Is there anyone whose worked with a more diverse range of helmers in recent times than Isabelle Huppert? Probably not. Brilliante Mendoze, Hong Sang-soo, David O. Russell, Michael Haneke, Joachim Lafosse, Oliver Assayas, Raul Ruiz, Anna Fontaine and Claire Denis are just some the folk she's teamed with over the last decade or so, and only this morning she added David Gordon Green to the list, signing on to his remake of "Suspiria." And hot on its heels, another European helmer is now added to the list, in the shape of "Vincere" director Marco Bellocchio.
The duo will unite for "Dormant Beauty," a film inspired by the controversial true story of a woman named Eluana Englaro who died in 2009 after living in a vegetative state for 17 years, which sparked major debate on euthanasia in Italy. In actuality, though, Bellocchio's tale follows an over-the-hill actress (Huppert) caring in her home for her beautiful daughter, who is in a persistent vegetative state with Toni Servillo ("Il Divo"), Alba Rohwacher ("I Am Love"), Michele Riondino and Pier Giorgio Bellocchio all co-starring.
Bellocchio describes it as a "a work of fantasy which takes Eluana’s tragedy as a basis to tell different stories in a different way to hers'' while producer Riccardo Tozzi defends early critics of the feature, noting that their depiction is a "beautiful meditation on life and death, wrongly interpreted as a film which supports euthanasia."
Lensing took place earlier this year with a fall unveiling being eyed, which possibly points at a premiere at the Lido. [Cineuropa/Variety]