John Boorman’s latest film ‘Queen and Country’, a sequel to his Oscar-nominated film ‘Hope and Glory’, has been chosen for the prestigious Directors' Fortnight selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, which takes place next month from 15th-25th May. ‘Queen and Country’ is produced by Merlin Films with funding from the Irish Film Board and the British Film Institute. Le Pacte is handling international sales for the film.
Set in 1952, the film stars Caleb Landry Jones as an 18-year-old British man who joins the National Service and meets an amoral prankster who becomes his friend. They are assigned as instructors in a training camp while others are shipped out to fight in the Korean War. The film also stars Pat Short, Sinead Cusack, Callum Turner, David Thewlis and Richard E. Grant. The film is set ten years after ‘Hope and Glory’ and centres on the same characters.
Commenting on the news James Hickey, Chief Executive, of the IFB, said "We are delighted for John Boorman to have his film ‘Queen and Country’ selected to screen at the Cannes Film Festival. Cannes is arguably the most important film festival and film market in the world and Ireland will be well represented there with two World Premieres, ‘Queen and Country’ in Directors Fortnight, along with ‘Jimmy’s Hall’ in Official Competition.”
Boorman has had a long relationship with the Cannes Film Festival. His last film to screen at the festival was the Irish film ‘The General’, telling the story of Irish criminal Martin Cahill which picked up the award for Best Director in 1998.
Previous Irish films to have been selected for the Directors Fortnight in Cannes include Lenny Abrahamson's 'Garage' starring Pat Shortt, Ruairí Robinson’s sci-fi 'Last Days on Mars', 'All Good children' directed by Alicia Duffy and 'The Other Side of Sleep' directed by Rebecca Daly.
