Following up the initial announcement of titles, the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival revealed it will open with the period drama Les Adieux à la reine (Farewell My Queen) today. From director Benoît Jacquot, the drama stars Inglourious Basterds lead Diane Kruger, as well as Léa Seydoux who broke-out in Midnight in Paris and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol this year. Based on, Chantal Thomas’ novel we have the first stills of the film (from Lumiere via The Playlist) that follows the “first few days of the French Revolution from the perspective of the servants at Versailles.”
Kruger, who plays Marie Antoinette here, has only appeared in one big film following her post-Basterds role with Unknown, but I look forward to her future work, especially with this film. I thought Seydoux was great as an action villain in Ghotocol and excited to see her career rise. Check out the stills below, along with the recently announced Panorama slate. I’ve only seen Elles starring Juliette Binoche from that line-up, which was a dull look into upper-class prostitution, an interesting topic which could have been handled with a better approach.
Synopsis:
Versailles in July 1789. Unrest is growing in the court of King Louis the XVI. The people are rebelling – a revolution is imminent. Behind the facades of the royal palaces, everyone is thinking of fleeing, including Queen Marie Antoinette (Diane Kruger) and her entourage. Among her ladies-in-waiting is Sidonie Laborde (Léa Seydoux) who as the Queen’s reader has become quite intimate with her. With great amazement, Sidonie experiences the first hours of the French Revolution.
Panorama Pics
10+10 by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Wang Toon, Wu Nien-Jen, Sylvia Chang, Chen Guo-Fu, Wei Te-Sheng, Chung Meng-Hung, Chang Tso-Chi, Arvin Chen, Yang Ya-Che and others, Taiwan
Death For Sale by Faouzi Bensaïdi, France
With Fehd Benchemsi, Fouad Labiad, Mouhcine Malzi, Imane Elmechrafi, Faouzi Bensaïdi
Die Wand (The Wall) by Julian Roman Pölsler, Austria/Germany
With Martina Gedeck
Dollhouse by Kirsten Sheridan, Ireland
With Seana Kerslake, Jonny Ward, Ciaran McCabe, Kate Brennan, Shane Curry
Elles by Malgoska Szumowska, France/Poland/Germany
With Juliette Binoche, Anais Demoustier, Joanna Kulig
Fon Tok Kuen Fah (Headshot) by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Thailand/France
With Nopachai Jayanama, Sirin Horwang, Chanokporn Sayoungkul, Apisit Opasaimlikit, Krerkkiat Punpiputt
From Seoul To Varanasi by Kyuhwan Jeon, Republic of Korea
With Donghwan Yoon, Wonjung Chio
Hot Boy Noi Loan – Cau Chuyen Ve Thang Cuoi, Co Gai Diem Va Von Vit(Lost In Paradise) by Vu Ngoc Dang, Vietnam
With Luong Manh Hai, Ho Vinh Khoa, Linh Son, Phuong Thanh, Hieu Hien
Indignados by Tony Gatlif, France
With Isabel Vendrell Cortès
Keep The Lights On by Ira Sachs, USA
With Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Savane, Paprika Steen
Kuma by Umut Dag, Austria
With Nihal Koldas, Begüm Akkaya, Vedat Erincin, Murathan Muslu, Alev Irmak
La Mer A L’Aube (Calm At Sea) by Volker Schlöndorff, France/Germany
With Léo Paul Salmain, Ulrich Matthes, Martin Loizillon, Jacob Matschenz, André Jung, Harald Schrott, Thomas Arnold, Christopher Buchholz
L’Age Atomique by Héléna Klotz, France
With Eliott Paquet, Dominik Wojcik
Leave It On The Floor by Sheldon Larry, USA/Canada
With Ephraim Sykes, Miss Barbie-Q, Phillip Evelyn, Andre Myers, James Alsop
Mei-Wei (My Way) by Kang Je-kyu, Republic of Korea
With Jang Dong-gun, Odagiri Joe, Fan Bingbing
Mommy Is Coming by Cheryl Dunye, Germany
With Maggie Tapert, Ignacio Rivera
Parada (The Parade) by Srdjan Dragojevic, Serbia/Republic of Croatia/ Macedonia/Slovenia
With Nikola Kojo, Milos Samolov, Hristina Popovic, Goran Jevtic, Toni Mihailovski
The Woman Who Brushed Off Her Tears by Teona Strugar Mitevska, Macedonia/Germany/Slovenia/Belgium
With Victoria Abril, Labina Mitevska, Jean Marie Galey, Arben Bajraktaraj
Wilaya by Pedro Pérez Rosado, Spain
With Nadhira Mohamed, Memona Mohamed, Aziza Brahim, Ainina Sidameg, Ahmed Molud
Xingu by Cao Hamburger, Brazil
With João Miguel, Felipe Camargo, Caio Blat, Maria Flor
Berlin Film Festival 2012 kicks off on February 19th.