OFFICIAL COMPETITION
21st MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL
August 22 - September 2, 1997

Montreal, August 5, 1997- Dani�le Cauchard, Vice president and Serge Losique, President of the Montreal World Film Festival, at a press conference today disclosed the 21 feature films which will vie for the distinguished Grand Prix des Am�riques Award at the 21st edition of the Festival. The WFF is accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations as the only competitive class A film festival in North America.

This year, Canada is represented by two films: LA CONCIERGERIE, directed by Michel Poulette and based on a novel by Beno�t Dutrizac entitled, "La conciergerie des monstres." Police officer Jacques Laniel becomes a private detective in an effort to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of his partner Thomas Colin. The movie stars Serge Dupire, Macha Grenon, Jaques Godin, Monique Spaziani, Michel Forget, Raymond Cloutier, Doroth�e Berryman, Isabel Richer, David LaHaye, Jici Lauzon, Tania Kontoyanni, Paul Buissonneau and Maka Kott.

THE SEAT OF THE SOUL (Le si�ge de l'�me) is written and directed by Montrealer Olivier Asselin, who presented "La Libert� d'une statue" at the 1990 WFF. At the end of the 19th century, a team of scientists desperately search for the key to immortality. Among them, Jules, a young researcher and dreamer, believes, contrary to his colleagues, that there is such a thing as a soul. One day, a sarcophagus containing a mummy is found, and the heart of the mummy is still beating. Jules believes that the mummy is alive, but that its soul has escaped and that it must be found as soon as possible in order for the body to survive. The film features several outstanding qu�b�cois actors including Emmanuel Bilodeau, Lucille Fluet, R�my Girard, Ronald Houle, Luc Durand, Carl B�chard, Roch Aubert, Pierre Lebeau, Alexis Martin, Markita Boies, Benoit Bri�re, Ren�-Daniel Dubois and Ren� Richard.

Carlos Saura, one of the most popular directors from Spain, and a regular at the Montreal Festival, presents the world premiere of PAJARICO, the story of Manu, a ten-year-old boy sent to a Mediterranean town while his parents sort out their differences. Far from home, Manu meets his relatives, a group of friendly eccentrics and befriends his beautiful cousin Fuensanta. Manu soon learns that looks can be deceiving, and that adult life has its complexities, fears, and joyful moments.

Oscar winner Jos� Lu�s Garci returns to Montreal to present A WOUND OF LIGHT (La Herida Luminosa). Although Doctor Molinos no longer gets along with his wife, Isabel, he chooses to keep up appearances in front of his friends and colleagues. Until the day he meets a beautiful co-worker with whom he falls madly in love and must ask his wife for a divorce. When Isabel refuses, Molinos contemplates murder.

From Great Britain, LAWN DOGS, directed by John Duigan (Romero, WFF 89), stars Mischa Barton, Sam Rockwell and Kathleen Quinlan. Trent Burns mows lawns in an affluent suburb in Louisville, Kentucky, and endures spiteful kids, nasty security guards and customers who "forget" to pay him. Meanwhile 10-year-old Devon, unlike her socially ambitious parents, has no friends. She amuses herself with the scary Baba Yaga fairy tales. One day, Devon is out selling cookies for the Young Rangers and comes upon an isolated trailer. It looks just like Baba Yaga's lair come to life ... but it's actually Trent's home.

British director Mike Barker presents the world premiere of his first feature, THE JAMES GANG. A destitute woman who has just lost her home, is capable of anything to keep the custody of her children, even armed robbery.

French director Yves Angelo presents the world premiere of his film UN AIR SI PUR, for which he co-wrote the screenplay with Jean Cosmos. In a resting home, during World War I, a group of vacationers, eager for peace, and patients suffering from nervous disorders and respiratory problems, begin to invent false identities for themselves. Their efforts to masquerade as different people stem from the possibility that their dreams may never be realized. The movie stars Fabrice Luchini, Andr� Dussollier, Jacques Boudet, Edith Scob, Jean-Pierre Lorit, Marie Gillain, Redjep Mitrovitsa, Grazyna Wolszczak, Krystyna Janda, Yolande Moreau, Laura Betti, Emmanuelle Laborit, Jersy Radziwilowicz.

Japan will be represented in the official competition by three new films:

TO LOVE (Aisuru), presented as a world premiere, written and directed by Kei Kumai ("Deep River" Oecumenical Prize, WFF 1995), based on the novel "The Woman I Abandoned." Gentle Mitsu loves Yoshioka who successfully seduces her, but is not ready to love her since he was abandoned as a child by his mother and no longer trusts women. By the time they meet again Yoshioka has overcome his distrust of women and he decides to live with her. Soon after, however, Mitsu is sent to a sanatorium. She transforms the pain and suffering of the other patients by the force of her loving nature.

LOST PARADISE (Shisurakuen), directed by Yoshimitsu Morita, based on a successful novel by Junichi Watanabe, is a film about a new Japan where a job is no longer synonymous with employment for life. In this new society, two lovers find their lives unbearable. Kuki, the editor of a prestigious magazine, a husband and a father, becomes isolated from his head office when he is transferred to a remote area of Japan. There, he falls in love with Rinko, a teacher of calligraphy, who is also married. Their love turns into passion, and nothing, not the pressure of Kuki's superiors, not the threats of Rinko's husband nor the reprisals of her mother will stop their affair.

TOKYO LULLABY (Tokyo Yakyoku), is a film by Jun Ichikawa, based on a screenplay by Shinsuke Sato. After disappearing for a few years, Koichi returns home to the wife and child he abandoned. Although he is not well received by his wife Hisako, his old lover, Tami, is happy to see him again. Koichi offers no explanation for his absence, but nevertheless tries to reintegrate the community. Meanwhile, Asakura, a writer who is smitten by Hisako, begins to investigate Koichi's past, and in doing so uncovers things that will forever alter everyone's life.

KISS OR KILL, written and directed by Australian Bill Bennett, stars Frances O'Connor, Matt Day and Chris Haywood. Nikki lures the men she meets in bars into hotel rooms where, with the help of her accomplice and lover Al, she proceeds to drug them and rob them. When one of their victims accidentally dies, they disappear taking along with them the dead man's bag. Inside the bag they discover a compromising videotape of a famous soccer player with a young boy. Everywhere they go, the number of murders escalates, and eventually, they begin to suspect each other.

Iran presents in official competition THE CHILDREN OF HEAVEN (Bachehaye Aseman), written and directed by Majid Majidi (Baduk, WFF 1991 and Le P�re, WFF 1996). The film presents a striking portrait of two children growing up in Iran. When Ali loses his sister's shoes on the way home from the shoemaker, the two children decide to share Ali's shoes, which results in a series of misfortunes.

The Italian-French-Swiss coproduction HOMER - PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS AN OLD MAN (Nel Profondo Paese Straniero), written and directed by Fabio Carpi, recounts the existential vagrancy of a blind writer and his beautiful, young female companion. Every country they visit marks a decisive step in their existence. Then, at his last public lecture, the writer bids his audience farewell. He leaves all his belongings to his young wife and prepares for the final exit.

From China, director Xie Jin presents his film THE OPIUM WAR (Ya Pian Zhan Zheng) released in Hong Kong July 1st during the ceremonies celebrating the return of Hong Kong to China after 150 years of British rule. In 1839, a vast anti-opium campaign was launched on Chinese territory marking the beginning of a battle against drug traffickers. British merchants complained in London and voted in favor of war. They then proceeded to invade and occupy Hong Kong. The Chinese were defeated and forced to sign the treaty of Nankin which established Hong Kong as a British colony.

Director Stole Popov from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, presents GYPSY MAGIC, based on a screenplay by Vladimir Blazevski. The film tells a story that is at once sad and amusing about a family of Gypsies. They are dreamers making their last, desperate effort to find a way out of the Balkan Peninsula, a labyrinth where insanity, misfortune and evil reign supreme. The family must exist in a universe where past social laws no longer exist and new precepts must be followed.

From the Czech Republic, director Juraj Jakubisko wrote and directed AN AMBIGUOUS REPORT ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD (Nejasna Zprav� O Konci Svet�). On the night of her wedding, Verona, a young bride, is nine months pregnant. During the festivities a pack of wolves attack and kill a number of villagers. Verona's ten-year-old brother Goran saves her. Later that night, she gives birth to a baby girl, Veronika, and offers her in marriage to Goran when they are older. As time passes Veronika becomes a young woman, and finds herself attracted to a man other than Goran.

SOME BIRDS CAN'T FLY (Ptice Koje Nikad Ne Polete), written and directed by Yugoslav filmmaker Petar Lalovic, makes its world premiere at the WFF. A ten-year-old girl, afflicted with leukemia, is miraculously saved by her grandfather's holistic treatments. The doctors cannot believe their eyes. Where science failed nature triumphed. But nature too can be capricious.

American director James F. Robinson wrote and directed his first feature-length film, STILL BREATHING. Fletcher McBracken is a street artist from Texas and the men in his family have midnight visions about the women they want to spend the rest of their lives with. Fletcher's own vision leads him to a caf� in Hollywood where he meets Roz who is there to meet a rich Texan. Fletcher has found the woman of his dreams. But Roz believes she has found her rich Texan, and follows Fletcher home.

Also from the United States, the world premiere of actor Barney Casey's directorial debut, THE DINNER. Casey also plays a role in this movie about three old friends who get together every once in a while to dine and talk about their lives. One night, after dinner, each man leaves separately. The last to leave is murdered. Was he assassinated by one of his friends?

Venezuela presents the world premiere of ONE LIFE AND TWO TRAILS (Una Vida y Dos Mandalos), a film by Alberto Arvelo written in collaboration with Freddy Sosa and Jorge Chac�n. On his 50th birthday, R�mer receives an old photograph. The picture brings back memories and draws him into a nostalgic, dreamlike state during which he has a premonition about the death of his mother. He sets out on a journey to the mountains where he grew up. Along the way, he comes to a fork in the road: one of the paths will lead him to an upsetting encounter with his past.

Daniel Bergman returns to the Montreal World Film Festival with his latest picture, EXPECTATIONS (Svenska Hjaltar). Adapted from a collection of short stories by Reidar Jonsson (best known as the author of "My Life As A Dog"), the film chronicles one year in the lives of some men and women -- their families and relationships, their greed and selfishness, their generosity and compassion -- in contemporary Sweden.