Crime seems to pay for Ozon

The team from This is My Crime by François Ozon at the world premiere last night at the Balzac Cinema in Paris Photo: Richard Mowe

Director François Ozon has an enviable track record in enticing audiences to le cinéma français (Photo Richard Mowe) Photo: Richard Mowe

The 25th Rendez-vous with French Cinema has started in Paris under a good sign: a full house last night for François Ozon’s mystery drama/pastiche The Crime is Mine (Mon Crime) followed by a standing ovation by the attendees including film buyers from all over Europe and beyond.

Serge Toubiana, Unifrance’s president, underlined the pleasure of all those present to be back in a cinema setting after two years of the pandemic and the financial crisis. He paid tribute to the founder of the Rendezvous, Daniel Toscan du Plantier, who died suddenly at the Berlin Film Festival some 20 years ago next month, and to director and close friend director Maurice Pialat marking the 20th anniversary of his passing to the day (11 January).

Daniela Elstner, who introduced the evening, said: “We firmly believe in the importance of culture to convey the values of tolerance, democracy and solidarity that we hold dear. Whether in Iran, Ukraine or anywhere else in the world we renew our support to all those who fight, sometimes, risking their lives for peace and emancipation.”

She noted that despite signs of improvement, cinema attendance levels around the globe remained “fragile” and innovative strategies had to be put in place to entice audiences back to cinemas, especially young audiences.

Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Rebecca Marder, who star in The Crime is Mine Photo: Richard Mowe

Ozon’s film, due to be premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, is a feel-good feast for those who appreciate well-crafted farce which makes no attempt to disguise its theatrical origins. With its Thirties Parisian setting, lovingly reconstituted, and its sumptuously extravagant costumes it is likely to appeal to more mature audiences despite its youthfully feisty female protagonists.

Many of the stellar cast were present at the screening, among them Dany Boon, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, and Rebecca Marder although the scene-stealing André Dussolier, Isabelle Huppert and Fabrice Luchini were otherwise engaged elsewhere.

This is Ozon’s 22nd feature and his offerings always seem to find favour with international buyers as well as audiences and there is no reason to suppose The Crime Is Mine will be any exception. In terms of figures Ozon has an enviable track record with 8 Women (4.7 million admissions abroad), Swimming Pool (3.45 million admissions), Potiche (2.2 million admissions), In The House (1.3 admissions), and Frantz (1.07 million admissions) while his most recent Peter Von Kant, with Isabelle Adjani, has kept up his buoyant profile.

This Is My Crime is due for French release on 8 March.