For the 19th edition of the Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie (April 25-30), films come from Europe, Canada, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Argentina, all under the sign of true entertainment, to ensure laughter, fight social prejudices and inspire interesting reflection: a film program thought to enlighten the dark times we are living, towards a hopefully foreseeable future in which laughter is everyone’s fuel.
Ruthless parodies, remakes, back to the roots, family clashes, families in disarray, generational conflicts, women emancipation, sexual freedom, Lgbtq+ issues: this year Paul Haggis and the jurors – Tom Leeb, Clara Ponsot, Pierpaolo Spollon – will have to cope with all these topics, to select winners in the several sections of the renowned festival, designed and directed by Ezio Greggio.
With her irony and elegance, Penélope Cruz symbolically opens the film week, populated with many talents. The most famous Spanish actress in the world, together with Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martínez, plays as main character in Competencia Oficial – displayed in 2021 Venice section – which inaugurates the 19th edition of the Monegasque festival, anticipating the French display next June but along with the current Italian display with Lucky Red. A hispanic-argentinian movie written and directed by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn that will be an out of competition projection, despite the film’s title.
Among this season’s gems, the international premiere of Babysitter will compete in the festival, being the second movie of the actress Monia Chokri (Les amours imaginaires by Xavier Dolan in 2010), and screening in the first part something that will let more than someone remember of a piece of news of some months ago: a wired man harassing a female journalist on live television at the end of a football match, which turns up into a case the day after. A provocative and kaleidoscopic comedy narrating post-partum depression and herotic games in a farcical satira of the post #metoo society.
Also this edition features, the Spanish comedy kings Paco León and Dani de la Orden, the extraordinary Sandra Hüller and the histrionic Bernhard Schüz from Germany, the main characters of the only Italian movie in competition Aldo Baglio and Lucia Ocone and the offbeat stars of Monte-Carlo 2022 who we will meet during the movies screenings: an old Danish pusher lady and a Puerto Rican widow funeral party manager.
Eight movies are in competition, one is out of Competition (Competencia Oficial) and two are special events.
Two comedy veterans (from Spain and Norway), two second features (the French and the Italian films), three first features coming from Puerto Rico, Denmark and Germany. Also, an Italian debut at movie direction by one of the icons of Italian comedy: on Friday 29 of April, a full day of “made in Italy” cinema, with two special events. The first one is Tapirulàn by Claudia Gerini, presented few days ago at the Bari film festival, while the second one is the movie Lasciarsi un giorno a Roma, with the director and main character Edoardo Leo and the actor Stefano Fresi (in the movie Marta Nieto, Volpi Cup during Venice 2019 for Madre by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, plays as main character). Both of the films will have their international premiere in Monte-Carlo.
Una boccata d’aria (A breath of fresh air) – World Premiere by Alessio Lauria
Italy, 2022, 100’ with Aldo Baglio, Lucia Ocone, Giovanni Calcagno, Ludovica Martino, Davide Calgaro. Prodotto da Matteo Rovere. Groenlandia and Rai Cinema production.
Das Schwarze Quadrat (The Black Square) – International Premiere by Peter Meister Germania, 2021, 95’ with Bernhard Schüz, Sandra Hüller, Pheline Roggan, Jacob Matschenz. From Germany arrives Peter Meister first work, The Black Square, a spy-comic story featuring as main characters the German movie star Bernhard Schüz and Sandra Hüller who many will remember for Silver Bear for Requiem by Hans-Christian Schmid (2006) and European Film Award winner in 2016 for Best Actress for Toni Erdmann (by Maren Ade).
Perfume de Gardenias – European premiere by Macha Colón – Puerto Rico – Colombia, 2021, 97’ . With Luz María Rondón, Sharon Riley, Kara María, Carmen Nydia Velázquez, Flor Joglar de Gracia, Milagros Orkz, Abner Rivera. Perfume de Gardenias is Macha Colón’s first movie, a multidisciplinary queer artist and Afro-Puerto Rican singer.
Mamá o papá (You Keep the Kids) – International Premiere – Spain, 2021, 95’
by Dani de la Orden, with Paco León, Miren Ibarguren, Laura Quirós, Sofía Oria, Iván Renedo, Eva Ugarte, Miquel Fernández, Berto Romero, Pedro Casablanc, Ester Exposito.
Dani de la Orden (at only 33 years old) directs his ninth movie: Mamá o papá for his international debut (remake of the french Papa ou Maman, 2015, and the italian remake Mamma o papà by Riccardo Milani in 2017) After Hasta que la boda no nos separe, Dani de la Orden joins the film competition for the second year in a row. Paco León (director of Kiki, el amor se hace – in Montecarlo in 2016), Miren Ibarguren and Ester Exposito (influencer and among the main characters in the series Élite), along with other faces from the Spanish contemporary movie scenario, play together as a family, the real main character of the film.
Miss Viborg – International Premiere by Marianne Blitcher- Denmark – Argentina, 2022, 100’, with Ragnhild Kaasgaard, Isabella Møller Hansen, Kristian Halken
Babysitter – European premiere by Monia Chockri – Canada, 2022, 88’
Film adaptation of the namesake theatrical piece written by Catherine Léger (also screenwriter) with Patrick Hivon, Monia Chokri, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Steve Laplante.
Irréductible (Employee of the month) – Monégasque Premiere by Jérôme Commandeur
France, 2021, 84’. Con Jérôme Commandeur, Pascale Arbillot, Malik Bentalha, Karina Beuthe Orr, Nicole Calfan, Christian Clavier, Michel Crémadès, Éva Darlan, Gérard Darmon. Jérôme Commandeur, famous comic actor featuring several theatrical and cinematic French comedies as main character, is Irréductible.
Ingenting Å Le Av (Nothing to laugh about) – French Premiere by Petter Næss
Norvegia, 2021, 70’, with Odd-Magnus Williamson, Sara Khorami, Øystein Martinsen, Elisabeth Karoline Krüger.
As usual, during the final Gala award ceremony on Saturday April 30, where international talents will be attending, winners of The Monte Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie, considered one of the most important and peculiar Film Festival exclusively dedicated to Comedy, with a growing estimation from the audience and critics worldwide, will be revealed.
The event, in collaboration with EFG Bank ( Monaco), has always been held under the High Patronage of S.A.S. Prince Albert II de Monaco and of the Italian Embassy. Like last year, Radio Monte Carlo is the official Radio of the Festival.
Source: Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie
