Latest news with #Unraveled
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cannes Films ‘Alpha,' ‘Nouvelle Vague,' ‘Colors of Time' and ‘The Great Arch' Showcase Growing Maturity of French VFX Sector
France's VFX industry has grown rapidly, initially driven by a 2020 tax measure that allowed qualifying international productions to claim a full 40% rebate on digital expenses. This incentive revitalized the post-production sector, attracting major projects that, in turn, spurred further development. Subsequent public initiatives have only accelerated this virtuous cycle, as the government's France 2030 investment plan looks to widen a talent pool that now boasts 4,500 professionals while the country's national film board, CNC, has rolled out a series of VFX bonuses and incentives for local productions as well. More from Variety TrustNordisk Adds 'Unraveled' by 'Becoming Astrid''s Pernille Fischer Christensen, Reveals First Image Ahead of Cannes Market (EXCLUSIVE) Chechen Documentary 'Imago' Debuts Clip Ahead of Cannes Premiere, Rediance Handles Sales (EXCLUSIVE) Spanish Comedy Icon Fernando Colomo's 'The Delights of the Garden' Swooped on by Latido Films in the Run-up to Cannes (EXCLUSIVE) 'We've seen a dramatic rise in local VFX spending over the past two to three years, helping to grow the sector despite a general international slowdown,' says CNC director of digital Pauline Augrain. 'French productions have really embraced VFX — both artistically and industrially. From that perspective, we've clearly reached a new level of maturity.' This new creative maturity will be on full display on the Croisette. Several French titles premiering in Cannes — among them Julia Ducournau's genre drama 'Alpha,' Richard Linklater's Godard tribute 'Nouvelle Vague,' and the historical epics 'Colors of Time' by Cédric Klapisch and 'The Great Arch' by Stéphane Demoustier — all thoughtfully deployed digital tools, often to eager industry encouragement. 'Since the birth of cinema, creation and technique have always gone hand in hand,' says France 2030 project manager Arnaud Roland. 'That's why we're actively promoting VFX as a core part of the creative process — not an afterthought in post-production, but as a creative asset embedded in an artistic vision.' French studio CGEV boarded 'Nouvelle Vague' early on, as supervisors worked through a trove of digital models and archival materials to help director Richard Linklater rigorously and painstakingly recreate the 1950s Paris that Jean-Luc Godard so spontaneously captured in 'Breathless.' 'These days, anything set before 2000 counts as a period film,' says CGEV director Alain Carsoux. 'And in this case, we knew early on that recreating Paris from that era would be a major undertaking — a Paris of cobblestones, old shopfronts, and vintage cars that, in some parts, barely resembles the city as it is today. So, from the outset, the work was quite complex.' Triangulating between Godard's film, Linklater's script and Paris' new face, the CGEV team did extensive location scouting, often looking for stand-ins for locales that had radically changed, before sending each model through a digital time machine back to 1959. And with 300 shots to complete, the studio was grateful for the head-start. 'Getting involved early is crucial,' Carsoux says. 'That way, we can bring our expertise from the script stage, through prep and production. We can even begin building assets during the shoot to stay ahead, so that by the time the edit is locked, we already have a foundation. That was the case with 'Nouvelle Vague,' and it made a huge difference.' 'Our artists and supervisors aren't just service providers,' Mathematic Film's Sebastián Eyherabide adds. 'They're creative partners who want to be involved as early as possible, contributing ideas and pushing visual boundaries. That creative ambition has driven our expansion.' Indeed, after building a strong reputation in advertising and music videos, Paris-based Mathematic expanded into film and television as opportunities in the sector grew. With additional studios in Montreal and Los Angeles, the company has since contributed to several high-profile projects from its Paris headquarters. Mathematic artists composited 300 shots for Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' contributing to the film's distinctive visual style, and they also played a key role in the seamless makeup transitions in Darren Aronofsky's 'The Whale.' That the makeup work would end up winning the Oscar is a particular point of pride. After subsequent credits on Apple TV+ series 'Constellation,' 'The New Look' and 'Disclaimer,' and with France 2030 support, Mathematic recently opened a new outpost in Montpellier, connecting the growing studio with recent graduates from the country's top-ranked VFX schools. 'France benefits from a deeply rooted artistic culture,' executive producer Olivia McClean says. 'I've worked in studios in the U.S. and U.K., but France felt different. There's a more collaborative, organic way of working across departments. Nothing feels assembly-line. Even the smallest shots get real care.' 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
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TrustNordisk Adds ‘Unraveled' by ‘Becoming Astrid's' Pernille Fischer Christensen, Reveals First Image Ahead of Cannes Market (EXCLUSIVE)
Ahead of Cannes market, Scandinavia's leading sales agent TrustNordisk has released a fresh still from Pernille Fischer Christensen's drama 'Unraveled' ('Vores Løfte') which just wrapped filming for Nordisk Film Production Denmark. A Berlinale regular, from her 2006 breakthrough prize-winning debut 'A Soap' to the Astrid Lindgren biopic 'Becoming Astrid' (2018), picked up by Music Box for the U.S., Christensen's 'Unraveled' marks her anticipated return to the silver screen after her TV drama immersion that notably took in co-directing DR's acclaimed 'Cry Wolf.' More from Variety Chechen Documentary 'Imago' Debuts Clip Ahead of Cannes Premiere, Rediance Handles Sales (EXCLUSIVE) Spanish Comedy Icon Fernando Colomo's 'The Delights of the Garden' Swooped on by Latido Films in the Run-up to Cannes (EXCLUSIVE) How Trump's Tariffs Could Derail the Cannes Film Festival The upcoming Danish pic stars Danica Curcic ('The Chestnut Man,' 'Out Stealing Horses') as Maria, a former elite swimmer and famous sports commentator whose life unravels when her beloved husband Mikael (Lars Ranthe from 'Another Round'), her former coach and father of their daughter, is suddenly suspected of sexual abuse. Sparking the scandal and media interest is the revelation in an upcoming book, of a young girl's misguided infatuation for her swimming coach, with rumors suggesting that Mikael is the man in question. What fuelled Christensen's interest for the subject a few years back, was #MeToo, 'one of the greatest things that ever happened to us women since free abortion and our right to vote' says Christensen. 'But, I'm also a person with a lot of empathy, so I started to wonder how it would feel for the man accused of sexual harassment, what it would be like to be his wife and kids.' For the director who's often put family at the core of her work, her sixth feature is first and foremost 'a drama about a woman who is forced to re-examine her marriage, the deep love for her husband, as she tries to keep together her family and protect her daughter from the media frenzy that arises,' explains the helmer who for the first time penned her script fully on her own, without co-writer Kim Fupz Aakeson. 'Because of the subject matter, which deals with a woman reflecting on her couple, on herself and regaining control of her narrative, I felt I had to take full control over the material.' As Christensen tells Variety, key elements that helped her build and refine the script were thorough research, interviews with men who had been accused of sexual harassment and their families, and discussions with the key cast to capture the authenticity in their performance. Christensen said she is currently fine-tuning the tone and 'thriller-ish' element around the sexual allegations – with editor My Thordal ('Families Like Ours,' 'The Kingdom'), actress-turned composer Rebekka Karijord ('Songs of Earth,' 'All the Old Knives') and cinematographer Joe Maples ('Blackwater,' 'The Hunt for a Killer'). TrustNordisk's managing director Susan Wendt said: 'The film touches on a variety of subjects through a single storyline, telling a gripping and emotional but also universal and timely story. 'Unraveled' is a very character-driven film, which is one of Pernille's big strengths and I'm sure that she with this film once again will captivate audiences around the world.' The pic, produced by Mette Høst Hansen & Tomas Radoor for Nordisk Film Production, is set to launch in Denmark in spring 2026. For Cannes, TrustNordisk's strong slate also takes in Anders Thomas Jensen's highly-anticipated 'The Last Viking' starring Mads Mikkelsen, with fresh scenes to be unveiled at a promo-reel presentation, with half a dozen upcoming titles. Two films will screen at the market: the Swiss-German hospital drama 'Late Shift,' which collected solid reviews on the back of its Berlinale Special Gala presentation and Norwegian doc feature and series 'Fighter,' showcased at CPH:DOX and Series Mania. Commenting on the state of the market ahead of Cannes kick off, seasoned sales agent Wendt said: 'It is hard to say what the market will be like. The buyers are surely more selective and careful, but if you have the right projects, they are still there, paying good prices. The question is always what they are looking for. But TrustNordisk comes to Cannes with a range of exciting new projects and a very diverse line-up with features and series from both new and established filmmakers ranging from major dramas, crime, feel-good dramedies to monster action and animation and we look forward to presenting all of them to the international market.' 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
