French filmmakers Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh met at university while studying political science before diverging towards separate careers. Trouilh trained in documentary filmmaking; Liatard worked on urban artistic projects in Lebanon and France. They eventually joined back up to film three shorts: “Gagarine,” a Sundance Channel Shorts Competition Jury Prize winner in 2016; “The Republic of Enchanters”; and their latest, “Blue Dog,” which is in competition at UniFrance’s MyFrenchFilmFestival, available on VOD platforms around the world.
In “Blue Dog” the pair weaves a story of inclusion along with one rooted in a father-and-son relationship, all in a mixed tone of realism and fable. “The movie enlightens the strength of the community against isolation, especially in the kind of neighborhood we are filming,” they say.
Can you talk a bit about the story in “Blue Dog”?
It’s the story of Emile, a 60-year-old man, living in a social housing...
In “Blue Dog” the pair weaves a story of inclusion along with one rooted in a father-and-son relationship, all in a mixed tone of realism and fable. “The movie enlightens the strength of the community against isolation, especially in the kind of neighborhood we are filming,” they say.
Can you talk a bit about the story in “Blue Dog”?
It’s the story of Emile, a 60-year-old man, living in a social housing...
- 1/19/2019
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Television is taking over film festivals, and Tiff has been part of the trend since 2015. That’s when the Toronto International Film Festival first launched its Primetime program, and since then attendees have been treated to premieres like “Black Mirror,” “Casual,” “The Girlfriend Experience,” “The Deuce,” “Transparent,” and more.
In 2018, the TV slate includes big brand names and movie stars — including Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Olsen — as well as a number of lesser known series looking to make their mark. Tiff has seen similar names in the past, but not all of the TV shows debuting at the festival made the impression their distributors, producers, and stars hoped when they landed on TV. Just like the buzziest films may not break the box office, the festival may not elevate TV enough in this peak TV era.
Still, it’s a publicity boon and a helpful prestige play. Amazon, for instance,...
In 2018, the TV slate includes big brand names and movie stars — including Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Olsen — as well as a number of lesser known series looking to make their mark. Tiff has seen similar names in the past, but not all of the TV shows debuting at the festival made the impression their distributors, producers, and stars hoped when they landed on TV. Just like the buzziest films may not break the box office, the festival may not elevate TV enough in this peak TV era.
Still, it’s a publicity boon and a helpful prestige play. Amazon, for instance,...
- 9/5/2018
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
My Box Prods., the Paris-based company behind hit short-format series “Bref” and the critically acclaimed documentary “A voix haute,” is upping the ante with several uplifting documentaries, a “Serge le Mytho” feature spinoff and a drama series.
The company, founded by French siblings Harry and Anna Tordjman, is set to produce three new high-concept, highly cinematic documentaries, including Marine Barnérias’s “Rosy,” Mathias Pardo’s “Just Kids” and Coline Abert’s “Last Dance.”
Lensed by rising cinematographer Paavo Hanninen, “Last Dance” explores the world of Vinsantos Defonte, an icon of the U.S. drag scene in New Orleans. For more than 20 years, Defonte has been performing and teaching the art of transformation at the New Orleans Drag Workshop, driven by his political and artistic engagement. As he’s getting ready to retire due to health problems, Vinsantos has one last dream: to put on a final show in Paris.
French...
The company, founded by French siblings Harry and Anna Tordjman, is set to produce three new high-concept, highly cinematic documentaries, including Marine Barnérias’s “Rosy,” Mathias Pardo’s “Just Kids” and Coline Abert’s “Last Dance.”
Lensed by rising cinematographer Paavo Hanninen, “Last Dance” explores the world of Vinsantos Defonte, an icon of the U.S. drag scene in New Orleans. For more than 20 years, Defonte has been performing and teaching the art of transformation at the New Orleans Drag Workshop, driven by his political and artistic engagement. As he’s getting ready to retire due to health problems, Vinsantos has one last dream: to put on a final show in Paris.
French...
- 5/12/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Dormant Beauty (Marco Bellocchio)
The newest film by Marco Bellocchio, one of Italy’s most revered directors, Dormant Beauty, initially seems like a risky proposition, being that it intends to marry both the often over-stuffed ensemble drama subgenre and what’s essentially an “issue” film. The exact fear being that the narrative would strain in a series of contrivances while also mass sermonizing. And yet, while the film still...
Dormant Beauty (Marco Bellocchio)
The newest film by Marco Bellocchio, one of Italy’s most revered directors, Dormant Beauty, initially seems like a risky proposition, being that it intends to marry both the often over-stuffed ensemble drama subgenre and what’s essentially an “issue” film. The exact fear being that the narrative would strain in a series of contrivances while also mass sermonizing. And yet, while the film still...
- 9/16/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Standing Tall (La Tête haute) Cohen Media Group Reviewed by: Harvey Karten, Shockya Grade: B+ Director: Emmanuelle Bercot Written by: Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano Cast: Rod Paradot, Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier, Raoul Fernandez, Aurore Broutin Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 3/23/16 Opens: April 1, 2016 Does France deal with troubled youths better than we in the States? You’d have to ask someone who’s acquainted with juvenile detention here. But Emmanuell Berot, whose “On My Way” deals with a woman who hits the road with a grandson she hardly knew, gives us a glowing picture of the Gallic way with wayward youths. The adult prison she describes looks as [ Read More ]
The post Standing Tall Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Standing Tall Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/2/2016
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
'Standing Tall' Director Emmanuelle Bercot on Conveying Truthfulness Via a Newcomer & a Veteran Star
Trouble youth fueled by the poison of resentment, as consequence of neglect, is a social problem ever-present around the world and in turn has been at the center of countless cinematic escapades. Yet, by constructing her study on the subject armed with honest notions of the teal obstacles faced by the affected young people and those desperately working to help them, French director Emmanuelle Bercot attained truthfulness grounded on a brutal and revelatory lead performance in her latest work “Standing Tall.”
By combining the malleable talent of newcomer Rod Paradot, the elegant nuances of veteran star Catherine Deneuve , and a plot that is unafraid to go into the darkest and most unappealing shades of a violent delinquent’s life, Bercot eludes oversimplification and sugarcoated resolutions. She looks at a system that attempts to apply rational rules to matters that are charged with heartbreak, and in doing so questions society as a whole, parents, and the individual himself about the role each plays in shaping a child into the person he or she will become.
“Standing Tall” was the Opening Night Film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and received 3 Caesar Awards this year all in acting categories, a clear testimony to the work of its accomplished director.
Aguilar: Youth in trouble is a subject that we see recurrently in cinema, but in "Standing Tall," your approach is profoundly raw and realistic. Was there a particular case, story, or idea that you felt personally connected to or that served as catalyst for you to make this film?
Emmanuelle Bercot: Actually there were two main things that really were reunited when I made this film. One is my interest in childhood in general and then also my interest in injustice. In this particular case there was also a more particular link because I have an uncle who works in this field. He works as one of the counselors at one of these camps for juvenile delinquents and it was through him that I really learned about what kind of work these people do, how much time they devote to it, and what their job is like in trying to do something for these kids. He also spoke to me very specifically, which is included in the film, about this idea of the trio. He also had worked with a young man for about ten years, so he had developed a relationship with him, and also, in that particular case, he was working with a woman who was a judge and who was at the point of retiring. Those three characters are the three that are reunited in this trio that appears in the film.
Aguilar: Were you able to interact and speak with people that have been part of this system in order to depict this facet of the French judicial system and how it affects young people? What sort research did you conduct to reach this authenticity?
Emmanuelle Bercot: First of all, it was a subject that I really didn’t know anything about all. Most of what takes place in this particular field takes place behind close doors. It’s something that people don’t generally know about and don’t have any idea of what really takes place there. At first I was just reading tons and tons of books on the subject, and then through my uncle I was able to meet some people who work in the field including a judge and some counselors like himself. Talking to them I was able to develop what was basically the structure for my film. Once I had that idea in my head of what I wanted to do, I realized that in order to portray this world I had to portray it as truthfully as possible, so that somebody who was part of that world would know that this was really a truthful portrayal when they saw it. I did a lot of on-site visits. I spent a lot of time in juvenile courts. I spent time in several judges’ offices. I also visited some of those youth centers like the one portrayed in the film. It was over the course of several months. After that I was able to feel that I would be able to portray it in a way that would be honest.
Aguilar: Tell me about the process of creating the protagonist Malony with your lead actor Rod Paradot. This is an incredibly angry and often violent young men who is erratic, dangerous, but always vibrant.
Emmanuelle Bercot: Normally what I like to do when I work with adolescents and non-professionals is to really choose them as close as possible to the character that they are going to portray. Unfortunately in this case I was not able to do that. I just could not find the kind of young adolescent that I was looking for to portray this person. In fact when I chose Rod Paradot, I was dealing with somebody that in his own personality is really quite different than the character he is playing on the screen. It really required a great deal of work on the set. I worked with him to elicit from him that level of anger and violence that was necessary for the character. It really required me to push him to the point where he went out of himself and beyond himself to become someone else. It’s very unusual to demand from a young actor, particularly a non-professional actor, something like this, to compose a character, to put it together, rather than just play a version of themselves. It was a lot of work on his part so that we could arrive at the character the way I wanted it to be portrayed.
Aguilar: You’ve worked with Catherine Deneuve previously and clearly know how to use her experience well, why did you feel this role as a judge was a fitting role for her? She is a motherly judge who balancers her sympathy towards these kids on an emotional level and her duty to do what is best for them and society.
Emmanuelle Bercot: I wrote this role specifically for Catherine and in many ways it reflects what she is like in reality. She has both the side of her that has a natural authority and at the same time she has another part of her that’s very maternal. I felt that this duality was what I really needed because this was the kind of humanity I wanted her to portray in the role of the judge. The role of the judge is actually rather difficult. In the film we don’t see anything about her personal life. We only see her through the prism of her job, so it’s very difficult to create a character without having any back-story. I knew that Catherine would be able to do that, but what she also then needed to know was how to use the right terminology and the right words so that she would actually sound like the judge that she was playing. Just like I did, she also did some observation in real judges’ offices and the courts so that she would become more familiar with what they sounded like and how they behave in those situations, so that it would give more credibility to her performance.
Aguilar: In your opinion what's the reasoning behind Malony’s behavior and his way of relating to those around him? Is it only the resentment and fear because of the constant abandonment or is there something more?
Emmanuelle Bercot: Yes, most definitely. I certainly thought of both of those things and it’s one of the things that I think its very important to show. That’s why I had the film begin with him where you see him as he is being abandoned at a very young age. I think that most children in this position have come from very difficult backgrounds. They are brought into this system, which is to provide them with educational assistance and also to help raising them because here, as you can see, the mother is incapable of doing her job. She can’t raise him properly and she doesn’t really know how to ground him or to give him the structure that he needs in order to be able to relate to society. No child is born a delinquent. Delinquents are made. They are not born. From what I saw and what I’ve read I think that 95% of them are from families that are difficult families like this one and of those I think 100% of them are cases where the father is absent. There is no father figure present in their life, and as result they grow up with a sense of not having any protection, tools, or grip that is necessary to deal with their everyday life. I think that the fact that Malony in this case resorts to violence is because violence is often the only vocabulary that these young people know how to use in order to express what they are feeling.
Aguilar: Occasionally, it seems as if these children and their mothers who can't take proper care of them feel as if it's a battle between them and the system. Even if the authorities seek to do what's best, they seem to perceive the help as invasive.
Emmanuelle Bercot: What I was trying to portray is not an “us against them” kind of situation between the system against the mothers and children. This is a system that really tries to be there for the child when the parent is unable to do it. I think education is a fundamental right for every child and when parents are unable to give the child that education then it’s the responsibility of society to step in, to take over the role, and to provide it. I think that in this case the system and everything that the system implemented and tried to do for Malony was really something for his own good. Of course he is going to feel like this is not something that’s good for him because it’s almost like a punishment for him. Eventually, he comes to realize that it’s not really a punishment but that what they are trying to do is something that will be helpful for him and will actually benefit him in the long run. It’s really the opposite of “us against them.” It’s the system with the child trying to give him what the parent cannot.
Aguilar: In a film like "Standing Tall" that emanates such a sense of truth and honest performances is there room for improvisation or is it all about an arduous rehearsal process to achieve the gravitas you are after? Every cast members provides an intense humanity.
Emmanuelle Bercot: None of my actors are ever improvising, but also we never do any rehearsals. I prefer to work with them directly on the set. We don’t rehearse but what I do is work individually with them while we are on the set. I’ve already spoken to you about how I worked with Rod to try to get this character out of him, which is very distant from what he is in real life. It’s about working with the actors in the moment and it does put a great deal of pressure on the director. It’s a lot of work because in addition to knowing where the camera is and where everyone is placed on set, you are also trying to direct the actors to get exactly what you want them to give you. I think that’s when your original choice of actors is a very important thing because you have to know that these actors are going to be able to give you what you are looking for. In this particular film for example, Sara Forestier, who plays the mother, plays a character that she pretty much created herself. That’s not the way she is in real life. On the other hand, in the the case of Benoît Magimel, his character is actually much closer to what he is really like in life. It’s less of a composed character or a created character on his part. Again, there is no improvisation, I have a very tightly written script and everything is said exactly the way it’s written, but the process of working during the takes is really one of refining the dialogue as it’s spoken so that it really conveys what it is that I wanted it to convey.
Aguilar: Tess, Malony’s girlfriend played by Diane Rouxel, is not the typical feminine figure that is often seem in films in the same vein. Why was it important to have someone completely opposite in personality be Malony's strongest ally?
Emmanuelle Bercot: She is a rather atypical character, but I think that what we see in her is somebody who is a very balanced person, somebody who is very educated, and you'd look at her and think, “Why was she attracted to a guy like this? What is the attraction? And in many cases it’s inexplicable. That’s often the case. You don’t understand why people are attracted to each other. In this case it’s almost as if she is a person with a mission. She devotes herself to him almost like a saint trying to pull him out of this spiral that he is spinning down in. She really wants it to work. If you think about it she is the one who initiates contact with him. She is the one who wants him. She is the one who wants to keep the baby. She is the one calling the shots here. She is the stronger figure and she works hard to try to bring him out the spiral he is in. Of course, it may also have something to do with her own mother. Maybe on an unconscious level her attraction to him is a subconscious way of provoking her mother, who is one of the counselors at this place, because her mother plays a role in that particular structure.
Aguilar: Following the Cannes Film Festival, what was the reaction of the general French audience towards the film given the difficult and very current themes it deals with? On the other hand, how did people who work in the field and deal with this issues daily felt about it?
Emmanuelle Bercot: The film was very well received in France and I think that for a difficult subject that's really exceptional. I think part of the attraction to the film was that it was showing an unknown world. Most people don’t know what goes on in the world of juvenile delinquency. It was exposure to something that was completely new. I think that by portraying the system as it really is and trying to show how it tries to help these young people, it enables you, as a citizen, to feel that this is something that you are proud that your government or your country is doing. Now you can discover how it works. I went to a lot of places that most people will never have an opportunity to go to, but through the film I was able to show what I saw in these places. I think that for a lot of people who saw the filmit changed the way they see delinquents. They come to understand what’s involved in how these young people become who they are. Also it helps them to understand what the system is trying to do for them. Many people have been affected by the film, especially by the paththat this young man’s life takes from the beginning till the end.
To answer the second part of your question, about how people who work in the film received the film, there have been quite a number of screenings that were done specifically for groups like that. In fact, the Minister of Justice was actually present at a number of them and there were lots of discussions about what takes place in the film and what the system offers to young people. I think that overall they were very happy that finally some light was being shun on the work that’s being done - which for the most part goes unnoticed. It’s really something that people don’t know about, and this gave them a chance to see it. It was important. They were touched in many ways by the recognition that we gave them and their jobs. In many cases these are thankless jobs in which people are never recognized. The film also helped the families of these people that work in the field understand what it is that they do and what their jobs entail. What I’ve also heard is that whether is the judges, the counselors, or the social workers that work in the system, they were all unanimous in feeling that this really did show the daily reality of what they do.
"Standing Tall" opens in L.A. and NY on April 1st from Cohen Media Group...
By combining the malleable talent of newcomer Rod Paradot, the elegant nuances of veteran star Catherine Deneuve , and a plot that is unafraid to go into the darkest and most unappealing shades of a violent delinquent’s life, Bercot eludes oversimplification and sugarcoated resolutions. She looks at a system that attempts to apply rational rules to matters that are charged with heartbreak, and in doing so questions society as a whole, parents, and the individual himself about the role each plays in shaping a child into the person he or she will become.
“Standing Tall” was the Opening Night Film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and received 3 Caesar Awards this year all in acting categories, a clear testimony to the work of its accomplished director.
Aguilar: Youth in trouble is a subject that we see recurrently in cinema, but in "Standing Tall," your approach is profoundly raw and realistic. Was there a particular case, story, or idea that you felt personally connected to or that served as catalyst for you to make this film?
Emmanuelle Bercot: Actually there were two main things that really were reunited when I made this film. One is my interest in childhood in general and then also my interest in injustice. In this particular case there was also a more particular link because I have an uncle who works in this field. He works as one of the counselors at one of these camps for juvenile delinquents and it was through him that I really learned about what kind of work these people do, how much time they devote to it, and what their job is like in trying to do something for these kids. He also spoke to me very specifically, which is included in the film, about this idea of the trio. He also had worked with a young man for about ten years, so he had developed a relationship with him, and also, in that particular case, he was working with a woman who was a judge and who was at the point of retiring. Those three characters are the three that are reunited in this trio that appears in the film.
Aguilar: Were you able to interact and speak with people that have been part of this system in order to depict this facet of the French judicial system and how it affects young people? What sort research did you conduct to reach this authenticity?
Emmanuelle Bercot: First of all, it was a subject that I really didn’t know anything about all. Most of what takes place in this particular field takes place behind close doors. It’s something that people don’t generally know about and don’t have any idea of what really takes place there. At first I was just reading tons and tons of books on the subject, and then through my uncle I was able to meet some people who work in the field including a judge and some counselors like himself. Talking to them I was able to develop what was basically the structure for my film. Once I had that idea in my head of what I wanted to do, I realized that in order to portray this world I had to portray it as truthfully as possible, so that somebody who was part of that world would know that this was really a truthful portrayal when they saw it. I did a lot of on-site visits. I spent a lot of time in juvenile courts. I spent time in several judges’ offices. I also visited some of those youth centers like the one portrayed in the film. It was over the course of several months. After that I was able to feel that I would be able to portray it in a way that would be honest.
Aguilar: Tell me about the process of creating the protagonist Malony with your lead actor Rod Paradot. This is an incredibly angry and often violent young men who is erratic, dangerous, but always vibrant.
Emmanuelle Bercot: Normally what I like to do when I work with adolescents and non-professionals is to really choose them as close as possible to the character that they are going to portray. Unfortunately in this case I was not able to do that. I just could not find the kind of young adolescent that I was looking for to portray this person. In fact when I chose Rod Paradot, I was dealing with somebody that in his own personality is really quite different than the character he is playing on the screen. It really required a great deal of work on the set. I worked with him to elicit from him that level of anger and violence that was necessary for the character. It really required me to push him to the point where he went out of himself and beyond himself to become someone else. It’s very unusual to demand from a young actor, particularly a non-professional actor, something like this, to compose a character, to put it together, rather than just play a version of themselves. It was a lot of work on his part so that we could arrive at the character the way I wanted it to be portrayed.
Aguilar: You’ve worked with Catherine Deneuve previously and clearly know how to use her experience well, why did you feel this role as a judge was a fitting role for her? She is a motherly judge who balancers her sympathy towards these kids on an emotional level and her duty to do what is best for them and society.
Emmanuelle Bercot: I wrote this role specifically for Catherine and in many ways it reflects what she is like in reality. She has both the side of her that has a natural authority and at the same time she has another part of her that’s very maternal. I felt that this duality was what I really needed because this was the kind of humanity I wanted her to portray in the role of the judge. The role of the judge is actually rather difficult. In the film we don’t see anything about her personal life. We only see her through the prism of her job, so it’s very difficult to create a character without having any back-story. I knew that Catherine would be able to do that, but what she also then needed to know was how to use the right terminology and the right words so that she would actually sound like the judge that she was playing. Just like I did, she also did some observation in real judges’ offices and the courts so that she would become more familiar with what they sounded like and how they behave in those situations, so that it would give more credibility to her performance.
Aguilar: In your opinion what's the reasoning behind Malony’s behavior and his way of relating to those around him? Is it only the resentment and fear because of the constant abandonment or is there something more?
Emmanuelle Bercot: Yes, most definitely. I certainly thought of both of those things and it’s one of the things that I think its very important to show. That’s why I had the film begin with him where you see him as he is being abandoned at a very young age. I think that most children in this position have come from very difficult backgrounds. They are brought into this system, which is to provide them with educational assistance and also to help raising them because here, as you can see, the mother is incapable of doing her job. She can’t raise him properly and she doesn’t really know how to ground him or to give him the structure that he needs in order to be able to relate to society. No child is born a delinquent. Delinquents are made. They are not born. From what I saw and what I’ve read I think that 95% of them are from families that are difficult families like this one and of those I think 100% of them are cases where the father is absent. There is no father figure present in their life, and as result they grow up with a sense of not having any protection, tools, or grip that is necessary to deal with their everyday life. I think that the fact that Malony in this case resorts to violence is because violence is often the only vocabulary that these young people know how to use in order to express what they are feeling.
Aguilar: Occasionally, it seems as if these children and their mothers who can't take proper care of them feel as if it's a battle between them and the system. Even if the authorities seek to do what's best, they seem to perceive the help as invasive.
Emmanuelle Bercot: What I was trying to portray is not an “us against them” kind of situation between the system against the mothers and children. This is a system that really tries to be there for the child when the parent is unable to do it. I think education is a fundamental right for every child and when parents are unable to give the child that education then it’s the responsibility of society to step in, to take over the role, and to provide it. I think that in this case the system and everything that the system implemented and tried to do for Malony was really something for his own good. Of course he is going to feel like this is not something that’s good for him because it’s almost like a punishment for him. Eventually, he comes to realize that it’s not really a punishment but that what they are trying to do is something that will be helpful for him and will actually benefit him in the long run. It’s really the opposite of “us against them.” It’s the system with the child trying to give him what the parent cannot.
Aguilar: In a film like "Standing Tall" that emanates such a sense of truth and honest performances is there room for improvisation or is it all about an arduous rehearsal process to achieve the gravitas you are after? Every cast members provides an intense humanity.
Emmanuelle Bercot: None of my actors are ever improvising, but also we never do any rehearsals. I prefer to work with them directly on the set. We don’t rehearse but what I do is work individually with them while we are on the set. I’ve already spoken to you about how I worked with Rod to try to get this character out of him, which is very distant from what he is in real life. It’s about working with the actors in the moment and it does put a great deal of pressure on the director. It’s a lot of work because in addition to knowing where the camera is and where everyone is placed on set, you are also trying to direct the actors to get exactly what you want them to give you. I think that’s when your original choice of actors is a very important thing because you have to know that these actors are going to be able to give you what you are looking for. In this particular film for example, Sara Forestier, who plays the mother, plays a character that she pretty much created herself. That’s not the way she is in real life. On the other hand, in the the case of Benoît Magimel, his character is actually much closer to what he is really like in life. It’s less of a composed character or a created character on his part. Again, there is no improvisation, I have a very tightly written script and everything is said exactly the way it’s written, but the process of working during the takes is really one of refining the dialogue as it’s spoken so that it really conveys what it is that I wanted it to convey.
Aguilar: Tess, Malony’s girlfriend played by Diane Rouxel, is not the typical feminine figure that is often seem in films in the same vein. Why was it important to have someone completely opposite in personality be Malony's strongest ally?
Emmanuelle Bercot: She is a rather atypical character, but I think that what we see in her is somebody who is a very balanced person, somebody who is very educated, and you'd look at her and think, “Why was she attracted to a guy like this? What is the attraction? And in many cases it’s inexplicable. That’s often the case. You don’t understand why people are attracted to each other. In this case it’s almost as if she is a person with a mission. She devotes herself to him almost like a saint trying to pull him out of this spiral that he is spinning down in. She really wants it to work. If you think about it she is the one who initiates contact with him. She is the one who wants him. She is the one who wants to keep the baby. She is the one calling the shots here. She is the stronger figure and she works hard to try to bring him out the spiral he is in. Of course, it may also have something to do with her own mother. Maybe on an unconscious level her attraction to him is a subconscious way of provoking her mother, who is one of the counselors at this place, because her mother plays a role in that particular structure.
Aguilar: Following the Cannes Film Festival, what was the reaction of the general French audience towards the film given the difficult and very current themes it deals with? On the other hand, how did people who work in the field and deal with this issues daily felt about it?
Emmanuelle Bercot: The film was very well received in France and I think that for a difficult subject that's really exceptional. I think part of the attraction to the film was that it was showing an unknown world. Most people don’t know what goes on in the world of juvenile delinquency. It was exposure to something that was completely new. I think that by portraying the system as it really is and trying to show how it tries to help these young people, it enables you, as a citizen, to feel that this is something that you are proud that your government or your country is doing. Now you can discover how it works. I went to a lot of places that most people will never have an opportunity to go to, but through the film I was able to show what I saw in these places. I think that for a lot of people who saw the filmit changed the way they see delinquents. They come to understand what’s involved in how these young people become who they are. Also it helps them to understand what the system is trying to do for them. Many people have been affected by the film, especially by the paththat this young man’s life takes from the beginning till the end.
To answer the second part of your question, about how people who work in the film received the film, there have been quite a number of screenings that were done specifically for groups like that. In fact, the Minister of Justice was actually present at a number of them and there were lots of discussions about what takes place in the film and what the system offers to young people. I think that overall they were very happy that finally some light was being shun on the work that’s being done - which for the most part goes unnoticed. It’s really something that people don’t know about, and this gave them a chance to see it. It was important. They were touched in many ways by the recognition that we gave them and their jobs. In many cases these are thankless jobs in which people are never recognized. The film also helped the families of these people that work in the field understand what it is that they do and what their jobs entail. What I’ve also heard is that whether is the judges, the counselors, or the social workers that work in the system, they were all unanimous in feeling that this really did show the daily reality of what they do.
"Standing Tall" opens in L.A. and NY on April 1st from Cohen Media Group...
- 4/2/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
As we await news on what feature will open the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, last year’s opener will finally make its way to U.S. theaters next month. Standing Tall, which also picked up a few César Awards recently for Best Male Newcomer (Rod Paradot) and Best Supporting Actor (Benoit Magimel), comes from director Emmanuelle Bercot. Also starring Catherine Deneuve, it follows a troubled teen as he navigates life.
We said in our review, “Much like Dolan’s film Mommy, one of the strongest characteristics of La tête haute is its bipolarity of tone. Some may find the sporadic jumps from quiet to impassioned rather jarring, but anyone who has spent time around troubled teens knows how quickly a situation can shift from calm to hostile. Still, it only works so well here because Paradot executes these outbursts with a nuanced understanding of the adolescent mind and what makes teenagers tick.
We said in our review, “Much like Dolan’s film Mommy, one of the strongest characteristics of La tête haute is its bipolarity of tone. Some may find the sporadic jumps from quiet to impassioned rather jarring, but anyone who has spent time around troubled teens knows how quickly a situation can shift from calm to hostile. Still, it only works so well here because Paradot executes these outbursts with a nuanced understanding of the adolescent mind and what makes teenagers tick.
- 3/8/2016
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Last year, the thunder might've been stolen a bit by "Mad Max: Fury Road" which screened around the same time, but the official opening movie of the Cannes Film Festival was Emmanuelle Bercot's "Standing Tall." The picture picked up some good notices, and eventually earned nine César nominations, winning two in the recent awards ceremony for Most Promising Actor and Best Supporting Actor. And now the picture is coming stateside. Read More: Cannes Review: 'Standing Tall' Starring Catherine Deneuve Is An Affecting, Flawed Festival Opener Starring Rod Paradot, Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel and Sara Forestier, the film tells the story of a juvenile delinquent, Malony, and his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children's judge and social worker try to save him. Here's the official synopsis: Abandoned by his mother (Sara Forestier) at the age of 6, Malony (Rod Paradot) is constantly in and out of juvenile court.
- 3/2/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Emmanuelle Bercot's "Standing Tall," the first woman-directed film to open Cannes since 1987, has been acquired for U.S. distribution by Cohen Media Group, Variety reports. The earnest, naturalistic social drama, starring Catherine Deneuve and newcomer Rod Paradot, is planned for theatrical release later this year. Read More: Cannes Opens with Emmanuelle Bercot's 'Standing Tall': "I'm not a minority" The film follows Malony (Paradot), a quick-tempered adolescent with a troubled home life, as he wends his way through France's juvenile justice system, guided by a firm, empathic judge (Deneuve) and a kindly counselor (Benoit Magimel). Though "Standing Tall" has received mostly positive notices and may benefit from Deneuve's international star wattage, the film is newsworthy less for its box office or awards potential in the U.S. than for its introduction of the expressive Paradot. "The first great discovery of 2015," according to Indiewire's...
- 5/22/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Read More: Cannes Will Open With a Film By a Female Director for the First Time Since 1987 Cohen Media Group has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to this year's Canned Film Festival opening night film, "Standing Tall" ("La Tet Haute"), written and directed by Emanuelle Bercot. The choice in opening night film was notable because it was only the second film directed by a female director to open the festival. The last time was in 1987 with Diane Kurys' "A Man in Love." The film stars Catherine Deneuve and breakout Rod Paradot, who plays juvenile delinquent, Malony. The film tracks his upbringing as a children's judge and social worker try to save him from himself. As a volatile and violent teen delinquent, Paradot's Malony navigates the criminal justice system, aided by a child court judge (Deneuve, who also starred in Bercot's "On My Way") and a youth counselor (Benoit Magimel,...
- 5/22/2015
- by Casey Cipriani
- Indiewire
Emmanuelle Bercot became the first female director to open the festival since 1987.
Cohen Media Group has acquired all Us distribution rights to this year’s Cannes Film Festival opening night feature, Standing Tall (La Tête Haute) from French filmmaker Emmanuelle Bercot.
The film, which is the second ever female-directed feature to open the festival, stars Catherine Deneuve and newcomer Rod Paradot.
Cmg plans a theatrical release in early 2016.
The distribution agreement was negotiated by Cmg svp John Kochman and Adeline Fontan Tessaur, co-founder and international sales director of Paris-based sales and acquisition firm Elle Driver.
The film follows juvenile delinquent Malony from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him from a life of crime.
Standing Tall received its world premiere in Cannes - out of competition - on May 13 and was released in French cinemas the same day.
Cohen Media Group has acquired all Us distribution rights to this year’s Cannes Film Festival opening night feature, Standing Tall (La Tête Haute) from French filmmaker Emmanuelle Bercot.
The film, which is the second ever female-directed feature to open the festival, stars Catherine Deneuve and newcomer Rod Paradot.
Cmg plans a theatrical release in early 2016.
The distribution agreement was negotiated by Cmg svp John Kochman and Adeline Fontan Tessaur, co-founder and international sales director of Paris-based sales and acquisition firm Elle Driver.
The film follows juvenile delinquent Malony from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him from a life of crime.
Standing Tall received its world premiere in Cannes - out of competition - on May 13 and was released in French cinemas the same day.
- 5/22/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The Cannes film festival may be gearing up for its grand finale, but the Cohen Media Group has wound things right back to the start, acquiring U.S. rights for opening night film Standing Tall. Cmg plans a theatrical release in early 2016. The French-language film, from actress/director Emmanuelle Bercot and starring Catherine Denueve, tells the story of a troublesome, violent adolescent and his dealings with France's youth law courts. Its breakout star Rod Paradot received much of the critical praise, with The Hollywood Reporter's Jordan Mintzer saying his feature debut was an "electric lead performance." Read More
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- 5/21/2015
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The eagerly awaited Official Selection for this year's 68th Cannes Film Festival (13-24 May) was announced in Paris this morning. As previously revealed, celebrated sibling filmmakers and Cannes regulars Joel and Ethan Cohen will preside over the jury this time around. Emmanuelle Bercot will become the first female director to open the festival in 28 years with her comedy-drama La Tête Haute (Head Held High), starring Catherine Deneuve and Rod Paradot. Meanwhile, highlights of this year's Palme d'Or race include new films from Jacques Audiard, Matteo Garrone, Todd Haynes, Jia Zhangke, Paolo Sorrentino, Gus Van Sant and Denis Villeneuve. Directors whose latest films appear to have missed out this year include Terence Davies, Michael Haneke and Ben Wheatley.
- 5/17/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Read More: Cannes Review: The First Great Discovery of 2015 is Rod Paradot in Emmanuelle Bercot's 'Standing Tall'When Indiewire met French actor Rob Paradot, the first major breakout of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, he immediately confessed that he hadn't gotten get a wink of sleep. That didn't come as much of a surprise considering his first film, "Standing Tall," written and directed by Emmanuelle Bercot, opened the festival on Wednesday night. In the bruising drama, Paradot, who had never acted before in his life, gives a star-making turn as Malony, a deeply troubled 15-year-old who comes from an equally troubled home. French icon Catherine Deneuve plays a judge committed to straightening out his act. In Indiewire's review of "Standing Tall," Eric Kohn praised the young actor's "ability to convey [Malony's] extreme attitude," and that Paradot's performance "keeps 'Standing Tall' engaging from start to finish."...
- 5/14/2015
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
Standing Tall directed by Emmanuelle Bercot opened the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, making it the first female-directed festival opener since 1987. The French film stars Catherine Deneuve as a judge who takes extra interest in a young boy, Malony (Rod Paradot), who crosses her path when his struggling single mother (Sara Forestier) fights to […]
The post ‘Standing Tall’ Starring Catherine Deneuve Opens Cannes Film Festival appeared first on uInterview.
The post ‘Standing Tall’ Starring Catherine Deneuve Opens Cannes Film Festival appeared first on uInterview.
- 5/14/2015
- by Olivia Truffaut
- Uinterview
La tête haute (Standing Tall)
Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot
Written by Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano
France, 2015
Perhaps it’s an unfortunate coincidence for the festival opener, French social drama La Tête Haute, that it follows but a year after the adulation apparently garnered by Xavier Dolan’s Mommy at last year’s festival – while the flamboyant Quebec drama received 10 minutes’ standing ovation, this year’s press screening of the more down-to-earth underprivileged mother-son duo from Dunkerque was met by a total of two claps and a single boo…
The film stars newcomer Rod Paradot as Malony, a delinquent ‘white-trash’ teenager, Sara Forestier as his rotten-tooth semi-junkie mother, Catherine Deneuve as an infinitely patient, rational but clement children’s judge, and Benoît Magimel as a badly-aging social worker. We first meet Malony as a six-year old in the judge’s office, where his own mother declares him a monster and abandons...
Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot
Written by Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano
France, 2015
Perhaps it’s an unfortunate coincidence for the festival opener, French social drama La Tête Haute, that it follows but a year after the adulation apparently garnered by Xavier Dolan’s Mommy at last year’s festival – while the flamboyant Quebec drama received 10 minutes’ standing ovation, this year’s press screening of the more down-to-earth underprivileged mother-son duo from Dunkerque was met by a total of two claps and a single boo…
The film stars newcomer Rod Paradot as Malony, a delinquent ‘white-trash’ teenager, Sara Forestier as his rotten-tooth semi-junkie mother, Catherine Deneuve as an infinitely patient, rational but clement children’s judge, and Benoît Magimel as a badly-aging social worker. We first meet Malony as a six-year old in the judge’s office, where his own mother declares him a monster and abandons...
- 5/13/2015
- by Zornitsa
- SoundOnSight
The 68th Cannes Film Festival officially opened tonight with the red carpet premiere of Standing Tall (Le tete haute), a stirring drama about the juvenile justice system as seen through the experiences of one kid from age 6 to 18. French legend Catherine Deneuve co-stars and ascended the Palais steps with the rest of cast including knockout newcomer Rod Paradot as the boy and Benoit Magimel. The director of the film, which might be called the darker side of Boyhood, is a…...
- 5/13/2015
- Deadline
Read More: Cannes Opens with Emmanuelle Bercot's 'Standing Tall': 'I'm not a minority' Emmanuelle Bercot is better known as an actress than a filmmaker, though that's bound to change with the French writer-director's fourth feature "Standing Tall" receiving global attention as the opening night selection of the Cannes Film Festival. Nevertheless, Bercot's solidly engaging if fairly routine social-realist drama mainly stands out as an actor's showcase. Shot with a handheld, naturalistic quality familiar to anyone who has seen a Dardenne brothers movie, Bercot's stirring narrative focuses on feisty teen Malony (Rod Paradot), who contends a neglectful single-parent household and attempts by a committed judge (Catherine Deneuve) to straighten out his act. That bumpy relationship forms the backbone of a story in which the system designed to help kids like Malony collides with his evolving individuality. After a brief prologue in which the judge meets ...
- 5/13/2015
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
"The most down-to-earth Cannes opening film in living memory, Standing Tall (La tête haute) shows the festival flying the flag for the grand tradition of French social realism," begins Jonathan Romney in Screen. "As the title suggests, Emmanuelle Bercot’s film is a redemption drama ending on a high note—but it takes us over some rough terrain en route, in the story of a delinquent’s experiences in the French juvenile justice system." We've posted the trailer and we're collecting reviews of the film starring Catherine Deneuve, Benoit Magimel and newcomer Rod Paradot. » - David Hudson...
- 5/13/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
"The most down-to-earth Cannes opening film in living memory, Standing Tall (La tête haute) shows the festival flying the flag for the grand tradition of French social realism," begins Jonathan Romney in Screen. "As the title suggests, Emmanuelle Bercot’s film is a redemption drama ending on a high note—but it takes us over some rough terrain en route, in the story of a delinquent’s experiences in the French juvenile justice system." We've posted the trailer and we're collecting reviews of the film starring Catherine Deneuve, Benoit Magimel and newcomer Rod Paradot. » - David Hudson...
- 5/13/2015
- Keyframe
Cannes — It doesn't take long to understand the important message Emmanuelle Bercot wants to convey with her new drama "La tête haute" (Standing Tall)." Effectively, she wants you to know that the juvenile court system can be used to positively affect the lives of troubled youth, but if and only if the people involved care enough to stick by their kids. To Bercot's credit, it's a particular point of view that you rarely hear of outside of documentaries and hour-long news programs. Unfortunately, "Standing Tall" takes way too long to reach its happy ending. The opening film of the 68th Festival du Cannes, "Standing Tall" begins with the camera focusing on 6-year-old Malony (Enzo Trouillet). His mother (Sara Forestier) has been brought in front of a local juvenile court judge (Catherine Deneuve) over concerns about the care of her two boys. Bercot keeps the camera mostly on Malony as he...
- 5/13/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Chronicling the turbulent teenage years of a French delinquent whose police record reads longer than the complete works of Marcel Proust, Standing Tall (La Tete haute) is a gritty and compassionate look at an adolescence riddled by violence, punishment and the idea that rehabilitation is a long way off, but not entirely out of the question. Carried by an electric lead performance from newcomer Rod Paradot, this fourth feature from actress turned director Emmanuelle Bercot can be as volatile as it’s main character, delivering plenty of intensity but not always succeeding on the dramatic front, especially with a running time
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- 5/13/2015
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Cannes Film Festival opens with a stronger-than-usual domestic drama, the second directed by a woman, actress-director Emmanuelle Bercot, who is also starring in competition film "Mon Roi," from another woman actor-director, Maiwenn ("Polisse"). Catherine Deneuve is superb as an authoritative yet empathetic judge who takes extraordinary control of the life of six-year-old Malony when his mother (Sara Forestier) dumps him in her office, one with which we become familiar over a decade. She removes any sharp objects before Malony makes a visit. Rookie actor Rod Paradot brings power and vulnerability to the role of the volatile young Malony, who loves his mother--and even the judge--but can't handle any criticism or authority. He goes from zero to sixty in seconds, often self-destructively, and loves stealing cars. Read Indiewire's review here. Benoit Magimel plays the counselor who bonds with the kid--countless people are invested in saving him. The...
- 5/13/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
It seems somehow fitting that this year’s Cannes, which is already celebrating Ingrid Bergman, should select the first film by a female director to open the festival in 28 years. Emmanuelle Bercot’s Standing Tall (La Tête Haute) is that film.While the films in the main selection categories for the festival have yet to be announced, we do know that Standing Tall will have its premiere on opening day, May 13, and arrives in French cinemas the same day. It’s also the first time in a few years that a high-profile release hasn't taken the opening night slot, following such recent examples as The Great Gatsby, Midnight In Paris and, er, Grace Of Monaco.Standing Tall stars Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot in the story of juvenile delinquent Malony, following his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him.
- 4/13/2015
- EmpireOnline
It's not the greatest historical note to kick a festival off with, but the opening night film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival will be the first directed by a woman since 1987. Emmanuelle Bercot, best known for 2001's "Clément" and co-writing 2011's "Polisse," returns to Cannes with "La Tête haute" ("Heads Up") which follows the lifestory of Malory from the age of 6 to 18. This "Boyhood"-esque tale features different actors playing Malory, but Rod Paradot portrays him for a majority of the film. Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier round out the cast. Diane Kurys was the last woman to helm a opening night film, "A Man in Love," 28 years ago. Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival remarked, "The choice of this film may seem surprising, given the rules generally applied to the Festival de Cannes Opening Ceremony. It is a clear reflection of our desire to see the Festival start with a different piece,...
- 4/13/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
A female director will open the festival for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Standing Tall (La Tête Haute), a film by French director Emmanuelle Bercot, is to open the 68th Cannes Film Festival on May 13.
It marks the first time a film by a female director has opened the festival since Diane Kurys’ A Man in Love in 1987.
Standing Tall stars Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot, who plays the main character, juvenile delinquent Malony, following his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him.
It was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais, Rhône-Alpes and Paris.
Surprising
“The choice of this film may seem surprising, given the rules generally applied to the Festival de Cannes opening ceremony,” said Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival.
This reference to a “surprising” choice likely refers to the recent run of star-powered openers including Woody Allen’s [link...
Standing Tall (La Tête Haute), a film by French director Emmanuelle Bercot, is to open the 68th Cannes Film Festival on May 13.
It marks the first time a film by a female director has opened the festival since Diane Kurys’ A Man in Love in 1987.
Standing Tall stars Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot, who plays the main character, juvenile delinquent Malony, following his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him.
It was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais, Rhône-Alpes and Paris.
Surprising
“The choice of this film may seem surprising, given the rules generally applied to the Festival de Cannes opening ceremony,” said Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival.
This reference to a “surprising” choice likely refers to the recent run of star-powered openers including Woody Allen’s [link...
- 4/13/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
A female director will open the festival for the first time in nearly 30 years.
La Tête Haute (Standing Tall), a film by French director Emmanuelle Bercot, is to open the 68th Cannes Film Festival on May 13.
It marks the first time a film by a female director has opened the festival since Diane Kurys’ A Man in Love in 1987.
La Tête Haute stars Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot, who plays the main character, juvenile delinquent Malony, following his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him.
It was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais, Rhône-Alpes and Paris.
“The choice of this film may seem surprising, given the rules generally applied to the Festival de Cannes opening ceremony,” said Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival.
This reference to a “surprising” choice could refer to the recent run of star-powered openers including Woody Allen’s [link...
La Tête Haute (Standing Tall), a film by French director Emmanuelle Bercot, is to open the 68th Cannes Film Festival on May 13.
It marks the first time a film by a female director has opened the festival since Diane Kurys’ A Man in Love in 1987.
La Tête Haute stars Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot, who plays the main character, juvenile delinquent Malony, following his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him.
It was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais, Rhône-Alpes and Paris.
“The choice of this film may seem surprising, given the rules generally applied to the Festival de Cannes opening ceremony,” said Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival.
This reference to a “surprising” choice could refer to the recent run of star-powered openers including Woody Allen’s [link...
- 4/13/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
For only the second time in the Cannes Film Festival’s 68 years the opening choice will be by a woman film-maker – French director Emmanuelle Bercot and her latest offering La Tête Haute (literally Head Held High).
Historic occasion: Emmanuelle Bercot is only the second female film-maker to open the Cannes Film Festival
The film follows the education of a young delinquent from childhood to adolescence and his relationship with an educationalist who tries to save him from himself.
The film fields a strong cast of Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier, and Rod Paradot who plays the young lead. Bercot had worked previously with Deneuve (who plays a juvenile court judge) in On My Way (Elle S’en Va).
After last year’s lacklustre but high profile Grace Of Monaco with Nicole Kidman, artistic director Thierry Fremaux admits the choice may surprise some observers given the usual criteria surrounding the launch title.
Historic occasion: Emmanuelle Bercot is only the second female film-maker to open the Cannes Film Festival
The film follows the education of a young delinquent from childhood to adolescence and his relationship with an educationalist who tries to save him from himself.
The film fields a strong cast of Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier, and Rod Paradot who plays the young lead. Bercot had worked previously with Deneuve (who plays a juvenile court judge) in On My Way (Elle S’en Va).
After last year’s lacklustre but high profile Grace Of Monaco with Nicole Kidman, artistic director Thierry Fremaux admits the choice may surprise some observers given the usual criteria surrounding the launch title.
- 4/13/2015
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Backstage helmer Emmanuelle Bercot will instead be taking the center stage. Ranked #77 in our top 100 most anticipated foreign films for 2015 and starring red carpet habitual Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel (who resembles a Sean Penn in the official photo above), Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot as our child protag, La Tête Haute has been selected as the opening film of the the 68th Festival de Cannes Film Festival.
This is the French filmmaker’s fourth feature film as a director and second trip two Cannes, having previously been invited with her debut film in the Un Certain Regard section with Clement. The selection is a welcome switch-up from what was often, less than flattering opening international-friendly safe-bet items. I’m thinking of Antoine Doinels of film history canon and Linklater’s Boyhood since it traces a exact child to adulthood route, but compared with previous years, Thierry Frémaux’s selection might...
This is the French filmmaker’s fourth feature film as a director and second trip two Cannes, having previously been invited with her debut film in the Un Certain Regard section with Clement. The selection is a welcome switch-up from what was often, less than flattering opening international-friendly safe-bet items. I’m thinking of Antoine Doinels of film history canon and Linklater’s Boyhood since it traces a exact child to adulthood route, but compared with previous years, Thierry Frémaux’s selection might...
- 4/13/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Generally speaking, the Cannes Film Festival likes to open things with a glitzy, star-studded movie, but maybe after last year's "Grace Of Monaco" flopped and is now going straight-to-Lifetime, they've decided to change the game. Read More: The Best And Worst Of The 2014 Cannes Film Festival Organizers have announced that "La Tete haute" ("Standing Tall"), starring Rod Paradot, Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel and Sara Forestier, will open the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. The movie comes from director Emmanuelle Bercot, who has had success on the Croisette, winning the Jury Prize for her short "Les Vacances" in 1997, a 2nd place Cinefondation finish in 1999 for "La Puce," and the Award Of The Youth in 2001 for "Clément." The filmmaker's latest tells the story of a juvenile delinquent, Malony, and his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children's judge and social worker try to save...
- 4/13/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The opening night film at the Cannes Film Festival has typically been something with major star power or something out of Hollywood to draw out the names to the red carpet, but for the 2015 Cannes Film Festival the organizers have gone a different route, announcing in their press release that for the first time in the history of the festival, a female director will open the fest. Emmanuelle Bercot's La Tete Haute starring Catherine Deneuve will serve as said opener on May 13. The film tells the story of a juvenile delinquent, Malony (Rod Paradot), and his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children's judge and social worker try to save him. It was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais, Rhone-Alpes and Paris area regions, and along with Deneuve and Paradot, the film stars Beno?t Magimel and Sara Forestier. Along with being a director, Bercot has been seen...
- 4/13/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Emmanuelle Bercot's drama La Tete Haute will kick off the 68th edition of the Cannes Film Festival on May 13. Directed by the France native, the film tells the story of a juvenile delinquent (Rod Paradot), chronicling his upbringing from childhood to adulthood as a children's judge and social worker try to save him. A distinctly French film, it was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais and the Rhone-Alpes regions as well as Paris. French film legend Catherine Deneuve co-stars alongside Benoit Magimel and Sara Forestier. Read More Isabella Rossellini Named Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury President
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- 4/13/2015
- by Tatiana Siegel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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