IFC and Sundance take Assayas’s ‘Carlos’ Hostage

Who knew that (in 2010) I’d be psyched for a pair of mini-series. I’m looking forward in seeing Todd Haynes adapt Mildred Pierce, but before that, we’ll collectively be looking for Olivier Assayas’ Carlos – which I imagine should hit the tube in France and then hit the U.S., first presented as a 3-part mini series on the Sundance Channel, and then as a theatrical release in the fall via IFC. 

Co-written by Olivier Assayas and Dan Franck, Carlos the Jackal traces the life of Carlos (currently serving a life sentence in a French prison) from 1973-1994. Full of violence and secret-service manipulation, the story includes the 1974 bomb attack on the Publicis Drugstore in Paris, the 1975 hostage-taking of 11 OPEC ministers in Vienna and several planned assassinations. All this unfolds against a geopolitical backdrop encompassing the PLO, Japanese Red Army, Iraq under Saddam Hussein, the USSR, East German Stasi, Hungary, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and, finally, Sudan where Carlos was arrested.

For those who haven’t yet seen Assayas’ Summer Hours – I strongly suggest to queue it up for rental.