Did you say Crossover ? by Pierre Assouline

The cinematic language power of a talented director is universal. It is the directors that are the stars of a festival. Festivals are on the lookout for the next Tarantino, the next Terrence Malick, the next Takeshi Kitano…

In the last 15 years new generations of directors coming from Japan, Korea, China, Thailand have invaded the festivals and screens of all continents with their films. These uncompromising films, shot in their original local language, are the proof that no film crosses frontiers better than one that is rooted in its own culture.

We are at the dawn of a new age of films coming from India. In other words a key moment to launch our festival Extravagant India !

For some years films that are as diverse as they are remarkable, have been made without even having the private or public support needed to get them shown in Europe or abroad. This is about to change.

How overwhelmed I was in 2004 on coming across an early cut of Black Friday by Anurag Kashyap in a half empty screening room at the Cannes film market. For me this was a clear sign of new wave Indian cinema shyly piercing through.

And later, from the same Anurag Kashyap, the creative and daring No Smoking, wrongly distributed in India as a mainstream film. There followed Dev D., and even better Gulaal, right up to the sensation of the last fortnight :Gangs of Wasseypur. Sudhir Mishra’s Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi is just as enthralling as Italy’s cult epic The best of Youth which took Europe by storm. The sensitive Little Zizou by Soni Taraporewala is just as memorable as the best of the golden age of Italian cinema. Zoya Akthar’s girly, witty Luck by Chance, is just as avant-garde as Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. Sujoy Ghosh, with his Kahaani, handles the art of the intelligent thriller every bit as well as Christopher Nolan. Comedies such as Mythia by Rajat Kapoor or Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge from Ashwani Dhir are as exuberant and hilarious as those of Sacha Baron Cohen.

I take up passionately the mission of bringing these films and other undiscovered gems to the Paris Festival goers of Extravagant India !

Pierre Assouline