PRODUCTION / FUNDING France / Spain
Pilar López de Ayala and Javier Rebollo return with In the Sultan's Bedchamber
- After a six-year hiatus, the actress is back performing in front of the camera again in this adventure flick, recently shot in Tunisia and marking the director’s return after a decade away
Javier Rebollo is a Spanish artist who is difficult to pigeonhole, having made films as distinctive as Lo que sé de Lola [+see also:
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film profile], the latter being his latest work, from 2012. A little over a month ago, Rebollo wrapped the shoot for In the Sultan’s Bedchamber, a romantic ghost film that, according to the people behind it, “talks about science and art; it’s a poetic movie shot on 35 mm film that visually evokes the more classical celluloid of adventure films, and boasts the musicality and physical comedy characteristic of silent film”.
Set in spectacular locations in North Africa, the film marks two returns to the big screen: not just that of its director, but also that of its lead actress, whose career has been sporadic thus far. Pilar López de Ayala is nonetheless famous for her turns in titles of the likes of Mad Love [+see also:
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film profile], directed by Alberto Rondalli.
Rebollo states, “It’s been an incredible, epic, Homeric adventure, following six years of location scouting and writing first of all, funding and more writing after that, and then, a short while ago, pre-production and shooting that lasted four months, taking in three countries and many thousands of miles, as well as plenty of celluloid.”
The fourth feature by the Madrilenian filmmaker, which he penned himself, is loosely based on the life of Gabriel Veyre, the camera operator for the Lumière brothers, who is brought to life by French actor Félix Moati (Father and Sons [+see also:
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interview: Justine Triet
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interview: Javier Rebollo, director of…
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On his performers, the director declares: “It’s a cast of extremely talented actors that are in shot, very often all at the same time, and they are the ones who made this movie possible. Félix, who never does two takes the same way, is one of a kind and authentic, while Pilar managed to make whatever was complicated very simple.” Pilar López de Ayala enthuses: “I’m excited about taking part in this project with Javier, for whom I have a deep respect and admiration. It’s been a privilege to take part in such a special film with such a wonderful international team, and which is a special love letter to cinema.”
In the Sultan’s Bedchamber is a French-Spanish co-production staged by Paraíso Production, Sideral, Eddie Saeta and Noodles Productions, made in collaboration with the French Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), Spain’s Institute of Film and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA), the Catalan Institute of Cultural Enterprises (ICEC) and Eurimages. It has also secured support from the European Union’s Creative Europe – MEDIA programme.
(Translated from Spanish)
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