(MENAFN- Arab Times) 'Unique story'
VENICE, Italy, Sept 2, (RTRS): A ring of Cuban
operatives seeking to infiltrate anti-government groups exiled in Miami in the
early 1990s is the focus of French director Olivier Assayas' 'Wasp Network', a
star-studded political thriller based on a true story.
Starring Penelope Cruz,
Edgar Ramirez, Gael Garcia Bernal and Wagner Moura, the film premiered at the
Venice Film Festival on Sunday, where it is competing with 20 others for the
top Golden Lion prize.
The action begins in Havana with Cuban pilot Rene Gonzalez,
played by Ramirez, flying off to the United States to defect, leaving his wife,
Cruz's Olga, and their daughter behind in the Communist state led by Fidel Castro.
While it appears at first that he wants to start a new life
in Florida, he joins other exiled Cubans there as part of a ring known as the
Wasp Network, a pro-Castro group.
Led by Garcia Bernal's undercover operative Manuel
Viramontez, they infiltrate Cuban-American groups that want to topple the
Castro regime.
'I liked the idea of leading the audience in one direction
and then twist it and then we see the other side of the game,' Assayas told a
news conference.
Garcia Bernal described the key characters as 'spies that
are trying to stop violence'.
'There's something very unique about this story that
highlights the act of love that actually made them do this, and the people they
left behind support them,' he said.
The film is based on the true story of The Cuban Five
intelligence officers who were arrested in Florida in 1998, convicted of
espionage and other activities and jailed, before eventually being released
after lengthy jail terms as part of a prisoner swap between the two countries.
Shooting
Assayas, known for 'Clouds of Sils Maria' and 'Personal
Shopper', said shooting in Cuba was 'what allowed this film to happen.'
'I thought there would be conditions, strings attached, the
reality there was not. We were completely free to make the film as wanted. We
were monitored to put it mildly, but there were no consequences on the film,'
he said.
'This film was made during
a period of tension between Cuba and the US and the situation was evolving
fast. We are lucky we made this film (when we did) as I don't think it would
have been possible today.'
At the news conference Cruz, who described the story as 'a
very interesting subject to explore', was asked about her biggest fears.
'The world seems more and more divided every day,' she said,
also citing the impact of fast-changing modern technology on children and
teenagers.
'I feel it is creating a lot of general anxiety. I worry,'
she said.
Also:
LOS ANGELES: 3B Productions, the French
production outfit behind Hirokazu Kore-eda 's Venice opener 'The Truth', is
developing the next films of Atiq Rahimi ('The Patience
Stone') and Karim
Dridi ('Chouf').
Rahimi, whose latest film 'Notre-dame du Nil' will be world
premiering at Toronto , is developing with Jean Brehat at 3B
Productions and Ron Senkowski ('The …') the adaptation of 'Les
echelles du levan' ('Port of Calls'), a novel by French-Lebanese writer Amin
Maalouf .
'I've always loved Amin Maalouf 's novels and I
wanted to adapt one, so when Ron Senkowski proposed producing with him the
adaptation of 'Les echelles du levan', I didn't hesitate,' said Brehat, adding
that he thought of Rahimi to direct the film because he admires his books and
the quality of the two films he's helmed.
'Les echelles du levan' will reunite Rahimi with Golshifteh
Farahani , who had starred in his 2012 film 'The Patience Stone'. The
cast will include the singer Mika, a star in France who is one of the coaches
on 'The Voice', French comedian Kev Adams and Turkish actress Belcim
Bilgin .
Brehat, who is part of this year's Oscar committee in
France, is producing 'Les echelles du levan' with Muriel Merlin and Rachid
Bouchareb, who sits on Venice's jury, at 3B Productions. Senkowski, Samira
Kawas, Pol Cruchten and Marco Coen are co-producing. The script is written by
Rahimi, Claire Le Luthern, Catherine Charrier and Senkowski. The movie is
expected to start shooting next April.
3B Productions is also developing 'Les Faineants' by Dridi.
The film will take place in a seaside corner of Brittany where people from
different backgrounds and ethnicities have found refuge and live in trailers,
staying on the margins of society because they refuse to fit in. 'Les
Faineants' will mark Dridi's follow-up to 'Chouf', which played at Cannes in
the special screening section.
As with 'Chouf', which explored the criminal underworld of
Marseilles, 'Les Faineants' will star many non-professional actors. Dridi will
also be casting well-known stars in some of the leading roles. He'll film for a
year and live alongside the people in the district in which it's set, said
Merlin, who is lead producing the project.
Share
MENAFN0309201900960000ID1098956554
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.