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Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kirill Serebrennikov on Cannes Premiere ‘The Disappearance of Josef Mengele,' a Portrait of Fugitive Nazi Doctor
Russian auteur Kirill Serebrennikov, whose latest feature, 'The Disappearance of Josef Mengele,' debuts May 20 in the Cannes Premiere section of the Cannes Film Festival, has justice on his mind. His latest film, adapted from the best-selling French novel by Olivier Guez, follows the notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, who found refuge in South America at the end of WWII and was never captured. He died in Brazil in 1979 without having been judged for his crimes. More from Variety Venice Prizewinner Valentyn Vasyanovych, Rising Talent Antonio Lukich Headline Cannes Slate From Ukraine's ForeFilms (EXCLUSIVE) Cradle Film Studios Moves Forward as Backers Tout Plans for 'Most Advanced, High-Tech Studio' in Africa (EXCLUSIVE) 'The Odyssey,' 'Maria' Filming Location Greece Hits Troubled Waters Over Ongoing Delays With 40% Cash Rebate It is a subject that strikes home for the director, who left his native Russia shortly after the country's invasion of Ukraine. Asked if he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin might similarly elude justice once the war finally ends, Serebrennikov insists: 'I can't be a prophet.' 'I know that history is like this: Sometimes, people are dying in wars and the people who started the war have no responsibility,' the director tells Variety. 'They just become the heroes of their nations.' Produced by Charles Gillibert at CG Cinema ('Annette') and Ilya Stewart at Hype Studios ('Tchaikovsky's Wife'), 'The Disappearance of Josef Mengele' stars August Diehl ('A Hidden Life') as the infamous Nazi doctor, who conducted inhumane medical experiments on prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp and was branded the 'angel of death.' The audacious film is told from Mengele's point of view and follows his years as a fugitive, as he finds sympathy and support among the South American political elite while also reciting a litany of self-serving justifications for his heinous crimes. The director worked closely with the French novelist Guez to discuss the 'philosophical and practical approaches' to adapting the prize-winning novel, which was published in more than 30 countries. Serebrennikov composed the script, acknowledging it was 'a difficult task to embody this type of person we would call today a monster.' 'Disappearance' nevertheless paints a damning portrait of Mengele in his final years, as he grows increasingly paranoid, rambling and delusional — an interpretation, the director admits, that is partly an effort to deliver a dose of poetic justice to a war criminal who was never tried for his crimes. 'All his ghosts and all his nightmares are part of my imagination,' says Serebrennikov. 'I would love to believe that sometime, late at night, [criminals like Mengele] have a spark of guilt, and all those ghosts come to them. As it's written in Shakespeare's plays, 'Macbeth' or 'Richard III.' As it's written in 'Boris Godunov' — [Russian playwright Alexander] Pushkin's and [composer Modest] Mussorgsky's masterpieces. 'Now we understand that it doesn't work [that way]. It's the complete opposite,' says the director. 'All these people who are responsible for killing millions, they don't feel any guilt. They feel nothing.' Serebrennikov left Russia in 2020, following the suspension of a three-year travel ban imposed by the Kremlin on trumped-up charges. That ban notably prevented the director from presenting two previous films — 2018 rock opus 'Leto' and 2020 fever dream 'Petrov's Flu' — at the Cannes Film Festival, where he has been a mainstay since his 2016 debut 'The Student' premiered in Un Certain Regard. Five years later, Serebrennikov says a return to his homeland would be 'impossible.' The world, meanwhile, has grown darker, the future clouded with uncertainty. 'Look at America. Everything has changed in less than 100 days,' he says. The director sees this dawning age as a return to demagogues and cruelty, to a political order that the Soviet-born filmmaker, like many others, hoped had died out with the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. The end of history, as it turns out, did not bring with it a prolonged era of Pax Americana. The threat this time seems to be coming from everywhere all at once. 'The world we used to live in is collapsing, is dying,' Serebrennikov says. 'It's…under attack by quite a lot of forces. From people who start wars and don't care about killing other people. From people trying to attack democracy. From people who are trying to attack different aspects of democracy. Now we understand that we are very vulnerable. 'I always try to find something good, even in the worst situation,' he continues. 'We're coming back to the [realization] that we need to fight for our values. We're kicked out of the comfort zone. Now is the time to fight for what we believe in.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Riley Keough to Star in Albert Serra's English-Language Debut ‘Out of This World,' Exploring U.S.-Russia Rivalry Amid the Ukrainian War (EXCLUSIVE)
Riley Keough has joined the cast of 'Out of This World' directed by Albert Serra, the Spanish director whose 2022 film 'Pacifiction' competed at Cannes and won a pair of Cesar Awards. Keough will star opposite F. Murray Abraham and Liza Yankovskaia ('Frau'). Serra's English-language film debut, 'Out of This World' follows an American delegation traveling to Russia in the midst of the Ukrainian war to try to find a solution to an economic dispute. The project explores the decades-long rivalry between Russia and the U.S. While it will mainly shoot in English, it will also include some Russian dialogue. Kristen Stewart was previously attached to star in the movie. More from Variety Asian Film Collective Maboroshi Makes Cannes Market Launch With Global Vision (EXCLUSIVE) Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' Secures China Release Despite Trade Tensions Cash-Strapped Hollywood Could Turn to Qatar, Which Is Making Moves at Cannes 'Out of This World' is being represented internationally by Alice Lesort's sales team at Losange Films, Charles Gillibert's auteur-driven sales and production boutique which is a sister label to CG Cinema. The feature, which marks Serra's eighth film, is produced by Les Films du Losange, Idéale Audience Group and Andergraun Films in association with Felix Culpa and in co-production with Rosa Filmes and Forma Pro. Les Films du Losange will also be distributing 'Out of This World' in France. 'We are very proud to be boarding Albert Serra's new film — his very first in the English language,' said Lesort who described him as 'one most inventive filmmakers of his generation, with previous works that are both powerful and marked by rare cinematic audacity.' 'The idea of this encounter with Riley Keough is something we're truly passionate about,' Lesort said. 'she is an actress of great intensity, capable of portraying complex characters with rare precision, and her sensitivity brings extraordinary depth to every project.' Serra last directed 'Afternoons of Solitude' which won the Golden Shell at San Sebastian last year. Keough will next be seen in Karim Ainouz's 'Rosebush Pruning.' Gillibert's CG Cinema is at Cannes with three movies across the official selection, notably Bi Gan's 'Resurrection' in competition; Kirill Serebrennikov's 'The Disappearance of Josef Mengele' and Kristin Stewart's 'Chronology of Water' in Un Certain Regard. Coming up at fall festivals, CG Cinema will present Alice Winocour's 'Coutures,' starring Angelina Jolie, and Jim Jarmusch's star-studded 'Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.' Losange Films, meanwhile, represents four Cannes films internationally, 'Resurrection,' 'Chronology of Water,' Nadav Lapid's 'Yes' and Tony Gatlif's 'Ange.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Loveless' and ‘Leviathan' Filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev Sets Next Movie ‘Minotaur' With MK2, CG Cinema (EXCLUSIVE)
MK2 Films and Charles Gillibert's CG Cinema, which each have multiple movies playing in Cannes' official selection, have joined forces on 'Minotaur,' the next film by Andrey Zvyagintsev, the two-time Oscar-nominated Russian filmmaker of 'Loveless' and 'Leviathan.' 'Minotaur,' with a plot that remains under wraps, is being described as a 'powerful drama exploring the emotional and moral collapse of a businessman under the strain of personal and political crises.' More from Variety Quentin Tarantino Gives Advice to Young Filmmakers at Cannes: 'You Only Have So Much Time' on Set. 'How You Use' It 'Will Define You' Sylvie Pialat, Producer of Cannes' Opening Film 'Leave One Day,' Sets Projects With Directors Emmanuelle Bercot, Atiq Rahimi and Gustav Kervern (EXCLUSIVE) Piper Perabo on Her Eco-Anxiety Rom-Com 'Peak Everything' and Speaking Out Against Trump: 'I'm Not Concerned About Career Blowback' 'Minotaur' was written by Zvyagintsev and Semen Liashenko. Zvyagintsev's last two movies, 'Loveless' and 'Leviathan,' world premiered in competition at Cannes and won the Jury Prize and best screenplay, respectively. 'Minotaur' is produced by MK Prods., the production arm of MK2 Films, which is at Cannes with six movies in competition; as well as CG Cinéma, which presents Bi Gan's 'Resurrection' in competition, Kirill Serebrennikov's 'The Disappearance of Josef Mengele' at Cannes Premiere and Kristen Stewart's 'The Chronology of Water' at Un Certain Regard; and Zvyagintsev, in association with Leaf Entertainment. The film is co-produced by Razor Film in Germany and Forma Pro films in Latvia. It will be distributed in France by Films du Losange, and has already received the support from Arte France Cinéma. 'Andrey Zvyagintsev is one of the greatest directors working today, and with 'Minotaur' he delivers a powerful political fable, blending elements from both crime thrillers and classical,' said MK2 Films in a statement. Its sales team, headed by Fionnuala Jamison, will introduce the project to buyers at Cannes. CG Cinema said, 'We are thrilled to cooperate with MK2 and work with a leading voice in world cinema. Andrey Zvyagintsev is working here on a film that will undoubtedly have a major impact.' The movie reteams the Russian director with his regular crew, notably cinematographer Mikhail Krichman and production designer Andrey Ponkratov. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
