ourdramaqueen | (no subject)

Again from the Hollywood Reporter:

May 19, 2006

Love fest for 'Paris' in Cannes
Army of directors, actors show support at conference

By Charles Masters
CANNES -- Despite an ongoing wrangle between the producers of "Paris je t'aime," the multitude of filmmaking talent attached to the movie was unanimously upbeat about participating in the collective film about love in the City of Light.

Participating directors and actors were so numerous that they barely fit on the stage for a press conference in the Palais on Thursday ahead of the movie's evening gala presentation to open Un Certain Regard.

"I never thought this (film) would happen, but slowly this amazing list of directors came together," said Vincenzo Natali. Alfonso Cuaron, who was present with his lead actress, Ludivine Sagnier, said he found it thrilling to work with such an array of talent. "A year later you're going to be hanging with these people and getting drunk -- and that's a real incentive," he joked.

"They weren't paying much, but I didn't mind," said Alexander Payne, present with his lead actress Margo Martindale.

"Paris je t'aime" assembles 18 stories about love and romance, each set in a different Paris quarter. The movie has so far been well-received by Cannes critics.

Actors Gena Rowlands, Elijah Wood, Miranda Richardson and Paul Putner also spoke of how much they'd enjoyed filming their respective five-minute shorts.

"The bilingual experience was fantastic," said British director Gurinder Chadha, who wrote her sequence in English, had it translated, then directed her Gallic actors using her schoolgirl French. "I found the whole experience really exciting."

Such was the enthusiasm in the room that the directors began speculating that other cities such as Mexico City would be ripe for a similar multiple tale treatment.

The film's two credited producers, Claudie Ossard and Emmanuel Benbihy, have been at odds over the final montage of 18 segments. Two further segments, from Raphael Nadjari and Cristoffer Boe, were dropped from the film by Ossard. Benbihy, who originally conceived the film as a 20-part ensemble, has hired lawyers in an effort to see those elements reinstated.

Benbihy was at Thursday's press conference, but did not sit on the stage along with Ossard. Asked if the two were any nearer resolving the dispute, Ossard played down the spat. "I think our differences are on the verge of being resolved," she said. Benbihy said afterwards: "That's not true. The lawyers are still talking but it's not moving forward."

ETA:

trailer_spot just posted the trailer here, along with two clips which most of you have probably already seen. Elijah's segment features quite prominently in the trailer (which obviously contains SPOILERS), and as well in the "je t'aime" clip. Such an adorable dork! ♥