RaoulRuiz Tagged Articles at Cinematical

In my recent celebratory rant about the new Latin American cinema classics, I failed to mention any films from Chile. This was not my intention, but admittedly I am not familiar with that country's film production, as most Americans are not. The most well-known contemporary Chilean filmmaker is probably Raoul Ruiz (or Raúl Ruiz), who is likely more associated with French cinema and is considered even more generally to be an international filmmaker. Like Ruiz, a lot of Chile's filmmakers left their country 35 years ago when Pinochet came to power. Fortunately, since Chile became a democracy again in 1990, film production there has been on the rise and will fortunately one day be as big as neighboring Argentina's film industry.

Chilean cinema could have a boost thanks to Lionsgate, which has just picked up Rodrigo Ortuzar's All Inclusive for U.S. distribution. The film, about a family trapped at a resort when a Hurricane hits its Yucatan location and co-starring Street Kings' Martha Higareda (pictured), is set in and was co-produced by Mexico, which is fine considering the association allows the film to be lumped with recent partially Mexican films like Under the Same Moon and the Spanish-language work of Guillermo Del Toro. Lionsgate also handled distribution for last year's U.S.-produced Spanish-language film Bandoleros, Lionsgate has yet to announce a release date for All Inclusive.

Earlier this month, I posted about a secret film debuting at the Cannes Film Festival. All that was known at the time was that it would be a compilation of 30 shorts, each about three minutes long and directed by an internationally respected filmmaker, and that it wouldn't be shown to the public. Now, thanks to an official press release, we learn that there are in fact 33 shorts from 35 filmmakers (including two pairs of brothers) and that the film, titled To Each his Own Cinema, will air on French television on May 20 following its premiere at the festival. So now I don't have to wish I could attend Cannes; I have to wish I got Canal +.

Also revealed are the names of the 35 participants, all of whom were supposed to be kept secret until the film's unveiling, and a few details about the project. Each director was assigned the task of filming, "their current state of mind as inspired by the motion-picture theater." The only individual specifics mentioned in the press release, which was written by festival head Giles Jacob, are that Wim Wenders shot in the Congo, Tsai Ming Liang shot in Kuala Lumpur and David Cronenberg shot "in the ... toilet!" (probably meaning the bathroom, not the bowl). But anyone familiar with the directors involved can imagine the kind of diversity that will be seen in the film.

See the names of the 35 collaborators after the jump.

Museums haven't been completely separate from film, especially in the art world, where modern art installations often include video imaging. So, it wouldn't be surprising to hear that two leading museums are involving themselves in film. However, I'm not talking about art installations, but full-length films. Both Musee d'Orsay and the Louvre, Paris' leading museums, are joining the cinematic world by underwriting films by internationally-acclaimed directors.

For Musee d'Orsay's 20th anniversary, the museum has chosen to work with four filmmakers to create a series that includes different plots, but centers around the museum. The filmmakers in question: American Jim Jarmusch, France's Olivier Assayas, Chilean Raoul Ruiz and Chinese director Hou Hsia-Hsien. Each will star veteran French actress Juliette Binoche and will range from a tribute to the French classic, The Red Balloon, that has the balloon sailing into d'Orsay, to a film about what the building was before -- a train station and hotel.

The Louvre is being a little more secretive for its first foray into film financing. Out of the three upcoming films they plan to co-produce and co-finance, only one has been discussed in any detail -- Faces by Taiwan's Tsai Ming Liang, who was a winner at the Berlin film festival for The River. Jean-Pierre Leaud will star, and the film will take place completely in the museum.

This is, obviously, a great way for museum's to advertise themselves abroad and keep their names on the tips of the world's tongues -- the same motivation that drove Greece to allow Vardalos to be only the second director to shoot at the Acropolis (the last being Coppola for New York Stories). What are your thoughts? Should museums dip their toes in this area?

It's funny; I'm not not a big fan of blood and gore in the movies, and occasionally I get a little squeamish at the Hostel variety of horror, but show me a guy cleft in two with a broadsword and I don't even bat an eye. Sometimes, I even get a sick little giggle out of it. I've always enjoyed historical epics; why else would I have I sat through all of the classic "sword and sandal" flicks and their various incarnations of the last few years?

Variety announced that John Malkovich has joined an international cast that includes Michael Madsen, Peter O'Toole, and Virginie Ledoyen for Raoul Ruiz's Love and Virtue. The film centers on the crusading battles and romantic intrigue during Charlemagne's empire. The film was written by Mia Sperber and Stefano Prates, who used the epic poems The Song of Roland and Orlando Innamorato as inspiration for the story. The poems are full of all those things that are usually in medieval poems, like treacherous nobles, love-smitten knights, and Saracen armies -- which in the end guarantees at least a few large-scale battle scenes. No word yet on who Malkovich will play, but I'm sure it will involve one of his bizarre accents. Love and Virtue will begin production this March on location in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The news that arthouse legend Hsiao-hsien Hou is working on his first film outside Asia has been drifting around the web for a few weeks now, but details about the project are few and far between. Currently shooting in Paris, the film is reportedly called Orsay and revolves around a little boy and his Chinese student babysitter "who inhabit the same imaginary world. Throughout their adventures they are followed by a strange red balloon." The film's working title was Ballon Rouge, and the presence of the balloon is clearly a tribute to 1955's Le Ballon rouge; Juliette Binoche will play the boy's mother.

Interestingly, the film is apparently not a stand-alone project. In fact, it's the first installment in a four-film series, created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Paris' Musee d'Orsay. The other directors involved? Oh, no one important -- only Olivier Assayas, Jim Jarmusch and Chilean director Raoul Ruiz. Damn, that's a museum with some pull! Hopefully the films will at least get limited runs here in the US.