LUXEMBOURG:
AN EXCEPTIONAL TRIBUTE!
The visit of Prime Minister Xavier Bettel
20 films, 3 exhibitions, public installations, virtual reality works,
performances and a concert
November 2-6, 2022
The CINEMANIA Festival, which will take place from November 2 to 13, invites spectators to discover Luxembourg through a rich and extensive selection of activities from November 2 to 6: 20 films, 3 exhibitions, public installations, virtual reality works, performances and a concert. Accompanied by a delegation of nearly fifty people from the cultural industry in Luxembourg, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel will be in Montréal from November 2 to 6 and will participate in numerous development and rapprochement activities between Luxembourg and Québec.
This unprecedented program will begin with the premieres of long-awaited feature films, such as Corsage by Marie Kreutzer and Plus que jamais by Emily Atef, both presented at the last Cannes Film Festival. These two films are co-produced by Samsa Film, the oldest production company in the Grand Duchy, a pioneer in European co-production and to whom CINEMANIA pays tribute. This “A nod to Samsa Film” will offer Montreal audiences a mix of recent and old films, including Edward J. Steichen (Claude Waringo, 1995), Une liaison pornographique (Frédéric Fonteyne, 1999) and the short film Mécanomagie (Bady Minck, 1996).
Specializing in celebrity portraits and film sets, Fabrizio Maltese has seen his work on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, GQ and Sight & Sound. Fascinated by the themes of emptiness, absence, isolation and the quest for identity, this multidisciplinary artist will present three documentaries: The Invitation (Red Lion – 2022), based on an idea by Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako and the late Pol Cruchten, I Fiori persi (Joli Rideau Media – 2021), a personal story lived during the pandemic in Italy, and California Dreaming (Samsa Film – 2019), about a lost community in the Mojave Desert and the disappointments of the American dream. In addition, Maltese’s work will be the subject of three photographic exhibitions at the PHI Centre, the Cinémathèque québécoise and the Sofitel Montréal Le Carré Doré hotel, all accessible free of charge. Maltese has imagined for each place a different experience that will allow visitors to discover his profession as a photographer, which is inseparable from that of a filmmaker. The exhibitions Glamour, en toute intimitée and Clichés préparatoires can be visited from November 1 to 13 (Cinémathèque and Sofitel), and De plus près from November 2 to 30 (Centre PHI).
Renowned for its strategic position in the heart of Europe, of which it is a political vector, the Grand Duchy plays a key role in French-language co-production, including many films with Québec. Thus, Willows blind, sleeping woman (Pierre Földes, Doghouse Films – 2022), co-produced with the Quebec production company micro_scope, a singular animated work adapted from a set of short stories by Japanese Haruki Murakami, will have its Quebec premiere. The Grand Duchy also excels in animation, especially since the Oscar won in 2014 by the short film Mr Hublot by Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares which will also be presented as part of the Festival. Le Petit Nicolas – What are we waiting for to be happy? (Benjamin Massoubre, Amandine Fredon, Bidibul Productions – 2022) will have its Canadian premiere and in the presence of actor Laurent Lafitte, who lent his voice to this playful work about the cult character of French comics. Also to discover are Icare (Iris Productions – 2021) by Carlo Vogele (who will travel to Montreal) inspired by ancient myths while adapting them to young audiences, as well as Le Peuple loup (Tomm Moore & Ross Stewart, Mélusine Productions – 2020), which mixes graphic styles in the service of an ecological tale to be appreciated by all ages. Short films L’Ogre ( Aurélien Pira, Zeilt Productions – 2022) and Le petit avale lumière (Nicola Coppack, La Fabrique d’Images – 2013) will complete this overview.
The presentation of the Luxembourgish-French-Belgian co-production Jumbo (Zoé Wittock, Les Films du Fauve – 2019), a romantic drama existing between fantasy, poetry and magical realism, will also be an opportunity to recall the Grand Duchy’s know-how in genre cinema. Another discovery not to be missed: Ailleurs si j’y suis, François Pirot’s new feature film (Mobile Home) co-produced by Tarantula Luxembourg, a satire on our societies too often stuck in performance and accumulation that detonates by its continually inventive tone, with actors Suzanne Clément and Jérémie Renier on screen. In addition, L’Ogre (Aurélien Pira, Zeilt Productions – 2022), La Valise rouge ( Cyrus Neshvad, Cynefilms – 2022) and Caroline sur le toit (Alejandro Bordier, Calach Films – 2022) will be among the international competition for short films eligible for the AQCC – Nespresso Critics’ Prize.
To accompany this exhaustive dive into Luxembourgish creation, the Cinémathèque québécoise will host a conference-debate entitled “Le Cinéma luxembourgeois – un duel critique“, moderated by two seasoned critics representing their respective countries: for Luxembourg, Boyd van Hoeij (The Film Verdict) and for Quebec, Marc-André Lussier (La Presse).
Luxembourg filmmakers Karolina Markiewicz and Pascal Piron will accompany Les témoins vivants (Paul Thiltges Distributions – 2020), a documentary with strong educational content that takes a touching look at the perception of the Holocaust among young people. The film will be part of the documentary competition of the 28th edition, which will also include The Invitation by Fabrizio Maltese. The couple Markiewicz/Piron will also be among the artists presenting virtual reality works at the PHI Center (free admission). The 7 Lives Experiences (a_BAHN), Missing Pictures – The Monkey Wrench Gang (épisode 3) (Wild Fang Films), Metamorphosis (Markiewicz/Piron) and Ayahuasca (a_BAHN) will also be part of the trip.
It is at the PHI Centre, in parallel with the programming offered by CINEMANIA as part of its tribute to the Grand Duchy, that Kultur | lx will invite spectators to discover other aspects of Luxembourgish creation, with several performances and a concert on Thursday 3 November. Also at the IHP Centre, SODEC and Film Fund Luxembourg will hold a day of professional meetings with the presentation of case studies (a feature film, an XR project, and an animated film), networking opportunities and round tables with partners including the Canada Media Fund. , Telefilm Canada, QFTC and Xn Quebec.
To fully experience the Luxembourg country of honour for the 28th edition, CINEMANIA will be presenting a unique immersive outdoor exhibition on Place des Festivals, in the heart of Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles, starting November 3. Every evening, as soon as night falls, the façade of the Wilder will light up and come alive in the colours of Luxembourg thanks to a new video projection created by the Montreal company Lucion. The architecture will be adorned with a luminous work that will make the public discover free of charge the cultural specificity of Luxembourg, its identity, its diversity, and how it resembles us and can unite us. A life-size installation with giant letters bearing the name “Luxembourg” will also occupy part of the pedestrian section of Rue Saint-Catherine, accompanied by giant screens offering passers-by a playful introduction to the Grand Duchy’s assets.
It should also be noted that Alexis Juncosa, artistic director of the Luxembourg City Film Festival, the country’s leading film festival, will sit on the jury of the Quebec Film Competition of the 28th edition of CINEMANIA.
The 28th edition of CINEMANIA will take place from 2 to 13 November in theatres in Montreal.
