email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

ARRAS 2019

A sumptuous programme in store for the 20th Arras Film Festival

by 

- 126 films from 40 countries, including 78 premieres and titles as-yet unreleased in France, will be on the line-up from 8-17 November, accompanied by 156 guests from 16 European nations

A sumptuous programme in store for the 20th Arras Film Festival
Negative Numbers by Uta Beria

The Arras Film Festival, a real springboard for emerging European talents, and a congenial and highly popular event (boasting more than 47,000 audience members) that is much loved by the filmmaking teams thanks to its proximity to Paris, will be celebrating its 20th birthday in grand style from 8-17 November, propped up by a supersize and mouth-watering programme.

Nine films as-yet unseen in France will be duking it out for the 2019 Golden Atlas, which will be handed out by a jury chaired by French filmmaker Thierry Klifa. Standing out among them are the world premiere of Negative Numbers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Uta Beria
film profile
]
by Georgia’s Uta Beria, the European premiere of Carturan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Liviu Săndulescu
film profile
]
by Romania’s Liviu Sandulescu and two international premieres: The Iron Bridge [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Monika Jordan-Mlodzianowska
film profile
]
by Poland’s Monika Jordan-Mlodzianowska and Free Country [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Germany’s Christian Alvart. Also locking horns will be two features that were pitched in 2016 and 2018 at the Arras Days, in the hope of winning the Development Support Grant: The Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: GoCritic! Interview: Kristi…
interview: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Val…
film profile
]
by Bulgaria’s Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, and The Best of Dorien B. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anke Blondé
film profile
]
by Belgium’s Anke Blondé. These two titles will be presented as French premieres, as will Dafne [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Italy’s Federico Bondi, Let There Be Light [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marko Škop
interview: Milan Ondrík
film profile
]
by Slovakia’s Marko Skop and Disco [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jorunn Myklebust Syversen
film profile
]
by Norway’s Jorunn Myklebust Syversen.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Featuring on the menu of the European Discoveries section are Aurora [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Miia Tervo
film profile
]
by Finland’s Miia Tervo, System Crasher [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nora Fingscheidt
film profile
]
by Germany’s Nora Fingscheidt, Madre [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
film profile
]
by Spaniard Rodrigo Sorogoyen, The Champion [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leonardo D’Agostini
film profile
]
by Italy’s Leonardo D’Agostini and Forever You [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by his fellow countryman Marco Danieli, Fight Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by the Netherlands’ Johan Timmers, Simon’s Got a Gift [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by France’s Léo Karmann, Lola [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurent Micheli
film profile
]
by Belgium’s Laurent Micheli, Smuggling Hendrix [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marios Piperides
film profile
]
by Cyprus’ Mario Piperides and the French-Belgian-Luxembourgish production Two of Us [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Filippo Meneghetti
film profile
]
by Italy’s Filippo Meneghetti.

The Visions of the East section includes two national candidates for the Oscar: Corpus Christi [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bartosz Bielenia
interview: Jan Komasa
film profile
]
by Poland’s Jan Komasa and the Cannes competitor The Whistlers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Corneliu Porumboiu
film profile
]
by Romania’s Corneliu Porumboiu. Also being showcased are Erased [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: GoCritic! Interview: Miha M…
film profile
]
by Slovenia’s Miha Mazzini, I Am Frank [+see also:
trailer
interview: Metod Pevec
film profile
]
by his fellow countryman Metod Pevec, Irina [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Martina Apostolova
film profile
]
by Bulgaria’s Nadejda Koseva, Stitches [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Miroslav Terzić
film profile
]
by Serbia’s Miroslav Terzic, A Shelter Among the Clouds [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Robert Budina
film profile
]
by Albania’s Robert Budina and Parking [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tudor Giurgiu
film profile
]
by Romania’s Tudor Giurgiu.

The World Cinema programme will offer several European co-productions, four of which were first unveiled at Cannes: It Must Be Heaven [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elia Suleiman
film profile
]
by Palestine’s Elia Suleiman, The Wild Goose Lake [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Diao Yinan
film profile
]
by China’s Diao Yinan, Lillian [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andreas Horvath
film profile
]
by Austria’s Andreas Horvath and To Live to Sing [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Chinese-Canadian director Johnny Ma. They will be joined by Made in Bangladesh [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Rubaiyat Hossain, Maternal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maura Delpero
film profile
]
by Italy’s Maura Delpero, Our Lady of the Nile [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by French-Afghan helmer Atiq Rahimi and Passed by Censor [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Serhat Karaaslan
film profile
]
by Turkey’s Serhat Karaaslan.

Among other gems, the programme is topped off by an impressive batch of French premieres, including Notre Dame [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Valérie Donzelli as the opening film and the Venice-awarded An Officer and a Spy [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Roman Polanski as a screening intended to celebrate the festival’s 20th birthday. Other titles getting an airing include Les Misérables [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ladj Ly
film profile
]
by Ladj Ly, Proxima [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Winocour
film profile
]
by Alice Winocour, The Girl with a Bracelet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stéphane Demoustier
film profile
]
by Stéphane Demoustier, Sympathy for the Devil [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ella Rumpf
interview: Guillaume de Fontenay
film profile
]
by Guillaume de Fontenay, The Best Is Yet to Come [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Mathieu Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patellière, Gloria Mundi [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Robert Guédiguian
film profile
]
by Robert Guédiguian, The Truth [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hirokazu Kore-eda
film profile
]
by Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, Little Joe [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jessica Hausner
film profile
]
by Austria’s Jessica Hausner and Only the Animals [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dominik Moll
film profile
]
by Dominik Moll. And that’s not to mention Perfect Nanny [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Lucie Borleteau, Little Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Benjamin Parent, A Good Doctor [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Tristan Seguela, The Dazzled [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Sarah Suco, L’Esprit de famille [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Éric Besnard, An Irrepressible Woman [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Laurent Heynemann, I Wish Someone Were Waiting For Me Somewhere [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Arnaud Viard, The Holy Family [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Scents and Senses [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Grégory Magne
film profile
]
by Grégory Magne, Sol [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Jézabel Marques, Les Vétos [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Julie Manoukian, the omnibus film Selfie [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(by Tristan Aurouet, Thomas Bidegain, Marc Fitoussi, Cyril Gelblat and Vianney Lebasque), the US-German co-production Jojo Rabbit [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Taika Waititi and the UK production Official Secrets [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Gavin Hood.

Also shining bright on the spectacular menu are a Focus on Tunisia, a Children’s Festival, an in-depth look at Mussolini’s Italy, a section entitled “Fear in the Sixties” and a number of cartes blanches given to the Amiens, Odesa and Monstra Lisbon Film Festivals.

Lastly, the professional sidebar of this 20th edition of the Arras Film Festival includes pitching sessions for the Development Support Grant at the eighth Arras Days (16 and 17 November) and the 14th Rencontres du Nord (lit. “Northern Meetings”, where more than 200 French and Belgian professionals will gather from 13-15 November, with a particularly strong presence of exhibitors and distributors).

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

(Translated from French)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy