Clement Cogitore’s ‘Sons Of Ramses’: Watch First Clip From Cannes Critics’ Week Selection (EXCLUSIVE)

Naman Ramachandran
·2 min read

Clement Cogitore’s “Sons Of Ramses” (“Goutte d’Or”) will have its world premiere in Cannes as a special screening in the Critics’ Week strand of the festival.

The film follows Ramses, a skilful clairvoyant in the multicultural Parisian district of La Goutte d’Or. When a gang of fearless kids start terrorizing the locals, the balance of his thriving business and of the whole neighborhood is disturbed. Until one day, when Ramses has a real vision.

More from Variety

The cast includes Karim Leklou (“The World is Yours”), Malik Zidi (“Oxygen”), Elsa Wolliaston (“Victoria”), Jawad Outouia, Elyes Dkhissi, Yilin Yang (“Three Times Nothing”) and Loubna Abidar (“Much Loved”).

After studying at Le Fresnoy (France’s National Studio for Contemporary Arts), Cogitore developed his artistic practice between the spaces of cinema and contemporary art. In 2015, his first feature film, “The Wakhan Front” was selected at the Cannes Critics’ Week, where it won the Gan Foundation Award that supports distribution. It was also nominated for best first film at the Césars.

His 2017 documentary “Braguino” won the Zabatelgi prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival and the international doc competition at the Dokufest International Documentary and Short Film Festival and was nominated at the Césars.

“I wanted to move away from filming vast expanses, like in ‘The Wakhan Front’ and ‘Braguino,’ and focus on an urban setting, like the one right outside my home,” says Cogitore in the film’s press notes. “For years I lived in the Barbès/Goutte d’Or district in northern Paris. The film draws on my experience and fondness for the neighborhood and the way it became part of my life.”

“For me, a film consists first and foremost of tuning into a place in the world and asking what kind of energy we get from it at that moment,” Cogitore added. “During the shoot, I had the strong feeling I was saying something about the city that belongs only to the present.”

“Sons Of Ramses” is produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond for Kazak Productions. It is distributed in France by Diaphana Distribution. MK2 is handling international sales and will be present at the Cannes Film Market.

Critics’ Week is the sidebar dedicated to first and second films running alongside the Cannes Film Festival. It will kick off with Jesse Eisenberg’s feature debut “When You Finish Saving the World” and the full roster includes 11 feature films, seven of which will compete and four will play as special screenings.

Watch the clip here:

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.