Hazanavicius: from the Artist to the blast of the war in Cecenia

French director Hazanavicius received the Best Film Award for his black & white movie at «Capri, Hollywood» where he announced his next project: a feature-film inspired to a Fred Zinnemann movie: «A contemporary story with a woman as a leading character »

From the poetry of silent cinema to the blast of the war in Cecenia: French filmmaker Michael Hazanavicius, director of the "The artist" - one of the greatest favourites in the race for all the Awards 2012 - announced his next project, featuring once again his wife, the 35-year old Argentina-born actress Berenice Bejo in the leading role: «After such an unexpected and overwhelming success», declared the director in receiving the Capri-Hollywood Award for the Best Film of the Year," «I have rejected several offers from but I have already decided that my next stint will be totally different from "The Artist".

Hazanavicius, a 46-year old Parisian who started his career directing commercials, TV movies and then some brilliant comedies declared: « My next film will be inspired to "The Search" (1947), directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring a very young Montgomery Clift. While the original film was set in Germany at the end of World War II, my film will have a female leading character working for an NGO and will be set in today's Cececnia. In the original film, the story revolved around a young boy who survived the concentration camp; in my film, too, the focus will be on the special relationship between a woman - Berence Bejo - and a young boy. However, waiting for the decisions of the Golden Globes and the Academy it's extremely difficult to stay focused on something else, including thinking about directing a new film».

Hazanavicius added: «Without my family who help me to keep both feet on the ground (he has 4 children, the two youngest with actress Bejo,) it would have been very complicated to face all that», starting from the Cannes Film festival where his silent black & white movie has obtained one of the longest and most incredible ovation in the history of the festival and where the leading actor Jean Dujardin has won the Palme d'Or as Best Actor

«I'll be for ever grateful to my producer Thomas Langmann, who has been crazy enough to put his money into this film in order to cover the 10-million Euros budget necessary for the making; I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to Harvey Weinstein who distributed the film in the United States and my wife who helped me write a character that was conceived and written for her, like in the case of Dujardin; I have worked just for 20% of my wage but luckily enough as a co-producer I will recover some money from the box office...», quips the filmmaker who has recently wrapped up production of one episodes of a collective film: Les infidels, a story about men's infidelity. «Like in the traditional Italian comedies - that I personally adore - I described a kind of man who could be a bit cruel and mischievous but also kind of sweet and tender: «In my opinion », continues the director, «one of the greatest masterpieces of cinema is "C'eravamo tanto amati" by Italian filmmaker Ettore Scola. Unfortunately, contemporary Italian cinema cannot count on any kind of support or aid unlike France, and generally speaking films such as "Amici Miei" characterized by a real narrative freedom, are no longer produced.»

As to Berenice Bejo who has recently become mother for the second time, she will be back on the set in February starring in the highly anticipated cinematic adaptation of the best selling novel by Daniel Pennac ‘Au bonheur des ogres', to be directed by Nicolas Bary and also starring Emir Kusturica.

«As a great Pennac's fan I'm very happy to be in this film. As to my expectations for the international awards, I try to stay as relaxed as possible even though for some months my life has been full of surprises!