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Meanwhile on Earth (Pendant ce temps sur Terre) from writer/director Jeremy Clapin (I Lost My Body) is a slow-burn sci-fi story of grief and loss, and arrested development. The film stars Megan Northam (The Passengers of The Night) as Elsa, a budding illustrator and sister to famed astronaut who never returned from a fateful space mission. In her small French town, her brother Franck even has a bronze statue immortalizing him…which she routinely vandalizes to make him look like a superhero. Needless to say, it’s been hard for Elsa and her family to move on and Franck is never far from their thoughts.

In a bizarre twist, Elsa is contacted by her brother after she enters a paranormal vortex while gazing at the stars. But when her connection to Franck is cut short, and an unknown entity begins communicating with Elsa, she learns that she has been...

Mingling retrospectives, themed series, and a handful of new films’ streaming premieres, Mubi’s August 2024 lineup is unveiled. At the top comes “American Outsider: The Films of Kelly Reichardt,” which joins Wendy and Lucy and Meek’s Cutoff with the already-playing Certain Women and River of Grass.

Streaming premieres are being given to four new films we admired: Ernst De Geer’s The Hypnosis, Mikhaël Hers’ The Passengers of the Night, Baloji’s Omen, and Levan Akin’s Crossing, a Mubi release. Meanwhile, Sean Durkin’s The Nest joins “The Art of Deception: Swindlers, Scoundrels and Sharks,” a series including Alain Resnais’ little-seen Stavisky, Lee Chang-dong’s Burning, and Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave.

Check out the lineup below, and get 30 days free here.

August 1st

Wendy & Lucy, directed by Kelly Reichardt | American Outsider: The Films of Kelly Reichardt

Meek’s Cutoff, directed by Kelly Reichardt | American Outsider: The Films of Kelly Reichardt

Omen,...

LevelFilm has acquired a brace of festival favorite films from Metrograph Pictures for Canadian distribution.

India Donaldson’s feature directorial debut “Good One” world premiered at Sundance and screened at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. In the coming-of-age drama, 17-year-old Sam (Lily Collias) embarks on a three-day backpacking trip in the Catskills with her dad, Chris (James Le Gros) and his oldest friend, Matt (Danny McCarthy). As the two men quickly settle into a gently quarrelsome brotherly dynamic, airing long-held grievances, Sam attempts to mediate their disputes. But when lines are crossed and Sam’s trust is betrayed, tensions reach a fever pitch.

“Meanwhile on Earth” is the live-action debut of Jérémy Clapin who was nominated for an Academy Award for his adult animated film “I Lost My Body.” The film, which premiered at the Berlinale earlier this year, stars Meghan Northam (“The Passengers of the Night”) in her debut feature starring role.

Alireza Khatami and Ali Asgari‘s “Terrestrial Verses,” the sole Iranian film which premiered in Cannes’ official selection, has been acquired by KimStim for North American distribution. The movie, represented in international markets by Films Boutique, will soon play at U.S. festivals, including Chicago, Mill Valley and AFI Fest.

A satire of the Iranian regime, “Terrestrial Verses” follows everyday people from all walks of life as they navigate the cultural, religious and institutional constraints imposed on them by various social authorities, from school teachers to bureaucrats.

“We were struck by the film’s intelligence, thought-provoking ideas and elegant commentary on the experiences of ordinary citizens in Iran,” said Ian Stimmler, KimStim’s co-president. “The film will surely provoke spirited conversations with its dark sense of humor and its depiction of the cultural and religious constraints placed on everyday people there, especially women,” Stimmler continued.

Asgari, who attended the Cannes...

Perhaps it’s presumptuous to say, but I sensed during The Passengers of the Night that I was watching another film in the line of The Fabelmans or (God forbid) Belfast: a nostalgic reverie inspired by lockdown-enforced personal reflection. Though in this case, with Full Moon in Paris taking for Mikhaël Hers the place of whatever child-friendly movie little Stevie Spielberg or Kenny Branagh were gazing up at in wonder, with that film’s star Pascale Ogier and the way her life was tragically cut short curiously haunting the proceedings of this ostensible family drama.

A film that can be accurately described as very French (archival footage of Jacques Rivette from the Claire Denis-directed documentary even appears), and furthermore evoking Renoir, Pialat, and (for a more recent comparison) Mia Hansen-Løve in its elliptical yet always character-driven narrative, Hers’ film is a case of one that never quite shatters...

"To the pleasure of your company. Here with me." KimStim Films has debuted a new official US trailer for the French indie drama called The Passengers of the Night (also known as Les Passagers de la Nuit), which will finally be out in theaters this summer. The film first premiered at the 2022 Berlin Film Festival last year, but it hasn't made much of an impact since then despite playing at many other international fests. Set in 1981 in Paris, this is sort of an autobiographical tale of a French family and their interactions. Left by her husband, Elisabeth finds herself alone, responsible for the day-to-day care of her two children. She picks up a job on a night-time radio show, where she meets the free-spirited Talulah, a youngster she decides to take under her wing. The French drama "is filled with small acts of kindness that have profound effects." Charlotte Gainsbourg stars as Elisabeth,...

As we near the halfway point of the year, one of the great performances of 2023 thus far comes courtesy Charlotte Gainsbourg in Mikhaël Hers’ new drama The Passengers of the Night. Following a woman adrift in 1980s Paris, the drama is carefully attuned to the emotions of everyone that graces the screen. Reeling from a divorce while balancing job prospects and a relationship with her two teenage children as well as a new teenager that enters her life, Passengers exudes a mature poeticism in every scene. Ahead of a release at the end of the month starting at IFC Center, the new U.S. trailer has now arrived.

Here’s the official synopsis for the Berlinale and TIFF selection: “On election night in 1981, celebrations spill out onto the street and there is an air of hope and change throughout Paris. But for Elisabeth, her marriage is coming to an end,...

Mikhaël Hers is known for his precise, intentional, fulfilling films that effortlessly capture the beauty in the stories he is telling and his 2022 film, “The Passengers Of The Night,” is no different. And now, the filmmaker’s fans are going to get a chance to see the acclaimed film in theaters.

Read More: ‘The Passengers Of The Night’ Review: Charlotte Gainsbourg Eventually Finds Her Way A Moody, Melancholic Drama [Berlin Film Festival]

Premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival, this melancholic drama is set in Paris, France in 1981.

Continue reading ‘The Passengers Of The Night’ Exclusive Trailer: Charlotte Gainsbourg Stars In Mikhaël Hers’ Acclaimed Drama at The Playlist.

Exclusive: France tv distribution has launched sales on French director Benoît Jacquot’s upcoming crime thriller Belle starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Guillaume Canet.

The work is adapted from the 1951 novel The Death Of Belle by the iconic Belgian writer Georges Simenon who is best known for his novels about Paris detective Maigret.

Canet and Gainsbourg will play a couple leading a peaceful existence in a small provincial town. He is a teacher and she runs an opticians practice.

Their life is turned upside when Belle, a friend’s daughter who is lodging with them, is found dead in her room. The husband becomes the prime suspect as the only one at home at the time.

He finds himself subject to humiliating questioning by the police, ostracized by colleagues and treated with hostility by the local townspeople. In this small town where nothing is a secret the question on everyone’s lips is,...

The Passengers of the Night Trailer — Mikhaël Hers‘ The Passengers of the Night / Les Passagers de la Nuit (2022) movie trailer has been released by Madman Films. The Passengers of the Night trailer stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Noée Abita, Quito Rayon Richter, Megan Northam, Thibault Vinçon, and Emmanuelle Béart. Crew Maud Ameline, Mariette Désert, and [...]

Continue reading: The Passengers Of The Night (2022) Movie Trailer: Charlotte Gainsbourg’s Radio Show Job Brings an Inspirational Presence into Her Life...

"I often think of moments we spent together. They're like gifts." Madman Films in Australia has debuted an official trailer for a French indie drama titled The Passengers of the Night, ahead of it premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in June. The film first screened at the Berlin Film Festival, but it didn't really pick up any great reviews. Set in 1981 in Paris, this is sort of an autobiographical tale of a French family. Left by her husband, Elisabeth finds herself alone, responsible for the day-to-day care of her two children. She picks up a job on a night-time radio show, where she meets the free-spirited Talulah, a youngster she decides to take under her wing. "This heart-warming film is filled with small acts of kindness that have profound effects." Charlotte Gainsbourg stars as Elisabeth, joined by Noée Abita as Talulah, Quito Rayon Richter, Megan Northam, Thibault Vinçon, and Emmanuelle Béart.

A former mk2 films sales executive has been brought in to scout for international co-production opportunities.

Nord-Ouest Films, the French production house behind the cult classic Irreversible and more recent Berlinale title The Passengers Of The Night, has hired former mk2 films sales executive Ola Byszuk as a producer to expand its international footprint.

In her new role, Byszuk will focus on forging links with international talent and producers outside of France.

At mk2 films, Byszuk was responsible for Asia and sealed a number of deals that resulted in some of the biggest box office successes for French-language films in the region in recent years,...

Charlotte Gainsbourg-starring “The Passengers of the Night” and Ralph Fiennes- and Jessica Chastain-starring “The Forgiven” are among the first batch of movies revealed by the Sydney Film Festival. The festival is planning an in-person event running 8-19 June, 2022.

Australian-produced titles include dance film “Keep Stepping”; “Sissy,” which mixes social media and horror; music title “Six Festivals”; and intimate portrait “The Plains,” which had its premiere in Rotterdam earlier this year.

The 22-film advanced lineup also leans heavily on other festival favorites. “Gentle” which premiered in Sundance; “Hinterland,” which won the audience award in Locarno last year; Peter Strickland’s “Flux Gourmet,” from the Berlinale; Kamila Andini’s “Yuni” winner of Toronto’s Platform award; “Private Desert,” audience award winner at Venice; documentary “Calendar Girls” from the recent Sundance and Cph:dox festivals; “Please Baby Please,” which opened the Rotterdam festival; “The Territory,” the documentary award-winner at Sundance; “Blue Moon,...

There’s something about French films. The impeccably styled but lived-in interiors, the laid-back sensuality that feels like real-people sex, the cigarettes upon cigarettes upon cigarettes. The country’s entire oeuvre (has the word ever been more apropos?) feels like a smoky exhalation of the words “le cinéma.” That said, French films get away with certain things American films wouldn’t dare, for better or for worse. In “The Passengers of the Night” (“Les passagers de la nuit”), which stars Charlotte Gainsbourg as a newly divorced mother, meaning takes a backseat to mood, and character development happens on a whim. Still,

The film opens on election night in 1981. As the winds of change sweep the streets of Paris, bursting with youthful optimism, Elisabeth (Gainsbourg) is on the precipice of a less welcome change. Her marriage over, and she is filled with uncertainty about how to support her two teenage kids,...

It’s May 10, 1981, and Paris is celebrating. French political junkies might know the cause for this revelry, but for the rest of us, the reason seems to matter less than the electric atmosphere enveloping the streets as people dance to the sound of honking car horns. Grainy, scene-setting archival footage is interspersed with the main action here and elsewhere in Mikhaël Hers’ period piece, which stars Charlotte Gainsbourg as a single mother looking to rediscover herself after being left by her husband. An airy, low-key drama that doesn’t suffer for its lack of narrative tension, “The Passengers of the Night” further proves the old adage about the journey mattering more the destination.

We first meet Élisabet (Gainsbourg) at her lowest: unemployed, recently single and responsible for two teenagers (Quito Rayon-Richter and Megan Northam) whose father has walked out on the family. That may sound like the setup for something dire,...

The streets outside her window are dripping with hope, and yet Élisabeth (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is lost. It is Paris, 1981, a new president has been elected, and Élisabeth’s husband has left, claiming the thrillingness of motion by moving in with a new girlfriend while his ex is left with the stagnance of remaining, the apartment where they’ve raised their children, Judith (Megan Northam) and Matthias (Quito Rayon-Richter), at once comfortingly familiar and dreadfully new.

Continue reading ‘The Passengers Of The Night’ Review: Charlotte Gainsbourg Eventually Finds Her Way A Moody, Melancholic Drama [Berlin Film Festival] at The Playlist.

As the Berlinale trundles on, the usual joie de vivre of a pre-pandemic film festival is in short supply, and dealmaking out of the virtual European Film Market has felt lopsided.

Sony’s $60 million deal for Tom Hanks’ “A Man Called Otto,” an adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling Swedish-language novel “A Man Called Ove” — which was made into an Oscar-nominated Swedish feature — grabbed headlines early on (Variety understands it boiled down to a bidding war between the studio and Apple), but hasn’t necessarily spawned the usual flurry of deals from Berlin halfway through the festival.

One buyer from a major U.K. distributor says the EFM vibe has felt “muted” for a company of its size, with an absence of broad-appeal product available once “Otto” was snapped up by Sony. “The lack of mainstream commercial packages is frustrating, and only puts more pressure on Cannes needing to deliver something big for all,...

We’re back in 1981 — among placards, lapel badges and whooping young people. François Mitterand, a socialist, has just been elected president of France. It isn’t a date that resonates much now — certainly not outside France — but the palpable sense of excitement in the opening scene of Mikhael Hers’s Berlin Film Festival competition entry The Passengers Of The Night suggests we are about to take a sweeping look at lived history.

On to 1984, with Lloyd Cole’s “Rattlesnake” playing over a carefree scene of two boys on bicycles; again, there is the remembrance of things not long past.

After that, there is more of a sense of history abandoned as the story closes in on Elisabeth (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her children: university student Judith (Megan Northam) — whose interest in a broader world will soon take her out of the household to a communal flat, her activism barely discussed — and...

MK2 Films, the banner behind Joachim Trier’s Oscar-nominated “The Worst Person in the World,” has boarded “Nezouh,” from Syrian director Soudade Kaadan.

The drama, set against the backdrop of the conflict in Damascus, marks Kaadan’s follow up to her 2018 feature debut, “The Day I Lost My Shadow,” which won the Lion of the Future prize at Venice. Her 2019 short “Aziza,” meanwhile, won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize.

Co-financed by BFI, which awarded National Lottery funding, and Film4, “Nezouh” is an allegorical tale of female emancipation.

The movie follows 14-year-old Zeina and her family, whose lives are shaken after a bomb rips a giant hole in the roof of their building, exposing them to the outside world. One day, a young boy living nearby lowers a rope through the opening and Zeina discovers her first taste of freedom. Whilst her father is determined to stay in his home and not become a refugee,...