in the limelight again this year at the EFP’s Producer on the Move event: David Epinay, the 36-year-old producer of the fiction film “Abrir puertas y ventanas.” The film was honoured with two Golden Leopards at the Locarno International Film Festival last year. Epinay will take part in the event, organised by the European Film Promotion (EFP), together with 24 other European producers.
Director Vadim Jendreyko (“Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten”) has been invited to the Documentary Brunch on May 22, which brings together representatives of documentary filmmaking and is organised by Marché International du Film.
Zurich, April 24, 2012