“It is a real honor for me to be in India to present my film at this prestigious festival” Julien LandaisAs cine lovers await with bated breath for the official opening of 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the international star cast & crew of the opening film of the festival name ‘The Aspern Papers’, made their presence felt at the press conference held last evening by IFFI.
From among the cast & crew of the film, Julien Landais (Director) was present with his actors Nicolas Hau, Barbara Meier & Lois Robbins.
While addressing the media at the press conference, the Festival Director said, “We are thoroughly delighted to have the cast & the crew of The Aspern Papers among us. And what better way to start the 49th edition of IFFI than with a World Premiere! A premiere which speaks for itself, a premiere which will showcase the nuances of cinema, filmmaking, acting, creativity & the way forward. The film kick starts our whole journey for & days and it should be a journey which all of us will love to remember. It is a great honor & a privilege to have you here. I thank the cast & the crew of The Aspern Papers for coming to India, coming to Goa, coming to IFFI, and for giving us a great brand value in the international community. Namaskar, welcome to India”
Julien Landais, the Director of The Aspern Papers, said, “It is a real honor for me to be in India to present my film at this prestigious festival. My film is an adaptation of a famous novella by Henry James, which is set in Venice in late 19th century. I felt like it was the right subject for my 1st ever feature & fit in the incredible actors to embody these special characters. So I’m very happy to be here with my team.”
One of the actors of the film, Lois Robbins was also present at the press conference. She said, “I just want to say how thrilled I am to be here. It is my 1st time ever in India. It is a beautiful country; Goa is fantastic & thank you so much for having us all. Shooting The Aspern Papers was an experience I don’t think I will ever have again as an actor for so many reasons. Firstly, it was an extraordinary cast led by an exceptional director who had a beautiful vision for the film. Just the costumes alone, from the Dolce & Gabbana couture archives, were some of the most beautiful things I will ever wear in my life. It was quite exceptional to work with Jonathan (Rhys-Myers), Poppy (Delevingne), Nicolas (Hau), Barbara (Meier) & Morgane Polanski.”
Narrating her experience while shooting the film, Lois further said, “It was a lot of fun on the very 1st ever day of the shooting of the film. It was very hot in Venice. And I had on a very heavy cape, a hat & gloves and we were shooting in a gondola. For every take, I had to take my gloves on & off. The costume people couldn’t come inside the gondola with me. So for every take, Jonathan would get into the gondola and adjust the gloves & the cape for me. And I was swooning. He is quite handsome. That might have been my favorite day of shooting.”
The Aspern Papers tells a story of obsession, grandeur lost & dreams of Byronic adventures. The film is an adaptation of a famous novella by Henry James based on the letters Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote to Mary Shelley’s stepsister Claire Clairmont. The film stars Golden Globe winner Jonathan Rhys Meyers (lead actor), Golden Globe-nominated actress Joely Richardson (lead actress), her mother – 6 time Oscar nominee & Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, Julia Robins (actress), Morgane Polanski (actress), daughter of Roman Polanski & Nicolas Hau (actor).
The Aspern Papers is set in Venice in the late 19th century, it tells the story of an American editor determined to get his hands on the letters his icon, the Romantic poet Jeffrey Aspern, wrote to his beautiful lover & muse, Juliana Bordereau. Juliana lives in a Venetian palazzo with her niece Miss Tina, who she seems to control & Morton tries to manipulate. But when the ambitious adventurer trifles with Miss Tina’s affections she learns to see through his scheme.
The film was shot where Henry James actually wrote it, on original locales in Venice. James Ivory, an old India hand & a recent Academy Award winner is one of the Executive Producers of the film.
The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will open with the World Premiere of ‘The Aspern Papers’ with international star cast.
The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI Goa) begins on Tues, 20th Nov, 2018 & ends on Wed, 28th Nov, 2018, in Panaji, Goa.
