UPCOMING FRENCH RELEASES

by Rebecca Prime for The French Film Office

Here is a selection of the French films and French co-productions that will be released in the United States in the following months:

"Kolya," a record-breaking hit at the Czech box office, is a true family effort. Directed by Jan Sverak, the film was scripted by his father, Zdenek Sverak (who also stars) and tells a bittersweet tale of two generations that chance brings together. "Kolya" recently won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film and will be released on January 24. (Miramax)

"The Eighth Day," the latest film from the Belgian director Jaco Van Dormaei ("Toto the Hero") is another story of an unlikely friendship. Daniel Auteull ("Manon des Sources," "Un Coeur en Hiver") and Pascal Duquenne ("Toto") were the joint recipients of the Best Actor award at Cannes for their outstanding prformances. The film opens on February 21. (Gramercy)

"Diary of a Seducer," opening mid-March, feature. Chiara Mastroianni (daughter of Catherine Deneuve and the late Marcello Mastroianni) and the up-and-coming French actor Melvil Poupeud in a bizarre, "noir" comedy about love, seduction, and pychoanalysis. (Leisure Time)

"Salut Cousin!", a French/Algerian production helmed by Merzak Allouache, focuses on the lives of two Algerians in France, one a second-generation Parisian and the other fresh off the boat. This film, which was featured in both the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes, and the 1996 New York Film Festival, will be released in March. (Seventh Art Releasing)

"Mon Homme" reunites director Bertrand Blier with actress Anouk Grinberg (the pair previously worked together on "Merci la Vie" and "Un Deux Trois Soleil") in the unpolitically correct story of a prostitute who truly loves her work. Olivier Martinez ("The Horseman on the Roof") and Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi co-star. The film is due to open later this spring, (Artificial Eye)
A favorite at the 1995 New York Film Festival, "Irma Vep" is the latest effort from director Olivier Assayas ("Cold Water") and features the Chinese actress Maggie Cheung in the title role. First presented in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, the film's U.S. release is currently set for April 30. (Zeitgeist)

Stay tuned for future openings!