#TIFF22: “FALCON LAKE”

By Amanda Gilmore

This summertime coming-of-age tale follows 14-year-old Bastien (Joseph Engel) on his and his family’s getaway to a cottage in rural Quebec. They spend their days there with his mother’s best friend and her 16-year-old daughter, Chloé (Sara Montpetit). Soon, Bastien is beguiled by Sara’s moodiness and her tales of the ghost of a boy who drowned in the very lake they swim in.

Actress-turned-Director Charlotte Le Bon makes a splash with this Gothic Romance, her directorial debut. It’s a tale of summer love told through two nuanced characters. Bastien and Chloé are different from the other teenagers around. They spend their days speaking of the ghost and even posing for photos dressed in a white sheet. Oh, and they think it’s a fun game to bite down on the spot between their thumb and forefinger to see if they can penetrate the skin. Both Engel and Montpetit give textured performances and remind us of a time in our youth when everything seemed immediate.

Falcon Lake seeps into the atmosphere. One that balances the lightness of summertime vibes with the creepy tension of a Horror. These chilling moments are highlighted even more with a haunting score by Shida Shahabi and Wilhelm Brandl. Le Bon captures a moment in time with scenes of parties by a fire on a summer’s night. She contrasts these lively scenes with quiet, calm ones of Bastien or Sara in or by the lake, sometimes with an image of a ghost watching them.

Although this coming-of-age tale feels familiar, Falcon Lake masters its tone and atmosphere while delivering developed characters.

Falcon Lake screens at TIFF ’22 as follows:

Tue, Sep 13 IN-PERSON at Scotiabank Theatre at 6:30 pm

Wed, Sep 14 IN-PERSON at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 12:30 pm

#TIFF22: CHARLOTTE LE BON’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT “FALCON LAKE” TO PREMIERE AT 2022 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Sphere Films is thrilled to announce that FALCON LAKE by Charlotte Le Bon will have its North-American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in the Contemporary World Cinema section. Presented as a World Premiere at the 54th Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and in competition for the Caméra d’Or at Cannes as a first feature, FALCON LAKE stars Sara Montpetit (Maria Chapdelaine), Karine Gonthier-Hyndman (Like-Moi), Monia Chokri (Heartbeats) and young French actor Joseph Engel (The Crusade).

Bastien and Chloé spend their summer vacation with their families at a lake cabin in Quebec, haunted by a ghost legend. Despite the age gap between them, the two teenagers form a singular bond. Ready to overcome his worst fears to earn a place in Chloé’s heart, the holiday becomes a turbulent pivotal moment for the young boy.

FALCON LAKE is the feature directorial debut by actress Charlotte Le Bon (The Hundred-Foot Journey, Mood Indigo, The Walk, Yves Saint Laurent), who previously directed the short film Judith Hotel, which screened at Cannes. As a visual artist, Le Bon explored the themes of the strange and surreal through her paintings, drawings and lithographs before turning to film. Her expertise shines in this first feature, where the impressive cast comes together in a superbly crafted coming-of-age story, loosely adapted from the novel Une Soeur by Bastien Vivès.

Produced by Sylvain Corbeil and Nancy Grant (Metafilms) in cooperation with CBC/Radio-Canada and Super Écran, with financial support from the SODEC, Telefilm Canada, Eurimages and the Harold Greenberg Fund, as well as Quebec and Canadian tax credits, FALCON LAKE was co-produced by David Gauquie, Julien Deris and Jean-Luc Ormières (Cinéfrance Studios) and Jalil Lespert (Onze Cinq). Memento International oversees international sales.

Distributed in Canada by Sphere Films, FALCON LAKE will be released on October 14, 2022.

#CANNES22: 2022 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL DAY ONE RECAP

The 2022 Cannes Film Festival, now in its 75th edition, has officially begun and we’re so thrilled to be a part of the festivities this year! Our Amanda Gilmore is on-foot out on the French Riviera as the Festival runs today through May 28, 2022.

Canada certainly is making its presence felt and even has its own Festival Village! Canada Tent set-up, the Pavillion having been absent for two years. Our Country is represented by CRIMES OF THE FUTURE (David Cronenberg) – which also will be getting a Canadian Premiere in June at TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX – and FALCON LAKE (Charlotte Le Bon).

Academy Award winner Forrest Whitaker in addition to producing Documentary For the Sake of Peace, is receiving an honourary Palme d’Or as well. He says this is the first time he has ever felt internationally-recognized as an Artist!

The Festival’s Jury Conference featured some deep talent with names like Deepika Padukone, Rebecca Hall, Noomi Rapace, Jasmine Trinca, Asghar Farhadi, Ladj Ly, Jeff Nichols and Joachim Trier.

Some key quotes from the Panel conducted in both French and English. A recurring theme with the Jury is their humility and love of Cinema, helping spotlight talent versus “judging” and “critiquing”, which is refreshing.

Noomi Rapace: “It’s a dream come true. Thank you. Thank you for having me.”.

Rebecca Hall: “Not here was no hesitation it was obviously a tremendous honour.”. On bring a Juror, the Actress/Director says, “I don’t like the word judge…There is a huge responsibility, but also a creative responsibility.”.

Deepika Padukone: “We made a promise to each other that we won’t burden ourselves with the responsibility.”. The Bollywood icon tells the room, “Cinema is such a powerful tool and medium it has the ability to impact people’s lives.”.

Joachim Trier: “Together we will have some really interesting and difficult conversations.”. The Director of acclaimed THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD also reveals, “I’m looking forward to watching 21 movies.”.

Jeff Nichols: “I once waited tables at the American Pavilion and someone tipped me a ticket and I was blown-away by how beautifully this Festival honours Filmmakers.”. Nichols, excited like Trier about seeing some movies says, “I guarantee you I will watch every single one of these films with the same energy and awe as when I was 21. “.

A view of the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière Red Carpet:

The famed Theatre Debussy Red Carpet:

TOP GUN: MAVERICK also will get is eagerly-awaited Premiere tomorrow night. See this amazing installation set-up to celebration the Blockbuster!

Bookmark this link and check daily as we will be bringing you your latest Reviews from Cannes!

So excited to deliver you our coverage on the world stage!

(Photo credit: Amanda GIlmore for Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: HELEN MIRREN IN “THE HUNDRED-FOOT” JOURNEY

Food and Drama together?  Sign me up for that!  Production officially  has begun in southwest France on the Culinary-Drama, The  Hundred-Foot Journey.  The Film, adapted from the Novel by Richard C. Morais, is from Participant Media and DreamWorks Studios.

In the starring role of Madame Mallory is Academy Award-Winner Helen Mirren with a Supporting Cast which includes Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon and Om Puri.  The Film is produced by Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Juliet Blake, while Academy Award-nominated Lasse Hallström directs.

 

Official Synopsis:

In The Hundred-Foot Journey, Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is a culinary ingénue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint Village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. Filled with charm, it is both picturesque and elegant – the ideal place to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, the Maison Mumbai. That is, until the chilly Chef Proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin-starred, classical French restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), gets wind of it. Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant a hundred feet from her own escalate to all out war between the two establishments – until Hassan’s passion for French haute cuisine and for Mme. Mallory’s enchanting Sous Chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), combine with his mysteriously delicious talent to weave magic between their two cultures and imbue Saint-Antonin with the flavors of life that even Mme. Mallory cannot ignore. At first Mme. Mallory‘s culinary Rival, she eventually recognizes Hassan‘s gift as a Chef and takes him under her wing.

 

Everything about this sounds absolutely delightful and the only one thing upsetting is that this premieres before TIFF ’14, meaning it won’t have a chance of premiering here next September!

 

The Hundred-Foot Journey hits theatres August 8, 2014.

 

(Photo credit: DreamWorks Studios)