Abderrahmane Sissako considering historical novel, which captures adventures of a 15th century Arab diplomat, writer and explorer.
Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako is mulling an adaptation of Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf’s Leo the African, a historical novel based on real-life 15th century Muslim diplomat and explorer Hasan al-Wazzan.
It is one of two projects being considered by Sissako, whose most recent film Timbuktu was Oscar-nominated and won prizes at Cannes 2014.
“I was already working on a project before Timbuktu about the relationship between China and Africa and I’ve also had a proposition to adapt Amin Maalouf’s Leo the African (Léon, l’Africain), which I’m very interested in,” the director told Screen on the fringes of the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra event this week.
Maalouf’s 1986 novel is inspired by 15th century figure al-Wazzan, a Muslim forced to flee his Spanish birthplace of Granada as a child during the inquisition.
He went on...
Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako is mulling an adaptation of Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf’s Leo the African, a historical novel based on real-life 15th century Muslim diplomat and explorer Hasan al-Wazzan.
It is one of two projects being considered by Sissako, whose most recent film Timbuktu was Oscar-nominated and won prizes at Cannes 2014.
“I was already working on a project before Timbuktu about the relationship between China and Africa and I’ve also had a proposition to adapt Amin Maalouf’s Leo the African (Léon, l’Africain), which I’m very interested in,” the director told Screen on the fringes of the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra event this week.
Maalouf’s 1986 novel is inspired by 15th century figure al-Wazzan, a Muslim forced to flee his Spanish birthplace of Granada as a child during the inquisition.
He went on...
- 3/11/2015
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-nominated Abderrahmane Sissako named president of the Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury.
Abderrahmane Sissako, who was in competition at last year’s Cannes Film Festival with Timbuktu, is to return for the 68th edition of the festival (May 13-24) as the president of the Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury.
The African filmmaker follows directors including Abbas Kiarostami, Jane Campion, Michel Gondry, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Martin Scorsese.
Born in Mauritania but brought up in Mali and trained in filmmaking in the Soviet Union – at the Moscow Vgik – Sissako’s films explore the complex relations between North and South of Africa.
The Game, directed by Sissako during his final year at film school, was presented at Cannes Critics’ Week in 1991, followed two years later by the medium-length Octobre, at Un Certain Regard.
Life on Earth and Waiting for Happiness, both featured in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 1998 and Un Certain Regard in 2002.
Bamako, a political...
Abderrahmane Sissako, who was in competition at last year’s Cannes Film Festival with Timbuktu, is to return for the 68th edition of the festival (May 13-24) as the president of the Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury.
The African filmmaker follows directors including Abbas Kiarostami, Jane Campion, Michel Gondry, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Martin Scorsese.
Born in Mauritania but brought up in Mali and trained in filmmaking in the Soviet Union – at the Moscow Vgik – Sissako’s films explore the complex relations between North and South of Africa.
The Game, directed by Sissako during his final year at film school, was presented at Cannes Critics’ Week in 1991, followed two years later by the medium-length Octobre, at Un Certain Regard.
Life on Earth and Waiting for Happiness, both featured in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 1998 and Un Certain Regard in 2002.
Bamako, a political...
- 2/17/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Fury (David Ayer)
[via the BFI]
The programme for the 58th BFI London Film Festival launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. The lineup includes highly anticipated fall titles including David Ayer’s Fury, Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, the Sundance smash Whiplash, Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language 3D, The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild.
As Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals, it introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience, offering a compelling combination of red carpet glamour, engaged audiences and vibrant exchange. The Festival provides an essential profiling opportunity for films seeking global success at the start of the Awards season, promotes the careers of British and...
[via the BFI]
The programme for the 58th BFI London Film Festival launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. The lineup includes highly anticipated fall titles including David Ayer’s Fury, Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, the Sundance smash Whiplash, Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language 3D, The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild.
As Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals, it introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience, offering a compelling combination of red carpet glamour, engaged audiences and vibrant exchange. The Festival provides an essential profiling opportunity for films seeking global success at the start of the Awards season, promotes the careers of British and...
- 9/3/2014
- by John
- SoundOnSight
According to our Cannes Critics’ Panel, it may not top Topsy Turvy, but Mike Leigh’s 2 plus hour portrait starring Timothy Stall paints a strong portrait of a tortured artist with his fifth trip to the festival and our set of critics responded favorably. Prior to Mr.Turner, his previous entries include, Naked (award for Best Director in ’93), Secrets and Lies (Palme d’Or in ’96), 2002′s All or Nothing and 2010′s Another Year.
Having premiered yesterday and receiving its official red carpet screening today, Abderrahmane Sissako’s Timbuktu is arresting for its combination of humor and deep sorrow. The still very fresh true events, saw the Maurinania born filmmaker broke down during the press conference. While this was his first trip in the Main Comp, the filmmaker has also been to Cannes on four separate visits dating back to Octobre (Un Certain Regard – 1993), La Vie Sur Terre (1998), Heremakono (Un Certain...
Having premiered yesterday and receiving its official red carpet screening today, Abderrahmane Sissako’s Timbuktu is arresting for its combination of humor and deep sorrow. The still very fresh true events, saw the Maurinania born filmmaker broke down during the press conference. While this was his first trip in the Main Comp, the filmmaker has also been to Cannes on four separate visits dating back to Octobre (Un Certain Regard – 1993), La Vie Sur Terre (1998), Heremakono (Un Certain...
- 5/16/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
With only hours ago before the official selection for the Main Competition is announced, we’ve narrowed our final predictions to the following titles that we’re crystal-balling as the films that will be included on Thierry Fremaux’s highly anticipated list. Despite an obvious drought of Asian auteurs (we’re thinking the rumored frontrunner Takashi Miike won’t be included in tomorrow’s list) who’s to say there won’t be some definite surprises, like Jia Zhang-ke’s A Touch of Sin last year.
Several hopefuls appear not to be ready in time, including Malick, Hsou-hsien, Cristi Puiu, and Innarritu, to name a few. But there does appear to be a high quantity of exciting titles from some of cinema’s leading auteurs. We’re still a bit tentative about whether Xavier Dolan’s latest, Mommy, will get a main competition slot—instead, we’re predicting another surprise,...
Several hopefuls appear not to be ready in time, including Malick, Hsou-hsien, Cristi Puiu, and Innarritu, to name a few. But there does appear to be a high quantity of exciting titles from some of cinema’s leading auteurs. We’re still a bit tentative about whether Xavier Dolan’s latest, Mommy, will get a main competition slot—instead, we’re predicting another surprise,...
- 4/17/2014
- by IONCINEMA.com Contributing Writers
- IONCINEMA.com
The curtains of Góngora Theatre were raised on the 11th for one of the most important platforms in Europe showcasing cinema of Africa and the Middle East. Over six hundred people gathered together at 8.30 pm to join the beginning of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the African Film Festival of Cordoba. The ceremony included the screening of the making of the Fcat poster, in the presence of its artist, the young Sudanese Dar Al Naim Mubarak-Carmona, the interpretation of the Malagasy musician, Kilema, the awards for the winners of the children’s drawing competition and the screening of the African masterpiece, La vie sur terre (Life of Earth, 1998) by one of...
- 10/14/2013
- by FCAT Còrdoba
- ShadowAndAct
If aliens do exist in the Goldilocks zones of outer space, I'm not convinced we'll recognise them
For 21st-century renaissance science, look no further than the stars. Closer to home, the Royal Society, as part of its 350th anniversary celebrations, this week brought together some dizzying intellects to ponder the emergent field of astrobiology, and ask: "Are we alone in the universe?"
Meanwhile, the space telescope Kepler silently orbits above, its continuing mission to seek out Earth-like planets. Kepler's eye focuses on what we fondly refer to as "Goldilocks zones": areas of space close enough to a sun that planets therein are neither too hot nor too cold, but just right. There, we think, we might find Earth-like life.
Present at the Royal Society meeting in London was Frank Drake, the godfather of the scientific pursuit of Et; 50 years ago he founded the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (Seti...
For 21st-century renaissance science, look no further than the stars. Closer to home, the Royal Society, as part of its 350th anniversary celebrations, this week brought together some dizzying intellects to ponder the emergent field of astrobiology, and ask: "Are we alone in the universe?"
Meanwhile, the space telescope Kepler silently orbits above, its continuing mission to seek out Earth-like planets. Kepler's eye focuses on what we fondly refer to as "Goldilocks zones": areas of space close enough to a sun that planets therein are neither too hot nor too cold, but just right. There, we think, we might find Earth-like life.
Present at the Royal Society meeting in London was Frank Drake, the godfather of the scientific pursuit of Et; 50 years ago he founded the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (Seti...
- 1/26/2010
- by Adam Rutherford
- The Guardian - Film News
You really have to be in the right mood to listen to the music of Seattle singer-songwriter-guitarist Jesy Fortino, a.k.a. Tiny Vipers. It fits best with very late nights and occasions when you adamantly want to be alone, lest you spook everyone around you with, say, the pit-of-stomach moans that occupy the center of “Young God.” Fortino sure can drift, too: The 11 songs on Life On Earth, her second Sub Pop album, average nearly six minutes apiece, and there generally isn’t much going on beyond her blurry, cold-water voice (think of a much more ethereal Grace ...
- 7/7/2009
- avclub.com
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