Official Selection - Competition 2003 / Stupeur et tremblements / France, Japan 2003
From the autobiographical book by Amélie Nothomb comes a fragile tragi-comedy set in an office building about the clash of western and eastern civilisation. The young heroine signs a year’s contract with a massive corporation and tries to understand the soul of modern Japan from the 44th floor of a company skyscraper.
From the autobiographical book by Amélie Nothomb comes a fragile tragicomedy set in an office building about the clash of western and eastern civilisation. The young heroine, who spent her childhood in Japan, returns to Tokyo to experience the enigma of a country which, for her, is symbolised by a mysterious Zen garden in Kyoto. She signs a year’s contract with the massive Yumimoto corporation where she begins work as a translator in an office on the 44th floor of a company skyscraper. Amélie immediately discovers that a woman – moreover foreigner – starting out on the lowest rung of the office hierarchy, can fall even lower. The heroine’s choleric boss Saito and his right hand – the beautiful Fubuki – manage to transform her tedious office grind into a humiliating hell, where Amélie is constantly chastised for negligence, errors, tardiness and lack of loyalty. Tears, laughter and the passing of time help her understand that, in spite of the super-modern reality of everyday life, nothing has really changed in Japan since ancient times. Humble devotion, faith in tradition and a strict hierarchy are as valid in the office environment as they were during the Samurai era. Will she be able to survive – and learn something from it?
106 min / Color, 35 mm
Director Alain Corneau
/ Screenplay Alain Corneau
/ Dir. of Photography Yves Angelo
/ Music J.S. Bach: Goldbergovské variace / J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations
/ Editor Thierry Derocles
/ Producer Alain Sarde
/ Production Les Films Alain Sarde
/ Cast Sylvie Testud, Kaori Tsuji, Taro Suwa, Bison Katayama, Yasunari Kondo, Sokyu Fujita, Gen Shimaoka
/ Contact Artcam Films, GoodFellas
Alain Corneau (b. 1943, Meung-sur-Loire, France) studied film editing and direction at IDHEC in Paris; he began his career as an assistant to Bertrand Blier, Roger Corman and Marcel Camus. He wrote the screenplay for the film Défense de savoir (1973). In 1973 he debuted with the feature-length parable France, société anonyme and, in the 1970s and 1980s, he became celebrated for his tough crime thrillers set in the present: Police Python 357 (1975), La menace (1976), Série noire (1979), Le choix des armes (1981) and Le mome (1986). He gained popularity with two historical films starring Gérard Depardieu – the romantic story Fort Saganne (1984) and, in particular, the intimate drama Tout le matins du monde, which won a number of awards, including Césars for Best Film and Best Direction in 1991. Other successful films include Le noveau monde (1994), Le cousin (1997) and Le prince du Pacifique (2000).
Artcam Films
Rašínovo nábřeží 6, 128 00, Praha 2
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 221 411 619
Fax: +420 221 411 699
E-mail: [email protected]
GoodFellas
65 rue de Dunkerque, 75009, Paris
France
Phone: +33 143 132 164
E-mail: [email protected]
Eliška Kaplicky-Fuchsová
Producer
Sylvie Testud
Alain Corneau
Alain de la Mata
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