François Rotger
Encyclopedia
François Rotger is a Canadian independent film
director.
Former photographer and music video
director, his first feature film The Passenger
debuted at the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival
.
From his early work, 74km avec elle (8 min, France, 35mm color) and Jan (21 min, France, HDcam color) author/director François Rotger explores the themes of deception
and betrayal
within the family circle, often leading to sudden and extreme violence.
In 2003, his second short film, Jan (22 min, Hdcam, color), with the French actor Jeannick Gravelines, was produced in France by Tom Dercourt.
In 2004/2005, a first feature film, The Passenger
(88 min, 35mm color), was shot in Canada and Japan. The extremely severe weather conditions in north Canada delayed completion of the film, finally edited and ready for the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival
. It was produced in France, Canada, and Japan; and has dialogue in French, Japanese and English.
After Locarno, The Passenger was selected for Tokyo International Film Festival
, and Angers's Premiers Plans
European Film Festival.
Since November 2009, a DVD has been released for The Passenger.
During the shooting of the second half of the film, on location in Tokyo, Rotger started to work on a new project, initially intended to be published as a novel. Working on some friend’s biographical material, he soon realised this would become his next film. Based on both accurate events and fictional material, Story of Jen is presented as a reconstruction of a personal experience «It was like I was writing, feeling my distant friend’s hand on my shoulder».
Story of Jen was shot in 2008, in Canada, starring Laurence Leboeuf
, a young Canadian actress winner of 2009 Jutra award
, Cesar-awarded French actress Marina Hands
, and Tony Ward
, an underground icon previously starring in Bruce LaBruce
’s controversial Hustler White
. Once again, Rotger weaves fact and fiction, reporting on a «war zone» mostly set within the family circle. Distortion of reality goes as far as an evocation of Tony Ward’s character’s last esoteric vision as he passes away.
Story Of Jen proved to be as controversial as The Passenger, dividing both the public and the press. Cahiers du cinéma
praised the "unique uncompromised vision", when others were just appalled by the graphic violence
and the "disturbing description of a distressed adolescent psyche".
Story of Jen premiered on June 10, 2009, and a DVD was released on November of the same year. It has been nominated to several international festivals, starting in August 2008 for the Locarno Festival, in official competition.
François Rotger is also credited for Story of Jen' s original soundtrack, both as composer and performer] of the score.
Rotger is currently working on EVLYXES, a modern epic based on both James Joyce
and Homer
's Odyssey
.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
director.
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
director, his first feature film The Passenger
The Passenger (2005 film)
The Passenger is a film written and directed by François Rotger. It was produced in France, Canada, and Japan; and has dialogue in French, Japanese and English....
debuted at the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival
Locarno International Film Festival
The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history...
.
From his early work, 74km avec elle (8 min, France, 35mm color) and Jan (21 min, France, HDcam color) author/director François Rotger explores the themes of deception
Deception
Deception, beguilement, deceit, bluff, mystification, bad faith, and subterfuge are acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth . Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand. It can employ distraction, camouflage or concealment...
and betrayal
Betrayal
Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations...
within the family circle, often leading to sudden and extreme violence.
Works
Rotger's first short film, made in 2001, was 74km avec elle (8 min, 35mm color) featuring Bambou (Caroline von Paulus) as the main character, a desenchanted wife sleeping with a man she's met on the road just to find her husband's car wrecked in a terrible car accident.In 2003, his second short film, Jan (22 min, Hdcam, color), with the French actor Jeannick Gravelines, was produced in France by Tom Dercourt.
In 2004/2005, a first feature film, The Passenger
The Passenger (2005 film)
The Passenger is a film written and directed by François Rotger. It was produced in France, Canada, and Japan; and has dialogue in French, Japanese and English....
(88 min, 35mm color), was shot in Canada and Japan. The extremely severe weather conditions in north Canada delayed completion of the film, finally edited and ready for the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival
Locarno International Film Festival
The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history...
. It was produced in France, Canada, and Japan; and has dialogue in French, Japanese and English.
After Locarno, The Passenger was selected for Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
, and Angers's Premiers Plans
Premiers Plans
The Premiers Plans festival takes place in Angers every year in January. It is dedicated to European first films, and is meant to help new directors meet their audience....
European Film Festival.
Since November 2009, a DVD has been released for The Passenger.
During the shooting of the second half of the film, on location in Tokyo, Rotger started to work on a new project, initially intended to be published as a novel. Working on some friend’s biographical material, he soon realised this would become his next film. Based on both accurate events and fictional material, Story of Jen is presented as a reconstruction of a personal experience «It was like I was writing, feeling my distant friend’s hand on my shoulder».
Story of Jen was shot in 2008, in Canada, starring Laurence Leboeuf
Laurence Leboeuf
Laurence Leboeuf is a French Canadian actress. She is the daughter of Diane Lavallée and Marcel Leboeuf...
, a young Canadian actress winner of 2009 Jutra award
Jutra Award
The Jutra Award is a Canadian annual cinema award that recognizes talent and achievement in the mainly francophone feature film industry in the province of Quebec...
, Cesar-awarded French actress Marina Hands
Marina Hands
- Biography :Hands is the daughter of British director Terry Hands and French actress Ludmila Mikaël, and the granddaughter of painter Pierre Dmitrienko. She studied acting at the Cours Florent and the CNSAD in France, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England...
, and Tony Ward
Tony Ward (U.S. actor)
Anthony Borden Ward better known as Tony Ward, is an American model, actor, fashion designer, painter and photographer.-Early life:...
, an underground icon previously starring in Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce is a Canadian writer, filmmaker, photographer and underground gay porn director based in Toronto, Ontario.-Biography:...
’s controversial Hustler White
Hustler White
Hustler White is a 1996 film by Bruce LaBruce and Rick Castro, a satiric black sex comedy about gay hustlers and their customers in Santa Monica, California. It stars Tony Ward and LaBruce in an addition to the Queer Cinema canon, which is also an homage to classic Hollywood cinema...
. Once again, Rotger weaves fact and fiction, reporting on a «war zone» mostly set within the family circle. Distortion of reality goes as far as an evocation of Tony Ward’s character’s last esoteric vision as he passes away.
Story Of Jen proved to be as controversial as The Passenger, dividing both the public and the press. Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du Cinéma is an influential French film magazine founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca. It developed from the earlier magazine Revue du Cinéma involving members of two Paris film clubs — Objectif 49 and...
praised the "unique uncompromised vision", when others were just appalled by the graphic violence
Graphic violence
Graphic violence is the depiction of especially vivid, brutal and realistic acts of violence in visual media such as literature, film, television, and video games...
and the "disturbing description of a distressed adolescent psyche".
Story of Jen premiered on June 10, 2009, and a DVD was released on November of the same year. It has been nominated to several international festivals, starting in August 2008 for the Locarno Festival, in official competition.
François Rotger is also credited for Story of Jen
Rotger is currently working on EVLYXES, a modern epic based on both James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
and Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
.
As DIrector
- 2001 74km avec elle (France, 8 min, 35mm color)
- 2003 Jan (France, 22 min, Hdcam, color)
- 2005 The Passenger (Canada, Japan, 88 min, 35mm color)
- 2008 Story of Jen (Canada, 110min, 35mm color)
As Writer
- 2001 74km avec elle (France, 8 min, 35mm color)
- 2003 Jan (France, 22 min, Hdcam, color)
- 2005 The Passenger (Canada, Japan, 88 min, 35mm color)
- 2008 Story Of Jen (Canada, 110min, 35mm color)
As Music Composer and Performer
- 2008 Story Of Jen Original Soundtrack & Score (Guitar, Violin, Celtic Harp)
External links
- Delicate Films, Unofficial Website on Francois Rotger's work
- Francois Rotger on IMDB
- Francois Rotger's interview in Libération by Didier Peron
- Francois Rotger's interview on Allocine
- The Passenger on IMDB