MUBI update 30th November 2012

This week MUBI is highlighting the works of a major new upcoming talent. It isn’t often a great new director emerges from Canada; only Xavier Dolan, Guy Maddin, David Cronenberg and Michael Snow seem to have made major waves outside the nation’s boundaries of late. The name to add to that list is Denis Côté, a unique, emerging voice who is constantly experimenting, which means his movies are always vibrant, interesting, and surprising.
Anthology Film Archives, one of the major repertory cinemas in the US, recently gave Côté a complete retrospective, commenting that the director is “one of the most gifted of contemporary Canadian filmmakers.” Côté’s new zoo documentary, Bestiaire, is currently on the festival circuit, and with that and the Anthology retrospective, we thought it was a good time to highlight the filmmaker’s work now showing on
MUBI:

Drifting States (Denis Côté, Canada)
Christian has committed a crime, a crime of compassion. A troubled soul, he must now flee not only the law, but the deep ethical consequences of his act. The path he sets upon leads him to where all roads end: a small community by the name of Radisson, 1500km north of Montreal. Slowly, he starts his life anew, among his new neighbors, a new job, a new interest in life. His story drifts along between fiction and reality…
Available in: Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Portgual, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Swizerland.

Our Private Lives (Denis Côté, Canada)
After a lengthy virtual relationship over the internet, Milena and Philip take the plunge and agree to finally meet. Having lived in Montreal for over a decade, Milena, an immigrant of Bulgarian descent, accepts to greet her correspondent Philip, a flirtatious photographer from Sofia. Out in an isolated cottage in Quebec’s countryside, the couple abandon themselves to one another. Between periods of cultural clashes and fleshly pleasures, the two assess each other and the possibilities for true love. But strange, uncanny events soon disrupt Milena and Philip’s quiet intimacy as secrecy and silence slowly set in.
Available in: Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Portgual, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Swizerland.

All That She Wants (Denis Côté, Canada)
Near a major highway, in a nameless country, the rebellious Coralie tries to understand the recent departure of her mentally unstable mother. Jacob, old and passive, attempts to present himself as a father figure. The return of Pierrot, an ex-con, to the neighbourhood, and the frightening presence of the bandits next door, do nothing to help Coralie free herself from the violence and secrets of her past.
Available in: Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Portgual, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Swizerland.

Carcasses (Denis Côté, Canada) Jean-Paul Colmor is 74 years old. After an accident, he took an early retreat and has been collecting cars, wrecks and junk for the last 40 years. Living among tons and tons of debris, he quietly works all day on his unimaginable property, furnishing and dealing car parts to mechanics and other iron afficionados. One day, four intruders visit Colmor in search of a corner of twisted paradise. Carcasses uses documentary and fictitious elements to try getting at the soul of an unthinkable place.

Available in: France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Portgual, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Switzlerand.