at Lumière

PostED ON 16.10.2024

Iciar Bollain, a guest of honour of the festival, introduces her film,  Take My Eyes (2003).

“The film we're going to see today, Take My Eyes, and the following film, I am Nevenka (2024), are two films that correspond to each other, that have a mirror effect. Both deal with private matters, intimate lives. I wanted to emphasise the life of a couple and the way they talk about love, life and how all that evolves between the characters. Since 2004, there have been debates in Spain about domestic violence and violence against women, and that's the theme of this film.

My idea is that within each love story, complex things come about. My main character, a woman, wants to go out and look for love, but she finds something else. So I'd say that Take My Eyes is the story about a relationship. There is him and there is her, and that's how things sometimes happen.”

Reported by F.B.

© Jean-Luc Mege

Laure de Boissard, Executive Vice President of Catalogues, Series & International affairs at Pathé Films, introduces Pontcarral by Jean Delannoy (1942), restored by her team.Directrice Générale Adjointe Catalogue, Séries & International chez Pathé Films, présente Pontcarral, colonel d’empire de Jean Delannoy (1942), restauré par son équipe.

“The film deals with the royalist era of Louis-Philippe. It delivers a strong message of restoring honour to France and denouncing the historical context. A scene in the film was cut from the script by the censors: Louis-Philippe's character says, ‘It's time to take France out of its humiliations and restore a little glory to its flags’. You can imagine that at the time, in 1942, this did not go down well! The film was a resounding success when it was released.”

Reported by Fanny Bellocq

Jean Becker introduces his film, Backfire at the Hangar of the Institut Lumière.

“It was a wonderful adventure because it really is a road movie. The story takes place in Italy, in Germany, in the Arab countries... So when you see the film, you're travelling on a shoestring! Jean Seberg was a pearl. Unfortunately, she was overcome by fame. Jean-Paul Belmondo was a marvel, a friend. A raving fanatic capable of anything. I remember one scene on a moving train where he really put himself in danger!”

Reported by F.B.

© Léa Rener