International Film Festival Rotterdam's blog

In 38 Témoins, Louise (Sophie Quinton) returns home to discover that while she was away on business in China her street was the scene of a crime. There were no witnesses. Apparently everybody was asleep. Pierre, Louise's husband (Yvan Attal) was at work. Apparently.

Rutger Wolfson, Director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, about 38 Témoins: “Lucas Belvaux brings us an excellently written and directed film that is not only tense but also moving and offering food for thought. He makes us very clear what may be the consequences of emotions like fear and shame. Just like in his strong Grenoble-triptych in 2002 and his dramatic Rapt in 2009, Belvaux knows how to capture life’s complexities in beautiful cinema.”

Lucas Belvaux (1961, Belgium) has been a film, TV and stage actor for over thirty years; he acted in Claude Chabrol's Madame Bovary and several of his own films. Before he embarked on his ambitious Grenoble Trilogy, he directed two other features. 38 Témoins, written by Belvaux based on the novel ‘Est-ce ainsi que les femmes meurent?’ by Didier Decoin, is his seventh film.

38 Témoins was produced by Patrick Sobelman (Agat Films), Patrick Quinet (Artemis) and Yvan Attal. Sales agent is Films Distribution and Diaphana will distribute the film in France.

38 Témoins will be screened at the official opening night (invitation only). Tickets for the public opening (film to be announced) are available in the webshop on the Dutch website.

Closing Night Film: The Hunter
The International Film Festival Rotterdam closes its 41st edition on Saturday February 4 with a screening of The Hunter. The Hunter is a powerful psycholigical drama that tells the story of Martin (Willem Dafoe) a mercenary sent from Europe by a mysterious bio-tech company to the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for the last Tasmanian tiger. Next to Willem Dafoe (Spiderman, The English Patient, Platoon), The Hunter stars Frances O’Connor (Blessed, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Mansfield Park) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Piano) in the principal roles. The Hunter is based on the novel of the same name written by Julia Leigh.

The Hunter was launched as film project at Rotterdam’s CineMart 2004. The film premiered last September during the Toronto IFF. Australian filmmaker Daniel Nettheim directed many television series and the short film The Third Stroke (1995). After his début feature Angst (2000), The Hunter (2011) is his second feature film.

Tickets for the Closing Night are available in the webshop on the Dutch website.

Trailer The Hunter