And the Most Anticipated Foreign Film of 2015 is…Andrzej Zulawski’s Cosmos

Cosmos

Director: Andrzej Zulawski // Writer: Andrzej Zulawski

2015 marks the ending of a fifteen year hiatus from filmmaking for Polish auteur Andrzej Zulawski, whose last film was 2000’s La Fidelite, which starred the director’s then wife French actress Sophie Marceau. Known for capturing some of the most memorably gonzo performances ever committed to film, Zulawski’s most celebrated title is 1981’s Possession, which starred Isabelle Adjani (who nabbed Best Actress at Cannes for her unforgettable performance) and Sam Neill. Infamous for its inclusion on the dreaded “Video Nasties” list of the 1980s, the title slowly nurtured a cult audience and is still, by far, the most easily accessible title of Zulawski’s impressive filmography. Plagued by Polish censors, the critical success following his first two features, 1971’s The Third Part of the Night and 1972’s The Devil saw Zulawaski migrate to France for the magnificent The Most Important Thing is to Love in 1975, starring Romy Schneider and Klaus Kinski. A return to Poland for an adaptation of his father’s sci-fi epic On the Silver Globe saw production infamously halted, though Zulawski would cobble together the footage for a 1988 release of the sabotaged title. Meeting Marceau during the filming of 1985’s L’amour Braque, the actress would also headline My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days (1989) and The Blue Note (1991). Before their final collaboration, Zulawski returned to Poland once more for the strange hysteria of Szamanka (1996). After twin retrospectives in 2012 in both New York and Los Angeles, Zulawski announced plans for his next feature. We’re ecstatic to report that filming on Cosmos commenced in Portugal in November, 2014, with French actress Sabine Azema, wife and star of Alain Resnais’ films, headlining. Additional cast mates are Victoria Guerra, Ricardo Pereira and Jonathan Genet. Described as a bleak and metaphysical thriller, the film is based on a 1965 novel by Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz, the story concerning two students in a countryside town of southern Poland. As they rent a room in a small guesthouse their peace is disturbed by a series of random occurrences that suggest to their susceptible minds a pattern with sinister meanings.

Cast: Sabine Azema, Victoria Guerra, Ricardo Pereira, Jonathan Genet

Production Co.: Alfama Films

U.S. Distributor: Rights available.

Release Date: Zulawski’s Possession played in the main competition, while 1988’s received a slot in Un Certain Regard. We would hope that his much anticipated return to filmmaking will secure a slot somewhere in the Cannes lineup, that is if post-production isn’t too lengthy a process.

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