After having had the honor of opening the Cinematographers’ Fortnight in Cannes, Cédric Kahn will present The Goldman Trial at the opening night of Cinemania, on November 1st. Starring Arieh Worthalter, this social drama takes us behind the scenes of a trial that divided France in 1975, that of Pierre Goldman, a secular Jew and far-left activist accused of having killed two pharmacists during a robbery . The director will also accompany his film Making of, where he directs Denis Podalydès in the shoes of a director who tries to shoot a documentary about workers wanting to save their factory.
As a closing film, Cinemania offers Second Tour, a dramatic comedy by and with Albert Dupontel, where a political journalist assigned to sports (Cécile de France) investigates the troubled past of the favorite in the presidential race, a wealthy heir with no political experience . During the closing ceremony, six awards will be distributed, including the new Marc-André-Lussier Jury Prize, awarded to the jury’s favorite film in honor of the late La Presse critic.
Furthermore, the French actress will participate in a meeting hosted by Patrick Fabre, while the Quebec filmmaker will speak with Jacques Beauchamp after the screening of his documentary series Lac-Mégantic: This is not an accident.
Among the Quebec films in competition, let us mention The Successor, a thriller by Xavier Legrand set in the world of fashion, starring Marc-André Grondin and Anne-Élisabeth Bossé; Sucré seize, essay film by Alexa-Jeanne Dubé based on the play by Sophie Bastien; You’ll never know, a committed film by Robin Aubert in tribute to residents, caregivers and volunteers of CHSLDs; and Gamma rays, a social fresco navigating between documentary and fiction where Henry Bernadet gives a voice to young people from the Saint-Michel district.
As for the documentaries in competition, we note Par cœurs, in which Benoît Jacquot follows Isabelle Huppert and Fabrice Luchini at the Avignon Festival; I am France, following testimonies from relatives of victims of police violence collected by Sarah El Altar; and Viva Varda!, portrait of Pierre-Henri Gibert’s New Wave grandmother.
Several directors will accompany their films during the 12 days of festivities. Thus, Stéphane Brizé, who has accustomed us to poignant dramas with a social flavor, will attend the screening of Hors saison, romance where Guillaume Canet plays a film star who reconnects with an old flame. In addition to presenting I will always see your faces, an choral film with Leïla Bekhti and Adèle Exarchopoulos, Jeanne Herry will participate in discussions on restorative justice.
Also coming to present their new film Valérie Donzelli, which depicts a toxic relationship between Virginie Effira and Melvil Poupaud in Love and the Forests, based on the novel by Éric Reinhardt; Yolande Moreau, who signs The Poet’s Fiancé, where she plays a woman who finds the love of her life; and Catherine Corsini, who combines past traumas and the carefree adolescence against the backdrop of a heavenly landscape in The Return.
Karin Viard will be very busy, as she will attend screenings of Magnificat, Virginie Sauveur, Nouveau Départ, by Philippe Lefebvre, and Une nuit, by and with Alex Lutz. The actress will also participate in a discussion moderated by Patrick Fabre on comedy in cinema with actor Antoine Bertrand.
We will also pay tribute to Léa Pool, the most Quebecois of Swiss filmmakers, to whom Ariel St-Louis Lamoureux dedicated a short documentary film, Léa in front of the camera.
Finally, short films will not be left out at Cinemania with an international selection and a Quebec selection, which will be the subject of a major evening of Quebec shorts hosted by Jason Béliveau. As for aspiring film buffs, they will be invited to create short films inspired by classics of American cinema with the signature of French-speaking filmmakers during the Kabaret KINO evening.
