Christopher Nolan, in addition to being perhaps the most cerebral director of blockbuster action flicks currently working, clearly cares a lot about the culture of preserving and appreciating film. He’s one of the most vocal advocates of for Kodak Film, along with his chums Quentin Tarantino and J.J. Abrams, and he’s recently branched out into yet another previously uncharted realm, if you’ll forgive the vaguely galactic pun. Variety has recently reported that Syncopy – the production company co-owned by Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas – is planning a joint venture with New York-based independent film distributor Zeitgeist Films whereby the two companies will oversee and curate Blu-Ray releases for Zeitgeist’s prestige titles. And Nolan has good reason to trust Zeitgeist: they handled the release of his assured debut “Following,” a moody, minimal thriller about obsession and paranoia that led to the funding and release of his breakout picture, “Memento.”
The company’s first planned release from the partnership is “Elena,” from “Leviathan” director Andrey Zvyagintsev, which took home the coveted Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 2011. “Elena” is a modern noir set in the atmospheric corridors of a Moscow apartment complex. Seeing how the film can now boast some cred via Zvyagintsev’s involvement – his “Leviathan” was one of 2014’s most well-reviewed films – as well as a purportedly “Hitchcockian” music soundtrack by the great Philip Glass, it’s a fitting first title for the joint company excursion.
“Elena” will get a Blu Ray release on August 4th of this year. In the meantime, Zeitgeist and Syncopy are working on a compilation of animated short films from the Quay brothers that will see a release sometime towards the end of the year.