Polanski's erotic comedy to compete at Cannes

Polanski: image - wikipedia

Billed as an erotic comedy, the French-Polish co-production is an adaptation of the award-winning play of the same name by David Ives.

Mathieu Amalric – best known as Bond villain Dominic Greene in Quantum of Solace – plays a theatre director who is attempting a dramatisation of kinky 19th century novella Venus in Furs, written by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (he who inspired the the word masochism).

Amalric's character is struggling to hire the right female lead for his production, and he suddenly finds himself cornered by an irrepressible, yet entirely unsuitable actress (played by Polanski's wife Emmanuelle Seigneur) who insists on playing the role.

Award-winning Polish cinematographer Pawel Edelman (The Pianist, The Ghost Writer, Carnage) resumed his long-running collaboration with Polanski for the film.

Venus in Fur will compete alongside 18 other movies for the coveted Palme d'Or, including new works by the Cohen brothers, Steven Soderbergh and Alexander Payne.

American director Steven Spielberg will chair the jury this year.

Animated Lem to open Directors' Fortnight

Meanwhile, an adaptation of late Polish sci-fi writer Stanislaw Lem's novel The Futurological Congress will open the Directors' Fortnight Section.

Made by Israeli film-maker Ari Folman (Waltz with Bashir), The Congress is a part animated, part live action movie starring Harvey Keitel and Robin Wright.

The 66th Cannes Film Festival will run from 15 May to 26 May. (nh)

Source: PISF