A new work by cult young director Xavier Dolan, MOMMY (Canada), will open the Saint Petersburg International Media Forum (SPIMF), organised by ROSKINO, while one of the most anticipated films of the year and a leading contender for awards season glory, Oscar-winning director Susanne Bier’s SERENA (USA/Czech Republic) will close proceedings.
Katya Mtsitouridze, SPIMF’s concept creator and general producer, head of ROSKINO added, “I’m proud that the opening night film of the 1st St Petersburg International Media Forum will be the brilliant premiere of young genius Xavier Dolan, who has already made the Cannes IFF audiences fall in love with him. “Mommy” revisits the family problems from Dolan’s early works, and his favourite actress Anne Dorval stars as the main character. In my opinion, this is her best role in cinema, and the deep connection that they developed on set is obvious. I’m sure after the film’s premiere at our Forum, the huge number of Dolan’s Russian fans will expand even more.
The Media Forum’s closing ceremony will see the world premiere of Serena, the first Hollywood film by Oscar-winning Danish director Susanne Bier featuring first-class stars Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. The stunning duo from comedies Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, which won Lawrence two Oscars, has been completely transformed in this film, with some of Hollywood’s most prominent actors showing off new facets of their talent.”
MOMMY is 25-year-old Dolan’s fifth film and was selected for the main competition at the 67th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Jury Prize. Saint Petersburg is set to host Mommy’s Russian premiere on October 1, telling the story of vivacious tattooed widow Diana (Anne Dorval) and her son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) as they rebuild their relationship after Steve is released from an institution where he ended up after setting fire to another teenager. With the help of timid neighbour Kyla (Suzanne Clement) the mother and son attempt to restore family order after an uneasy past.
Xavier Dolan, Mommy’s director said of the film, “It seems that some parallels could be drawn between my first film and Mommy, but that’s only at first glance. From the directing to the acting style and visual effects, these two films are like different planets. The first one focuses on the teenager’s view, while the second analyses the trials of the mother. I Killed My Mother is about a teenage crisis, while Mommy is about an existential one. I see no reason to make the same film twice. But I’m happy to come back to the theme of mother-son relationships, which is always present in my films. I’m thrilled by the opportunity to open new horizons not only within my own filmography, but within the ‘family’ genre in general, which for me presents a real dialogue with the audience. Mothers are where we come from, and a child is what we are and what we are going to be. These Freudian motifs will always be a part of us.”
The closing ceremony of the Saint Petersburg Media Forum will see the World Premiere of SERENA on October 10, a new film by Oscar-winning director Susanne Bier. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, the epic-scale love story follows Serena (Lawrence) and her marriage to successful industrialist George Pemberton (Cooper). The happy couple rules the Pembertons’ timber empire, and it seems that nothing can get in the way of their marriage full of tenderness and passion – nothing but the secrets of the past and jealousy, which are disastrously dangerous.
Susanne Bier, Serena’s director said of the project, “Throughout my entire career, I’ve chosen projects, which truly excite, intrigue, affect or scare me. Any time you start to work on a new film, you have to imagine that you’re climbing a new mountain where you’ve never been before. It’s important that you like the mountain!”
Mommy’s Russian theatrical release is scheduled for November 13 (distributor PROvzglyad), and Serena’s release in Russia is set for October 30 (distributor – Vol’ga).
