After “Their Algeria,” a well-received documentary from 2020 about the parents of her actor father Zinedine Soualem, France-born filmmaker-performer Lina Soualem turns her camera on her maternal relatives in “Bye Bye Tiberias,” in particular her mother, the Palestine-born actress Hiam Abbass. By telling their story, she hopes to reclaim and question the personal, historical and visual legacies she inherited and to answer the question “How does a woman find her place when caught between worlds?” a question that applies equally to her and her mother. After its world premiere at the Venice Film Fest, the essay film, with its mix of the personal and the political, has been a festival favorite, going on to win the Grierson award for best documentary in London and the jury prize ex aequo in Marrakech. It represents Palestine in the Oscar international feature competition.
The title gives a clue to what Soualem considers the critical...
The title gives a clue to what Soualem considers the critical...
- 12/8/2023
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
To find her voice as a filmmaker, Paris-based documentarian Lina Soualem had to first look to the past.
The daughter of French actor Zinedine Soualem and Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass — seen recently as the Machiavellian Marcia Roy in HBO’s “Succession” — Soualem used her directorial debut, “Their Algeria,” to tell the story of her paternal grandparents’ decision to separate after more than 60 years of marriage. Now she returns with another intimate family portrait, “Bye Bye Tiberias,” which premieres Sept. 3 at the Venice Film Festival. Lightdox is handling world sales.
Soualem’s sophomore effort is an emotional journey that sees the filmmaker and her mother return to the family’s ancestral village in Palestine, which Abbass left in her early twenties to pursue her dream of becoming an actress in Europe. In the process, she left behind her mother, grandmother and seven sisters, along with questions that haunt the actress to this day.
The daughter of French actor Zinedine Soualem and Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass — seen recently as the Machiavellian Marcia Roy in HBO’s “Succession” — Soualem used her directorial debut, “Their Algeria,” to tell the story of her paternal grandparents’ decision to separate after more than 60 years of marriage. Now she returns with another intimate family portrait, “Bye Bye Tiberias,” which premieres Sept. 3 at the Venice Film Festival. Lightdox is handling world sales.
Soualem’s sophomore effort is an emotional journey that sees the filmmaker and her mother return to the family’s ancestral village in Palestine, which Abbass left in her early twenties to pursue her dream of becoming an actress in Europe. In the process, she left behind her mother, grandmother and seven sisters, along with questions that haunt the actress to this day.
- 9/3/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
French Algerian documentary-maker Lina Soualem interviews her grandparents about their marriage and the 1950s immigrant experience in this touching film
A tender tribute to her Algerian grandparents, who emigrated to the French medieval town of Thiers in the 1950s, Lina Soualem’s touching documentary shows how the act of filming can awaken memories that have long laid dormant. Aïcha, the bubbly matriarch, looks youthful beyond her years, and can’t help but lapse into fits of shy giggles when prodded with questions about love and marriage. Husband Mabrouk is starkly withdrawn in contrast to her infectious warmth. As the couple decide to separate after 62 years of marriage, home videos of family celebrations become even more bittersweet in their fragile vibrancy.
A familiar face in French cinema, Soualem’s father, Zinedine Soualem, says with a matter-of-fact sadness that Mabrouk never complimented him on the success of his career. Consequently the documentary...
A tender tribute to her Algerian grandparents, who emigrated to the French medieval town of Thiers in the 1950s, Lina Soualem’s touching documentary shows how the act of filming can awaken memories that have long laid dormant. Aïcha, the bubbly matriarch, looks youthful beyond her years, and can’t help but lapse into fits of shy giggles when prodded with questions about love and marriage. Husband Mabrouk is starkly withdrawn in contrast to her infectious warmth. As the couple decide to separate after 62 years of marriage, home videos of family celebrations become even more bittersweet in their fragile vibrancy.
A familiar face in French cinema, Soualem’s father, Zinedine Soualem, says with a matter-of-fact sadness that Mabrouk never complimented him on the success of his career. Consequently the documentary...
- 3/13/2023
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s a Family Affair as Lina Soualem Presents Docs About Hiam Abbas and Zinedine Soualem at El Gouna
Lina Soualem is emerging from the shadow of her famous parents – French actor Zinedine Soualem and Palestinian actress Hiam Abbas, seen recently in HBO’s “Succession” – by making documentaries about them and their families.
Playing in the Feature Documentary Competition at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, “Their Algeria” tells the story of how her paternal grandparents Aïcha and Mabrouk had decided to separate after 62 years. The couple had had an arranged marriage in Algeria before spending most of their time together in the medieval town of Thiers, central France.
This journey allowed the director to make a film about the relationship between France and Algeria, incorporating archive footage from the 1940s and 1950s. Her grandparents left Algeria in the 1950s intending to return when hostilities caused by colonial rule died down.
“I had no idea how my grandparents were involved in that political and historical context,” says Soualem. “I...
Playing in the Feature Documentary Competition at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, “Their Algeria” tells the story of how her paternal grandparents Aïcha and Mabrouk had decided to separate after 62 years. The couple had had an arranged marriage in Algeria before spending most of their time together in the medieval town of Thiers, central France.
This journey allowed the director to make a film about the relationship between France and Algeria, incorporating archive footage from the 1940s and 1950s. Her grandparents left Algeria in the 1950s intending to return when hostilities caused by colonial rule died down.
“I had no idea how my grandparents were involved in that political and historical context,” says Soualem. “I...
- 10/23/2020
- by Kaleem Aftab
- Variety Film + TV
Title: THe Names of Love (Le nom des gens) Directed By: Michele Leclerc Written By: Bay Kasmi, Michele Leclerc Cast: Sara Forestier, Jacques Gamblin, Carole Franck, Zinedine Soualem, Jacques Boudet, Michèle Moretti Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 6/7/11 Opens: June 24, 2011 Often when the title of a foreign movie is adapted into English, the translation is not literal. “Le nom des gens,” for example, means “People’s Names,” not “The Names of Love.” “People’s Names,” in fact, would be a more descriptive title for this film since director Michele Leclerc and co-writer Bay Kasmi want us in the audience to realize, as Shakespeare did in “Romeo and Juliet,” that your...
- 6/26/2011
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed by: Michel Leclerc
Written by: Michel Leclerc and Baya Kasmi
Starring: Jacques Gamblin, Sara Forestier, Zinedine Soualem, Carole Franck, Jacques Boudet, Michèle Moretti, Zakariya Gouram and Julia Vaidis-Bogard
In “The Names of Love,” writer-director Michel Leclerc employs a deft, whimsical touch in bringing together such weighty themes as family guilt, generational regret and finding true love in a world mined with racial and cultural politics. It’s a delicate tightrope that co-writers Leclerc and Baya Kasmi walk, but in presenting issues of their own personal experiences as ethnic minorities in their native France, their screenplay is refreshingly honest and inventive. And considering that “The Names of Love” really has very little plot driving it, Leclrec and Kasmi create an engaging romantic comedy simply by virtue of their offbeat humor and appealing characters.
Family history is central to understanding this movie about mismatched lovers. Arthur...
(June 2011)
Directed by: Michel Leclerc
Written by: Michel Leclerc and Baya Kasmi
Starring: Jacques Gamblin, Sara Forestier, Zinedine Soualem, Carole Franck, Jacques Boudet, Michèle Moretti, Zakariya Gouram and Julia Vaidis-Bogard
In “The Names of Love,” writer-director Michel Leclerc employs a deft, whimsical touch in bringing together such weighty themes as family guilt, generational regret and finding true love in a world mined with racial and cultural politics. It’s a delicate tightrope that co-writers Leclerc and Baya Kasmi walk, but in presenting issues of their own personal experiences as ethnic minorities in their native France, their screenplay is refreshingly honest and inventive. And considering that “The Names of Love” really has very little plot driving it, Leclrec and Kasmi create an engaging romantic comedy simply by virtue of their offbeat humor and appealing characters.
Family history is central to understanding this movie about mismatched lovers. Arthur...
- 6/22/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed by: Michel Leclerc
Written by: Michel Leclerc and Baya Kasmi
Starring: Jacques Gamblin, Sara Forestier, Zinedine Soualem, Carole Franck, Jacques Boudet, Michèle Moretti, Zakariya Gouram and Julia Vaidis-Bogard
In “The Names of Love,” writer-director Michel Leclerc employs a deft, whimsical touch in bringing together such weighty themes as family guilt, generational regret and finding true love in a world mined with racial and cultural politics. It’s a delicate tightrope that co-writers Leclerc and Baya Kasmi walk, but in presenting issues of their own personal experiences as ethnic minorities in their native France, their screenplay is refreshingly honest and inventive. And considering that “The Names of Love” really has very little plot driving it, Leclrec and Kasmi create an engaging romantic comedy simply by virtue of their offbeat humor and appealing characters.
Family history is central to understanding this movie about mismatched lovers. Arthur...
(June 2011)
Directed by: Michel Leclerc
Written by: Michel Leclerc and Baya Kasmi
Starring: Jacques Gamblin, Sara Forestier, Zinedine Soualem, Carole Franck, Jacques Boudet, Michèle Moretti, Zakariya Gouram and Julia Vaidis-Bogard
In “The Names of Love,” writer-director Michel Leclerc employs a deft, whimsical touch in bringing together such weighty themes as family guilt, generational regret and finding true love in a world mined with racial and cultural politics. It’s a delicate tightrope that co-writers Leclerc and Baya Kasmi walk, but in presenting issues of their own personal experiences as ethnic minorities in their native France, their screenplay is refreshingly honest and inventive. And considering that “The Names of Love” really has very little plot driving it, Leclrec and Kasmi create an engaging romantic comedy simply by virtue of their offbeat humor and appealing characters.
Family history is central to understanding this movie about mismatched lovers. Arthur...
- 6/22/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Music Box Films Presents
Michel Leclerc’s
The Names Of Love
(Le nom des gens)
*** César Awards 2011 – Winner – Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay ***
*** Col-Coa Film Festival 2011 – Official Selection ***
*** Cannes International Film Festival 2010 – Official Selection ***
Opening In Los Angeles And New York On June 24
Baya Benmahmoud (Sara Forestier), a young, extroverted liberal, lives by the old hippie slogan: “Make love, not war” to convert right-wing men to her left-wing political causes by sleeping with them. She seduces many and so far has received exceptional results – until she meets Arthur Martin (Jacques Gamblin), a Jewish middle aged, middle-of-the road scientist. Bound by common tragic family histories (the Algerian War and Holocaust under Vichy), the duo improbably fall in love. Amid the bubbly amour, humorous lasciviousness and moments of sheer madness, filmmaker Michel Leclerc injects satirical riffs on such hot-button sociopolitical issues as Arab-Jewish relations, anti-Semitism, immigration, and racial and cultural identity.
24 year-old...
Michel Leclerc’s
The Names Of Love
(Le nom des gens)
*** César Awards 2011 – Winner – Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay ***
*** Col-Coa Film Festival 2011 – Official Selection ***
*** Cannes International Film Festival 2010 – Official Selection ***
Opening In Los Angeles And New York On June 24
Baya Benmahmoud (Sara Forestier), a young, extroverted liberal, lives by the old hippie slogan: “Make love, not war” to convert right-wing men to her left-wing political causes by sleeping with them. She seduces many and so far has received exceptional results – until she meets Arthur Martin (Jacques Gamblin), a Jewish middle aged, middle-of-the road scientist. Bound by common tragic family histories (the Algerian War and Holocaust under Vichy), the duo improbably fall in love. Amid the bubbly amour, humorous lasciviousness and moments of sheer madness, filmmaker Michel Leclerc injects satirical riffs on such hot-button sociopolitical issues as Arab-Jewish relations, anti-Semitism, immigration, and racial and cultural identity.
24 year-old...
- 5/12/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The plot should feel familiar to anyone broadly informed in global politics, and it’s a story that could have taken place in several conflict-laden nations, past and present.
In short, a president of a country with North American interests is elected “democratically,” backed by the Us government, with Obama-like promises of hope and reform that are never fully realized, after he gets comfortable with his power – a limited power, since he’s still very much a puppet for a foreign, more powerful government. But just don’t tell him that; after all, he’s the man in the high castle - literally; and just like the Philip K Dick novel, there are a collection of characters; some of them know each other, while others are connected indirectly, as they all cope with living under near-totalitarianism. Plus, there are multiple subplots, as well as a story-within-the-story.
Eventually, the constituency who appointed the president become impatient,...
In short, a president of a country with North American interests is elected “democratically,” backed by the Us government, with Obama-like promises of hope and reform that are never fully realized, after he gets comfortable with his power – a limited power, since he’s still very much a puppet for a foreign, more powerful government. But just don’t tell him that; after all, he’s the man in the high castle - literally; and just like the Philip K Dick novel, there are a collection of characters; some of them know each other, while others are connected indirectly, as they all cope with living under near-totalitarianism. Plus, there are multiple subplots, as well as a story-within-the-story.
Eventually, the constituency who appointed the president become impatient,...
- 12/24/2009
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
ComingSoon.net has your exclusive first look at the poster for writer/director Cedric Klapish's romantic comedy Paris , opening in theaters on September 18. The IFC Films release stars Juliette Binoche, Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini, Albert Dupontel, François Cluzet, Karin Viard, Melanie Laurent, Gilles Lellouche and Zinedine Soualem. While waiting for a heart transplant that could save his life, Pierre (Duris) grows close again with his sister (Binoche) and her lively children. This rediscovery of his family and observation of the teeming streets outside his window give Pierre a new, hopeful sense of how he might spend the time still left to him. A cinematic love letter to the city that seems to hide a story behind every shop window, small alley, street market or grand apartment...
- 8/28/2009
- Comingsoon.net
Editor's note: I received a text message yesterday from my friend Christian. He's written a couple articles here in the past, wrote a thing or two for Cinefex back in the day, and genuinely knows his stuff. The text message? "I take back everything I ever said about Jean-Claude Van Damme. Jcvd is awesome." Since Jcvd is new to home video this week, I asked Christian to write a review.
Jcvd
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, and Zinedine Soualem
Directed by Mabrouk El Mechri
Rated R
In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve said unkind things about Jean-Claude Van Damme in the past. For example, I remember the time he sat in the row directly in front of me at an opening night, Grauman’s Chinese screening of Saving Private Ryan. My friends and I heckled him mercilessly, yelling, “Down in front, Frenchy!” though we knew he hailed from Belgium.
Jcvd
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, and Zinedine Soualem
Directed by Mabrouk El Mechri
Rated R
In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve said unkind things about Jean-Claude Van Damme in the past. For example, I remember the time he sat in the row directly in front of me at an opening night, Grauman’s Chinese screening of Saving Private Ryan. My friends and I heckled him mercilessly, yelling, “Down in front, Frenchy!” though we knew he hailed from Belgium.
- 5/1/2009
- by Christian Carvajal
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Seen on: November 23, 2008
The players: Director: Mabrouk El Mechri, Writers: Christophe Turpin, Frédéric Bénudis, Mabrouk El Mechri, Cast: Jean-Claude van Damme, Francois Damiens, Zinedine Soualem, Karim Belkhadra, Jean-Francois Wolff
Facts of interest: None.
The plot: When Van Damme finds himself in the middle of a hostage situation, he shows the world a side of him no one has ever seen before.
Our thoughts: My personal experience with Jean-Claude Van Damme is fairly specific. I may have seen “Bloodsport” more than a dozen times when I was teenager. This is not because I particularly enjoyed the film (although I must admit that image of Van Damme doing the splits in his underwear across the kitchen counter tops has never quite left my head); no, the reason I’ve seen the Van Damme classic so many times has a lot more to do with laziness than anything else.
The players: Director: Mabrouk El Mechri, Writers: Christophe Turpin, Frédéric Bénudis, Mabrouk El Mechri, Cast: Jean-Claude van Damme, Francois Damiens, Zinedine Soualem, Karim Belkhadra, Jean-Francois Wolff
Facts of interest: None.
The plot: When Van Damme finds himself in the middle of a hostage situation, he shows the world a side of him no one has ever seen before.
Our thoughts: My personal experience with Jean-Claude Van Damme is fairly specific. I may have seen “Bloodsport” more than a dozen times when I was teenager. This is not because I particularly enjoyed the film (although I must admit that image of Van Damme doing the splits in his underwear across the kitchen counter tops has never quite left my head); no, the reason I’ve seen the Van Damme classic so many times has a lot more to do with laziness than anything else.
- 11/25/2008
- by Joseph Bélanger
- screeninglog.com
Jcvd Directed by: Mabrouk El Mechri Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, Zinedine Soualem, Karim Belkhadra RunningTime: 1 hr 36 mins Rating: R Opens: In Chicago on Nov. 14 at Piper's Alley Plot: A self-conscious Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in a film about a self-conscious big screen star (himself) whose life has unraveled. As if losing custody of his child, and compiling a long list of tax problems weren’t enough, when our hero ventures into a bank for a loan, he’s offered another scary addition to his list of problems. Who’s It For? Only life-long Van Damme fans will get the laundry-list of inside jokes only diehards would find amusing. Though we’re all aware of the action-star’s existence, his twenty-plus year career has been largely ignored. He’s never had a critical hit, nor any mainstream cred outside...
- 11/14/2008
- The Scorecard Review
We have the trailer for the Peace Arch Entertainment distributed "Jcvd" starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, Zinedine Soualem, Karim Belkhadra, Jean-François Wolff, Anne Paulicevich. The film has received praise from respected critics as Van Damme's best, most memorable performance to date. Mabrouk El Mechri, helmer of "Virgil" and "Stand Up" writes and directs this crime comedy/drama from Gaumont. It seems that the once mega star Van Damme is clawing himself back up the ranks. Could we be seeing the same of what Mickey Rourke achieved?...
- 10/29/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have the trailer for the Peace Arch Entertainment distributed "Jcvd" starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, Zinedine Soualem, Karim Belkhadra, Jean-François Wolff, Anne Paulicevich. The film has received praise from respected critics as Van Damme's best, most memorable performance to date. Mabrouk El Mechri, helmer of "Virgil" and "Stand Up" writes and directs this crime comedy/drama from Gaumont. It seems that the once mega star Van Damme is clawing himself back up the ranks. Could we be seeing the same of what Mickey Rourke achieved?...
- 10/29/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have the trailer for the Peace Arch Entertainment distributed "Jcvd" starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, Zinedine Soualem, Karim Belkhadra, Jean-François Wolff, Anne Paulicevich. The film has received praise from respected critics as Van Damme's best, most memorable performance to date. Mabrouk El Mechri, helmer of "Virgil" and "Stand Up" writes and directs this crime comedy/drama from Gaumont. It seems that the once mega star Van Damme is clawing himself back up the ranks. Could we be seeing the same of what Mickey Rourke achieved? What's this about? When the life of Jean-Claude Van Damme collides with the reality of a hold-up in Brussels, Belgium, suddenly the huge movie star turns into an ordinary guy, filled with fears, contradictions and hopes. How can he be up to the legend he has built? What can a film hero do when the gun pointed to his temple isn't charged with blanks?...
- 10/29/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have the trailer for the Peace Arch Entertainment distributed "Jcvd" starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, Zinedine Soualem, Karim Belkhadra, Jean-François Wolff, Anne Paulicevich. The film has received praise from respected critics as Van Damme's best, most memorable performance to date. Mabrouk El Mechri, helmer of "Virgil" and "Stand Up" writes and directs this crime comedy/drama from Gaumont. It seems that the once mega star Van Damme is clawing himself back up the ranks. Could we be seeing the same of what Mickey Rourke achieved?...
- 10/29/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the U.S. rights to Cedric Klapisch's Paris, starring Juliette Binoche.
The film, which premiered this month at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Rendez-Vous With French Cinema, was written and directed by Klapisch and produced by Ce Qui Me Meut's Bruno Levy. It is slated for release in the fall.
Paris features interconnected stories of characters taking a deeper look at how to live their lives. It also stars Romain Duris, who plays a young Parisian diagnosed with a life-threatening illness that changes the way he sees everyone around him.
Fabrice Luchini, Albert Dupontel, Francois Cluzet, Karin Viard, Melanie Laurent, Gilles Lellouche, Zinedine Soualem and Julie Ferrier also star.
The film, which opened Feb. 20 in France, has made a strong showing at the French boxoffice. It marks the sixth collaboration between Klapisch and Duris.
" 'Paris' works on every level," said Peter Goldwyn, vp acquisitions at Samuel Goldwyn Films. "It is a beautifully told story with an exceptional cast, including the city itself, which has never looked so radiant and compelling onscreen."
The deal was negotiated by Goldwyn with StudioCanal's Saya Huddleston on behalf of the filmmakers.
The film, which premiered this month at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Rendez-Vous With French Cinema, was written and directed by Klapisch and produced by Ce Qui Me Meut's Bruno Levy. It is slated for release in the fall.
Paris features interconnected stories of characters taking a deeper look at how to live their lives. It also stars Romain Duris, who plays a young Parisian diagnosed with a life-threatening illness that changes the way he sees everyone around him.
Fabrice Luchini, Albert Dupontel, Francois Cluzet, Karin Viard, Melanie Laurent, Gilles Lellouche, Zinedine Soualem and Julie Ferrier also star.
The film, which opened Feb. 20 in France, has made a strong showing at the French boxoffice. It marks the sixth collaboration between Klapisch and Duris.
" 'Paris' works on every level," said Peter Goldwyn, vp acquisitions at Samuel Goldwyn Films. "It is a beautifully told story with an exceptional cast, including the city itself, which has never looked so radiant and compelling onscreen."
The deal was negotiated by Goldwyn with StudioCanal's Saya Huddleston on behalf of the filmmakers.
- 3/12/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Locarno International Film Festival
LOCARNO, Switzerland -- In one sense it's not a long day that errant husband Serge spends in Jacob Berger's cautionary tale 1 journee, but in another it could last a lifetime.
Having departed his marital bed, he stops at another, and leaving afterward in his car, he hits something on the road, something human. The implications of the man's behavior reverberate not only between the women in his life but also toward his young son. Berger's film takes a sophisticated look at the complications of adultery, and he shows a deft hand with the ironies that invariably accompany it. With well-drawn characters and appealing players, the wry drama could travel well in urban markets.
Serge (Bruno Todeschini) is catnip to women who love "that little animal begging to be saved," as one of them says. Torn between two lovers and distraught by the belief that he has hit someone with his car, he reports to the police, where skeptical Inspector Haddid (Zinedine Soualem) begins an investigation.
Serge's wife Pietra (Natacha Regnier) suspects he is cheating, and his mistress, Mathilde (Noemie Kocher), is ready to end their affair. Meanwhile, Serge and Pietra's precocious son Vlad (Louis Dussol) and Mathilde's daughter Manon (Amelia Jacob) have become friends in school.
Berger, who wrote the screenplay with Kocher, shifts back and forth in time so that events only gradually become clear. Charming and intelligent, young Vlad appears to be the most grown up of the lot of them. The story takes unpredictable paths, and scenes are invested with smart, often droll dialogue, which the cast delivers with flair. Vlad's encounters with his father's mistress are quite provocative as the boy clearly takes after his old man to the delight of the woman.
Attractively filmed in Geneva, the film also boasts a wonderfully varied and evocative score by French composer Cyril Morin, drawing on strings, wind instruments and piano to infuse the proceedings with added wit and poignancy.
ONE JOURNEY
Vega Film, Why Not Prods., Avventura Films
Credits:
Director: Jacob Berger
Screenwriters: Jacob Berger, Noemie Kocher
Producer: Ruth Waldburger
Director of photography: Jean-Marc Fabre
Production designers: Denis Mercier, Roger Martin
Music: Cyril Morin
Co-producer: Josef Steinberger
Costume designers: Nathalie Raoul, Francoise Nicolet
Editor: Catherine Quesemand
Cast:
Serge: Bruno Todeschini
Pietra: Natacha Regnier
Mathilde: Noemie Kocher
Inspector Haddid: Zinedine Soualem
Vlad: Louis Dussol
Manon: Amelia Jacob
Japanese Man: Hiro Uchiyama
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
LOCARNO, Switzerland -- In one sense it's not a long day that errant husband Serge spends in Jacob Berger's cautionary tale 1 journee, but in another it could last a lifetime.
Having departed his marital bed, he stops at another, and leaving afterward in his car, he hits something on the road, something human. The implications of the man's behavior reverberate not only between the women in his life but also toward his young son. Berger's film takes a sophisticated look at the complications of adultery, and he shows a deft hand with the ironies that invariably accompany it. With well-drawn characters and appealing players, the wry drama could travel well in urban markets.
Serge (Bruno Todeschini) is catnip to women who love "that little animal begging to be saved," as one of them says. Torn between two lovers and distraught by the belief that he has hit someone with his car, he reports to the police, where skeptical Inspector Haddid (Zinedine Soualem) begins an investigation.
Serge's wife Pietra (Natacha Regnier) suspects he is cheating, and his mistress, Mathilde (Noemie Kocher), is ready to end their affair. Meanwhile, Serge and Pietra's precocious son Vlad (Louis Dussol) and Mathilde's daughter Manon (Amelia Jacob) have become friends in school.
Berger, who wrote the screenplay with Kocher, shifts back and forth in time so that events only gradually become clear. Charming and intelligent, young Vlad appears to be the most grown up of the lot of them. The story takes unpredictable paths, and scenes are invested with smart, often droll dialogue, which the cast delivers with flair. Vlad's encounters with his father's mistress are quite provocative as the boy clearly takes after his old man to the delight of the woman.
Attractively filmed in Geneva, the film also boasts a wonderfully varied and evocative score by French composer Cyril Morin, drawing on strings, wind instruments and piano to infuse the proceedings with added wit and poignancy.
ONE JOURNEY
Vega Film, Why Not Prods., Avventura Films
Credits:
Director: Jacob Berger
Screenwriters: Jacob Berger, Noemie Kocher
Producer: Ruth Waldburger
Director of photography: Jean-Marc Fabre
Production designers: Denis Mercier, Roger Martin
Music: Cyril Morin
Co-producer: Josef Steinberger
Costume designers: Nathalie Raoul, Francoise Nicolet
Editor: Catherine Quesemand
Cast:
Serge: Bruno Todeschini
Pietra: Natacha Regnier
Mathilde: Noemie Kocher
Inspector Haddid: Zinedine Soualem
Vlad: Louis Dussol
Manon: Amelia Jacob
Japanese Man: Hiro Uchiyama
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 8/23/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opening with a brief gloomy scene in a mosque and centered on an immigrant family from Algeria, "Tar Angel" (L'Ange de goudron) is a film with a serious message that was not lost on the opening-night audience of the 25th Montreal World Film Festival. To be released here by Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm early next month, the French-language "Angel" should immigrate to more festivals and possibly find appreciative audiences in Europe.
The second sobering feature from writer-director Denis Chouinard ("Clandestins"), "Angel" features French-Algerian actor Zinedine Soualem as a man who has brought his family to Montreal, but the immigration process is not complete and the involvement of his son Hafid (Rabah Ait Ouyaha) in a group of militant activists threatens to derail their collective dream.
The clash of cultures and generations is down to minor skirmishes, but Ahmed (Soualem) is still angry and scared when he discovers the secrets of Hafid, which include a tattoo-artist girlfriend, Huguette (Catherine Trudeau). The two young lovers belong to a group called Crisco, "comrades in crisis," that tries to stop condo-building projects with lively street protests and attempts more dangerous covert operations, such as deleting government computer files on immigrants facing deportation. After one such scheme is somewhat botched, Hafid disappears.
It's the unfeeling, barely tolerant attitude of the authorities toward desperate newcomers that inspires Hafid to join in a risky snatching of passports from officials at a government-controlled airport. Successful or not, the scheme involving a snowmobile raid on the tarmac is gradually uncovered by Ahmed and Huguette, who have joined forces to look for Hafid in the wintry wilds of Quebec.
Indeed, Hafid is offscreen for a long stretch, and the scenario concentrates on the searchers. More mature than she seems at first, Huguette says convincingly that she truly loves Hafid, while Ahmed risks losing his job and tests his faith by following her lead. There are moments of light humor involving snowmobiles, but the heavy-hitting finale has a few too many loose ends that somewhat diminish the largely believable film.
The performances, including Hiam Abbas as Hafid's mother, are engaging, and the cinematography of Guy Dufaux ("Jesus of Montreal") is excellent. The use of Middle Eastern music works very well with the snowy landscapes. Most importantly, although guilty of a few shortcuts and improbabilities, "Tar Angel" -- the title referring to Ahmed and his blacktopping job -- makes its points and comes to swift conclusion.
TAR ANGEL
Max Films
Screenwriter-director: Denis Chouinard
Producers: Roger Frappier, Luc Vandal
Director of photography: Guy Dufaux
Production designer: Mario Hervieux
Editor: Richard Comeau
Costume designer: Denis Sperdouklis
Music: Bertrand Chenier
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ahmed: Zinedine Soualem
Hafid: Rabah Ait Ouyaha
Huguette: Catherine Trudeau
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The second sobering feature from writer-director Denis Chouinard ("Clandestins"), "Angel" features French-Algerian actor Zinedine Soualem as a man who has brought his family to Montreal, but the immigration process is not complete and the involvement of his son Hafid (Rabah Ait Ouyaha) in a group of militant activists threatens to derail their collective dream.
The clash of cultures and generations is down to minor skirmishes, but Ahmed (Soualem) is still angry and scared when he discovers the secrets of Hafid, which include a tattoo-artist girlfriend, Huguette (Catherine Trudeau). The two young lovers belong to a group called Crisco, "comrades in crisis," that tries to stop condo-building projects with lively street protests and attempts more dangerous covert operations, such as deleting government computer files on immigrants facing deportation. After one such scheme is somewhat botched, Hafid disappears.
It's the unfeeling, barely tolerant attitude of the authorities toward desperate newcomers that inspires Hafid to join in a risky snatching of passports from officials at a government-controlled airport. Successful or not, the scheme involving a snowmobile raid on the tarmac is gradually uncovered by Ahmed and Huguette, who have joined forces to look for Hafid in the wintry wilds of Quebec.
Indeed, Hafid is offscreen for a long stretch, and the scenario concentrates on the searchers. More mature than she seems at first, Huguette says convincingly that she truly loves Hafid, while Ahmed risks losing his job and tests his faith by following her lead. There are moments of light humor involving snowmobiles, but the heavy-hitting finale has a few too many loose ends that somewhat diminish the largely believable film.
The performances, including Hiam Abbas as Hafid's mother, are engaging, and the cinematography of Guy Dufaux ("Jesus of Montreal") is excellent. The use of Middle Eastern music works very well with the snowy landscapes. Most importantly, although guilty of a few shortcuts and improbabilities, "Tar Angel" -- the title referring to Ahmed and his blacktopping job -- makes its points and comes to swift conclusion.
TAR ANGEL
Max Films
Screenwriter-director: Denis Chouinard
Producers: Roger Frappier, Luc Vandal
Director of photography: Guy Dufaux
Production designer: Mario Hervieux
Editor: Richard Comeau
Costume designer: Denis Sperdouklis
Music: Bertrand Chenier
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ahmed: Zinedine Soualem
Hafid: Rabah Ait Ouyaha
Huguette: Catherine Trudeau
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Opening with a brief gloomy scene in a mosque and centered on an immigrant family from Algeria, "Tar Angel" (L'Ange de goudron) is a film with a serious message that was not lost on the opening-night audience of the 25th Montreal World Film Festival. To be released here by Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm early next month, the French-language "Angel" should immigrate to more festivals and possibly find appreciative audiences in Europe.
The second sobering feature from writer-director Denis Chouinard ("Clandestins"), "Angel" features French-Algerian actor Zinedine Soualem as a man who has brought his family to Montreal, but the immigration process is not complete and the involvement of his son Hafid (Rabah Ait Ouyaha) in a group of militant activists threatens to derail their collective dream.
The clash of cultures and generations is down to minor skirmishes, but Ahmed (Soualem) is still angry and scared when he discovers the secrets of Hafid, which include a tattoo-artist girlfriend, Huguette (Catherine Trudeau). The two young lovers belong to a group called Crisco, "comrades in crisis," that tries to stop condo-building projects with lively street protests and attempts more dangerous covert operations, such as deleting government computer files on immigrants facing deportation. After one such scheme is somewhat botched, Hafid disappears.
It's the unfeeling, barely tolerant attitude of the authorities toward desperate newcomers that inspires Hafid to join in a risky snatching of passports from officials at a government-controlled airport. Successful or not, the scheme involving a snowmobile raid on the tarmac is gradually uncovered by Ahmed and Huguette, who have joined forces to look for Hafid in the wintry wilds of Quebec.
Indeed, Hafid is offscreen for a long stretch, and the scenario concentrates on the searchers. More mature than she seems at first, Huguette says convincingly that she truly loves Hafid, while Ahmed risks losing his job and tests his faith by following her lead. There are moments of light humor involving snowmobiles, but the heavy-hitting finale has a few too many loose ends that somewhat diminish the largely believable film.
The performances, including Hiam Abbas as Hafid's mother, are engaging, and the cinematography of Guy Dufaux ("Jesus of Montreal") is excellent. The use of Middle Eastern music works very well with the snowy landscapes. Most importantly, although guilty of a few shortcuts and improbabilities, "Tar Angel" -- the title referring to Ahmed and his blacktopping job -- makes its points and comes to swift conclusion.
TAR ANGEL
Max Films
Screenwriter-director: Denis Chouinard
Producers: Roger Frappier, Luc Vandal
Director of photography: Guy Dufaux
Production designer: Mario Hervieux
Editor: Richard Comeau
Costume designer: Denis Sperdouklis
Music: Bertrand Chenier
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ahmed: Zinedine Soualem
Hafid: Rabah Ait Ouyaha
Huguette: Catherine Trudeau
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The second sobering feature from writer-director Denis Chouinard ("Clandestins"), "Angel" features French-Algerian actor Zinedine Soualem as a man who has brought his family to Montreal, but the immigration process is not complete and the involvement of his son Hafid (Rabah Ait Ouyaha) in a group of militant activists threatens to derail their collective dream.
The clash of cultures and generations is down to minor skirmishes, but Ahmed (Soualem) is still angry and scared when he discovers the secrets of Hafid, which include a tattoo-artist girlfriend, Huguette (Catherine Trudeau). The two young lovers belong to a group called Crisco, "comrades in crisis," that tries to stop condo-building projects with lively street protests and attempts more dangerous covert operations, such as deleting government computer files on immigrants facing deportation. After one such scheme is somewhat botched, Hafid disappears.
It's the unfeeling, barely tolerant attitude of the authorities toward desperate newcomers that inspires Hafid to join in a risky snatching of passports from officials at a government-controlled airport. Successful or not, the scheme involving a snowmobile raid on the tarmac is gradually uncovered by Ahmed and Huguette, who have joined forces to look for Hafid in the wintry wilds of Quebec.
Indeed, Hafid is offscreen for a long stretch, and the scenario concentrates on the searchers. More mature than she seems at first, Huguette says convincingly that she truly loves Hafid, while Ahmed risks losing his job and tests his faith by following her lead. There are moments of light humor involving snowmobiles, but the heavy-hitting finale has a few too many loose ends that somewhat diminish the largely believable film.
The performances, including Hiam Abbas as Hafid's mother, are engaging, and the cinematography of Guy Dufaux ("Jesus of Montreal") is excellent. The use of Middle Eastern music works very well with the snowy landscapes. Most importantly, although guilty of a few shortcuts and improbabilities, "Tar Angel" -- the title referring to Ahmed and his blacktopping job -- makes its points and comes to swift conclusion.
TAR ANGEL
Max Films
Screenwriter-director: Denis Chouinard
Producers: Roger Frappier, Luc Vandal
Director of photography: Guy Dufaux
Production designer: Mario Hervieux
Editor: Richard Comeau
Costume designer: Denis Sperdouklis
Music: Bertrand Chenier
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ahmed: Zinedine Soualem
Hafid: Rabah Ait Ouyaha
Huguette: Catherine Trudeau
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 8/27/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Novice feature filmmaker James Huth has turned his affection for Hitchcock, vintage Peter Sellers and pulp crime novels into an absurdist romp.
Falling into a category that may best be described as farce noir, "Serial Lover" is an often wickedly hilarious take on postmodern romance and commitment.
A recent hit on the festival circuit, the highly visual French-language picture could earn itself an enthusiastic cult following in the hands of the right distributor, while establishing Huth as a fresh talent to watch.
Michele Laroque handles her lead duties with deadpan panache in the role of Claire Doste, a single woman who has grown tired of playing the field. Looking for permanence, she uses the occasion of her 35th birthday to throw a little dinner party with a little help from a platonic male friend (Gilles Privat).
The list of invited guests is limited to three of her most recent boyfriends -- (Michel Vuillermoz, Zinedine Soualem and Antoine Basler) -- one of whom will win a trip to city hall for a marriage license by the time the time the evening is up. That, at least, is the plan. But things begin to go horribly, horribly awry in the kitchen when a wayward cat, a high-speed blender and an airborne carving knife collide with rather tragic results.
Now down to two remaining suitors, a frazzled Claire attempts to continue with the festivities, but nasty fate will continue to provide its own system of elimination. As if things could get any worse, a hard-boiled police detective (Albert Dupontel) has been snooping around Claire's fabulous apartment in search of a pair of armed burglars, while her sister (Elise Tielrooy) springs a wild surprise party on her along with about 100 of her closest friends.
Huth manages to make slapstick fun again, incorporating a Rube Goldberg-type intricacy into his ever-outrageous chain reactions along with a hyper sense of style that recalls the 1982 Jean-Jacques Beineix film, "Diva".
And, just when it seems the outlandish events are about to spin irretrievably out of control, he manages to rein it all in again for a second act that is highlighted by a hysterical a cappella rendering of "Only You", reluctantly performed by the two bad guys hiding in a jukebox when that particular selection is chosen.
Dressing it all up in lively retro "lounge a-go-go" attire are production designer Pierre-Emmanuel Chatiliez, costume designer Olivier Beriot and composer Bruno Coulais, who have fun playing with the supposedly contemporary time period.
SERIAL LOVER
A Rezo Films de la Suane/Le Studio Canal Plus/France 2 Cinema/Captain Movies production
Director:James Huth
Screenwriters:James Huth, Romain Berthomieu and Hugo Jacomet
Producer:Philippe Rousselet
Director of photography:Jean-Claude Thibaut
Production designer:Pierre-Emmanuel Chatiliez
Editor:Scott Stevenson
Costume designer:Olivier Beriot
Music:Bruno Coulais
Color/stereo
Cast:
Claire Doste:Michele Laroque
Eric Cellier:Albert Dupontel
Alice Doste:Elise Tielrooy
Charles Thiriot:Michel Vuillermoz
Prince Hakim:Zinedine Soualem
Sacha Peters:Antoine Basler
Ruitchi Di Chichi:Gilles Privat
Running time -- 83 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Falling into a category that may best be described as farce noir, "Serial Lover" is an often wickedly hilarious take on postmodern romance and commitment.
A recent hit on the festival circuit, the highly visual French-language picture could earn itself an enthusiastic cult following in the hands of the right distributor, while establishing Huth as a fresh talent to watch.
Michele Laroque handles her lead duties with deadpan panache in the role of Claire Doste, a single woman who has grown tired of playing the field. Looking for permanence, she uses the occasion of her 35th birthday to throw a little dinner party with a little help from a platonic male friend (Gilles Privat).
The list of invited guests is limited to three of her most recent boyfriends -- (Michel Vuillermoz, Zinedine Soualem and Antoine Basler) -- one of whom will win a trip to city hall for a marriage license by the time the time the evening is up. That, at least, is the plan. But things begin to go horribly, horribly awry in the kitchen when a wayward cat, a high-speed blender and an airborne carving knife collide with rather tragic results.
Now down to two remaining suitors, a frazzled Claire attempts to continue with the festivities, but nasty fate will continue to provide its own system of elimination. As if things could get any worse, a hard-boiled police detective (Albert Dupontel) has been snooping around Claire's fabulous apartment in search of a pair of armed burglars, while her sister (Elise Tielrooy) springs a wild surprise party on her along with about 100 of her closest friends.
Huth manages to make slapstick fun again, incorporating a Rube Goldberg-type intricacy into his ever-outrageous chain reactions along with a hyper sense of style that recalls the 1982 Jean-Jacques Beineix film, "Diva".
And, just when it seems the outlandish events are about to spin irretrievably out of control, he manages to rein it all in again for a second act that is highlighted by a hysterical a cappella rendering of "Only You", reluctantly performed by the two bad guys hiding in a jukebox when that particular selection is chosen.
Dressing it all up in lively retro "lounge a-go-go" attire are production designer Pierre-Emmanuel Chatiliez, costume designer Olivier Beriot and composer Bruno Coulais, who have fun playing with the supposedly contemporary time period.
SERIAL LOVER
A Rezo Films de la Suane/Le Studio Canal Plus/France 2 Cinema/Captain Movies production
Director:James Huth
Screenwriters:James Huth, Romain Berthomieu and Hugo Jacomet
Producer:Philippe Rousselet
Director of photography:Jean-Claude Thibaut
Production designer:Pierre-Emmanuel Chatiliez
Editor:Scott Stevenson
Costume designer:Olivier Beriot
Music:Bruno Coulais
Color/stereo
Cast:
Claire Doste:Michele Laroque
Eric Cellier:Albert Dupontel
Alice Doste:Elise Tielrooy
Charles Thiriot:Michel Vuillermoz
Prince Hakim:Zinedine Soualem
Sacha Peters:Antoine Basler
Ruitchi Di Chichi:Gilles Privat
Running time -- 83 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 5/10/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Watching Cedric Klapish's feature, recently showcased at New Directors/ New Films, is like waking up on a quiet Sunday morning and taking a stroll around the neighborhood.
Except that the neighborhood is in Paris and it's filled with the kind of picturesque and charming eccentrics that you only find in whimsical French movies.
The film, which has already won prizes at various festivals, is the kind of aimless but engaging enterprise that will separate the art house fanatics from the mere dilettantes when it opens commercially this spring.
The rudimentary plot involves the efforts of a young makeup artist named Chloe (Garance Clavell) to find someone to take care of her cat, Gris-Gris, while she's on vacation. Since her carefree gay roommate, Michel Olivier Py), refuses to assume the responsibility, she takes the feline to Madame Renee (Renee Le Calm), a dotty old lady with a house full of cats who acts as the neighborhood's unofficial kitty sitter.
When Chloe returns a few days later, Madame Renee tearfully admits that Gris-Gris is missing. This leads to a desperate search, where Chloe runs into a variety of colorful types, ranging from lifelong residents to new arrivals who reflect Paris' increasingly international population.
Shot with a great deal of improvisation and incorporating many nonactors into the mix, "When the Cat's Away" is a necessarily uneven piece of work that is alternately charming and boring. It has many well-observed moments that ultimately don't add up to very much, and it is likely to be fully appreciated only by audiences who have a great deal of patience.
Klapisch does have a fine sense of style, however, as was demonstrated with his other recent film, the much more tightly written "Un Air de Famille". The best thing about this effort is its vivid sense of atmosphere; it has the warmth of a fresh croissant.
WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY
Sony Pictures Classics
A co-production of Vertigo Prods.
and France2 Cinema,
with the participation of Canal Plus
Director-screenwriter Cedric Klapisch
Producers Aissa Djabri, Farid Lahouassa,
Manuel Munz
Director of photography Benoit Delhomme
Editor Francine Sandberg
Color/stereo
Cast:
Chloe Garance Clavell
Djamel Zinedine Soualem
Madame Renee Renee Le Calm
Michel Olivier Py
Drummer Romain Duris
Running time -- 95 minutes...
Except that the neighborhood is in Paris and it's filled with the kind of picturesque and charming eccentrics that you only find in whimsical French movies.
The film, which has already won prizes at various festivals, is the kind of aimless but engaging enterprise that will separate the art house fanatics from the mere dilettantes when it opens commercially this spring.
The rudimentary plot involves the efforts of a young makeup artist named Chloe (Garance Clavell) to find someone to take care of her cat, Gris-Gris, while she's on vacation. Since her carefree gay roommate, Michel Olivier Py), refuses to assume the responsibility, she takes the feline to Madame Renee (Renee Le Calm), a dotty old lady with a house full of cats who acts as the neighborhood's unofficial kitty sitter.
When Chloe returns a few days later, Madame Renee tearfully admits that Gris-Gris is missing. This leads to a desperate search, where Chloe runs into a variety of colorful types, ranging from lifelong residents to new arrivals who reflect Paris' increasingly international population.
Shot with a great deal of improvisation and incorporating many nonactors into the mix, "When the Cat's Away" is a necessarily uneven piece of work that is alternately charming and boring. It has many well-observed moments that ultimately don't add up to very much, and it is likely to be fully appreciated only by audiences who have a great deal of patience.
Klapisch does have a fine sense of style, however, as was demonstrated with his other recent film, the much more tightly written "Un Air de Famille". The best thing about this effort is its vivid sense of atmosphere; it has the warmth of a fresh croissant.
WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY
Sony Pictures Classics
A co-production of Vertigo Prods.
and France2 Cinema,
with the participation of Canal Plus
Director-screenwriter Cedric Klapisch
Producers Aissa Djabri, Farid Lahouassa,
Manuel Munz
Director of photography Benoit Delhomme
Editor Francine Sandberg
Color/stereo
Cast:
Chloe Garance Clavell
Djamel Zinedine Soualem
Madame Renee Renee Le Calm
Michel Olivier Py
Drummer Romain Duris
Running time -- 95 minutes...
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.