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19-04-2019

FNE at Cannes 2019: Main Competition Announced: Porumboiu’s The Whistlers Scores Slot in Lineup

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    La Gomera by Corneliu Porumboiu La Gomera by Corneliu Porumboiu photo:Vlad Cioplea

    BUCHAREST: Romanian writer/director Corneliu Porumboiu enters Cannes’ competition for the first time with the Romanian/French/German coproduction The Whistlers/La Gomera starring Vlad Ivanov. La Gomera is the only film from CEE countries selected in the Cannes’ lineup. The Official Selection was announced on 18 April 2019.

    Following his artistic quest from Police, Adjective / Politist, adjectiv (42 KM FILM), Porumboiu wrote a story about a policeman called Cristi, who reaches the La Gomera island in Spain in order to learn El Silbo, a whistled language used by the inhabitants over a distance of up to five kilometres. Cristi aims at freeing Zsolt, a controversial businessman arrested in Bucharest.

    Porumboiu said in a statement during the shooting that he is interested in a “possible use of the old language El Silbo in a world where communication is more and more controlled and there is a direct conflict between verbal and non-verbal”.

    The cast includes Catrinel Menghia (Marlon), Rodica Lazăr and Sabin Tambrea. The film has been acquired by MK2 Films during the shooting.

    La Gomera is a coproduction between 42 KM FILM (Romania), Les Films du Worso (France), Komplizen Film (Germany) and Arte Grand Accord. It was supported by the Romanian Film Centre together with Eurimages.

    This is the first film that Porumboiu shot outside Romania.

    The Short Film Competition and Cinéfondation selections have not been announced yet.

    Cannes Main Competition:

    The Dead Don’t Die (Sweden, USA)
    Directed by Jim Jarmusch

    Pain and Glory / Dolor y gloria (Spain)
    Directed by Pedro Almodóvar

    The Traitor / Il traditore (Italy, France, Brazil, Germany)
    Directed by Marco Bellocchio

    Parasite / Gisaengchung (South Korea)
    Directed by Bong Joon Ho

    The Young Ahmed / Le jeune Ahmed (Belgium)
    Directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne

    Oh Mercy! / Roubaix, a Light (France)
    Directed by Arnaud Desplechin

    The Wild Goose Lake / Nan Fang Che Zhan De Ju Hui (China)
    Directed by Diao Yinan

    Atlantique (France)
    Directed by Mati Diop

    Matthias & Maxime (Canada)
    Directed by Xavier Dolan

    Little Joe (Austria, UK, Germany)
    Directed by Jessica Hausner

    Sorry We Missed You (UK, France, Belgium)
    Directed by Ken Loach

    Les Misérables (France)
    Directed by Ladj Ly

    A Hidden Life (USA, Germany)
    Directed by Terrence Malick

    Nighthawk / Bacarau (Brazil)
    Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles

    The Whistlers / La Gomera (Romania, France, Germany)
    Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu
    Produced by 42 KM FILM
    Coproduced by Les Films du Worso, Komplizen Film and Arte Grand Accord
    Supported by the Romanian Film Centre, Eurimages

    Frankie (USA)
    Directed by Ira Sachs

    Portrait of a Lady on Fire / Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (France)
    Directed by Céline Sciamma

    It Must Be Heaven (France, Canada)
    Directed by Elia Suleiman

    Sibyl (France)
    Directed by Justine Triet