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In-Conversation with Gaspar Noé

Gaspar Noe has a reputation for making films that you will watch with your hands covering your eyes. But is that fair? Yes, for sure, the world first noticed his talents when he made the medium-length film Carne about a brutal butcher and his mute daughter. He then stretched it out to make his sensational feature film debut, I Stand Alone, which depicts the aforementioned butcher living on the edge. Then in 2002, he made the sensational Irréversible, starring Monica Bellucci, which tells the story in reverse order of two men who try to take revenge after a sexual assault. Enter the Void would continue the visceral filmmaking that became Noe’s signature. Born in Buenos Aires, the director would continue to entrap audiences and break the fourth wall with his films Enter the Void (2009), Love (2015), Climax (2018) and Lux Æterna (2019). He surprised many with his sixth film, Vortex which was a more straightforward tale of dementia. But of course, being a Noe film, the director still plays with the frame and how time functions, disorientating the audience in the process. Following on from his video Q and A at the Festival last year, Noe will be conducting an In-conversation at the Red Sea IFF. Be prepared to have your head repeatedly bashed in by a fire hydrant.

 

Other movies

LAIL NAHAR

Director: Abdulaziz Almuzaini

Nahar, a beloved and highly popular opera singer, finds himself at the center of a "cancel" storm after a viral video accuses him of racism. In a surprising move, he announces his upcoming marriage to a black woman live on air, putting him in a race against time to find the right woman. Eventually, he marries a wedding singer, and their relationship evolves from one of mutual interests into an unexpected emotional and musical journey filled with surprising twists.

In-Conversation with Michael Mann

Director: Michael Mann

Legendary American director Michael Mann, developed his lean story-telling skills in television, working on crime series such as Police Story and Miami Vice. Many of his generally moody, stylized films revolve around the similarity between the criminal and the policeman pursuing him; the most famous of these is Heat, with its famous confrontation between Robert de Niro and Al Pacino.

SUPERBOYS OF MALEGAON

Director: Reema Kagti

This entertaining romp is based on the life of Nasir Shaikh, an amateur film-maker from the poor Indian town of Malegaon who was inspired by his love of silent slapstick to make a film of his own, featuring local characters and put together by a crew of friends. As the locals favoured Bollywood escapism, he adapted some of their favourites with the tales transported to Malegaon. People loved it, but their success threatened to split the group, one of whom turned out to have bigger ambitions: a few hurdles had to be jumped before everyone realised what really mattered to them. It is a poignant and at times funny take on film-making, friendship and what happens when those worlds collide.

MY WAY

Director: Thierry Teston

Many people are unaware that the iconic song My Way, most famously recorded by Frank Sinatra but covered by everyone from Pavarotti to Sid Vicious and Robbie Williams, was based on the melody of a French tune. In 1967, composer Jacques Revaux and singer Claude Francois wrote Comme D'habitute while sitting by Francois’ swimming pool. Not long after that, it made its way to the United States, where Paul Anka wrote the words that Frank Sinatra would make famous; since then, it has crossed eras, borders and generations. In commemoration of 50 years of My Way, the directors assemble archival footage, interview musicians and unearth new anecdotes to piece together the tune's history, with the song personified by Jane Fonda's narration.