It’s time for a round-up of a trio of international filmmakers and their upcoming projects. Exciting, no?
Acclaimed Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami most recently grabbed our attention with his fascinating 2010 critical hit “Certified Copy,” and he’ll be hoping that his next project (after “Like Someone in Love,” which screened at Cannes earlier this week) will be met with a similar reception when it eventually makes its way to theaters. “Horizontal Process” will be shot in the Apulia region of Italy, about which Kiarostami told an audience at the Bari Film Festival earlier this year that he loves “the complex architecture of the various cities, which conveys the complexity of the people who live there.” There are no plot details available as of yet, and it sounds like this is inspired far more by the region than by any particular story or script. [Variety]
Next up is Paolo Sorrentino, the Italian director behind “Il Divo” and the Sean Penn-starring “This Must Be the Place.” He’ll be reuniting with his “Il Divo” star Toni Servillo for the Rome-set “La Grande Bellezza” ("The Great Beauty"), which will also star Carlo Verdone and Sabrina Ferilli. Like Kiarostami, Sorrentino seems to be taking inspiration from his city, with Variety reporting that “the city of Rome and its grotesque glamorous society and arts world underbelly are believed to feature prominently.” Italy must sure be an appealing place to shoot movies post-Berlusconi. [Variety]
And finally, “JCVD” and “The Cold Light of Day” director Mabrouk El Mechri is planning a film about the Egyptian-born French singer “Dalida.” Nadia Fares will play the eponymous singer who committed suicide in 1986 after a successful 30-year career. Like all biopics, the film will apparently try to explore the duality between the singer’s public image and who she really was. Let’s hope there’s a little bit more to it than that – but we’re not holding out much hope after El Mechri’s abysmal Henry Cavill vehicle. Whether this signals the end of the director’s foray into Hollywood remains to be seen. [Variety]
