Conann

Conann

64th TIFF: Greek Premiere

Guardian of the underworld, Cerberus still has a muzzle but here he is called Rainer and has the breasts and the voice of a woman, wears a studded black leather jacket, and a flash camera fit for the paparazzi. Talking to us from the great beyond, he details the successive reincarnations of Conann the Barbarian, a bloodthirsty Amazon from ancient times. A visceral and impulsive queer illusionist, Bertrand Mandico casts his magic lantern on an imaginary pre-history, as well as some new little shops of horrors, rendered simultaneously in color and black-and-white. Through a meticulously handcrafted approach, non-synchronous sound and an immersive theatrical setting that seems to stage our deepest unconscious, Mandico creates an addictive, explosive, and innovative experience, In this showcase of six mesmerizing scenes brought to life by different actresses, keep a close look at Elina Löwensohn, Mandico’s long collaborator and Hal Hartley’s muse from the 1990s.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.


Direction: Bertrand Mandico
Script: Bertrand Mandico
Cinematography: Nicolas Eveilleau
Editing: Laure Saint-Marc
Sound: Céline Bodson, Geoffrey Perrier, Simon Apostolou
Music: Pierre Desprats
Actors: Elina Löwensohn, Christa Theret, Julia Riedler, Claire Duburcq, Sandra Parfait, Agata Buzek
Production: Les Films Fauves, Ecce Films, Floréal Films
Producers: Gilles Chanial, Emmanuel Chaumet, Avi Amar
Co-production: Novak Prod, Orphée Films, Nanterre-Amandiers - Centre dramatique national
Co-producers: Olivier Dubois, Antoine Garnier
Costumes: Elise Cribier-Delande
Production Design: Anna Le Mouël
Make Up: Sophie Garlinskas
Format: DCP
Color: Colour and B&W
Production Country: France, Belgium, Luxembourg
Production Year: 2023
Duration: 105'
Distribution in Greece: Ama Films
Contact: Kinology

Bertrand Mandico

Bertrand Mandico is a French experimental film director of short films, medium-length films, experimental essays, and three feature films. The Wild Boys, his first feature film, was named the top film of 2018 by Cahiers du cinéma and won him the title of best director at the Vilnius International Film Festival. Born in 1971 in Toulouse, Mandico graduated from the film directing program at the Gobelins school in Paris. His films are often interested in the body and gender fluidity and incorporate photos and written elements.

Filmography

2008 He Said He Is Dead... (short)
2010 The Life and Death of Henry Darger (short)
2012 Living Still Life (short)
2014 Prehistoric Cabaret (short)
2015 Our Lady of Hormones (short)
2017 The Wild Boys
2019 M83: Temple of Sorrow (short)
2020 The Return of Tragedy (short)
2021 After Blue
2023 Conann