CHOMET makes move to Edinburgh and Cannes

The Oscar-nominated creator of Belleville Rendezvous, Sylvain Chomet, who now has made his home and creative hub in Scotland and almost overnight has turned Edinburgh, into one of Europe’s most significant centres for animation, will attend this year’s Cannes Film Festival with his first foray into live action.

Plans for the festival running from 17 to 28 May which were announced in Paris reveal that Chomet’s contribution to the portmanteau film Paris je t’aime will open Un Certain Regard section of the festival

Chomet was last in Cannes in 2003 when his first full-length feature known in French as Les triplettes de Belleville received a standing ovation, and then went on to win multiple international awards and two Oscar nominations.

    FALLING IN LOVE STORIES

Despite the demands of the two animated films for which he also is writing the music, Chomet has managed to find time to contribute five minutes to Paris je t’aime in which 20 directors each explore an arrondissement (district) of Paris. Each short film is dedicated to a ‘falling in love’ story. Other directors involved include Alfonso Cuaron, Gurinder Chadha, Gus Van Sant, Isabelle Coixet, Joel and Ethan Coen, Nobuhiro Suwa, Alexander Payne, Tom Tykwer, Walter Salles and Wes Craven. The casts include Bob Hoskins, Elijah Wood, Emily Mortimer, Gena Rowlands, Juliette Binoche, Leonor Watling, Ludivine Sagnier, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Nick Nolte, Steve Buscemi and Willem Dafoe.

“Originally the idea was that it should be animation but there wasn’t time. My designated area is the 7th – around the Eiffel Tower, giving me the chance to use some clichés."

    SHADOW PLAYER 

“The main character is a mime who has the annoying habit of following people around and imitating them behind their backs. He is played by Paul Putner (from Little Britain TV series) and his girlfriend in the film is Yolande Moreau. I found working with actors energising and I want to go off in that direction too. Compared to animation, though, it is exhausting!”

Chomet’s company Django Films has united animators from all over Europe and beyond as well as locals at studios in former office accommodation on Edinburgh's George Street.