‘Natan’ - the Irish documentary about the life of forgotten French filmmaker Bernard Natan who died in Auschwitz – has been selected to screen in the prestigious Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, which last year launched 'Argo' to Oscar glory.
Co-directed by Paul Duane and David Cairns and produced by Dublin-based Screenworks, ‘Natan’ was made under the Arts Council’s Reel Initiative.
The film charts the life story of the Romanian immigrant who rose to become one of the most successful film producers in France at the beginning of the 20th century, before his reputation was unfairly tarnished.
The directors examine posthumous stories that Natan was a pioneer of gay and sado-masochistic porn - proving these to be a lie and thereby restoring the filmmaker’s reputation.
‘Natan’ premiered earlier this year at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and will screen this October in the inaugural IndieCork Festival.
Mr Duane said of the film’s Telluride selection: ‘To have our little documentary, made on a tiny budget, selected for one of the world's most prestigious film festivals is beyond belief and myself and David are thrilled to be a part of it.’
The Telluride Film Festival last year brought ‘Pilgrim Hill’ to international acclaim and served as a springboard for the career of young Kerry director Gerard Barrett, who won the IFTA Rising Star award and is currently working on his second feature ‘Glasslands’.
‘Natan’ is written by David Cairns and produced by Paul Duane with other cast and crew including editor Eoin McDonagh, and executive producer Craig McCall.
Paul Duane co-created and co-produced the four-part TV series ‘Amber’, which is screening as part of RTÉ’s Autumn line-up and was last week acquired by BBC4 and Netflix UK.
Mr Duane’s IFTA-nominated documentary ‘Barbaric Genius’, about the life of writer John Healy, will also be screening as part of the John Healy/Grass Arena programme at this weekend's Electric Picnic.
David Cairns has made several short films including ‘Cry for Bobo’, ‘Inside an Uncle’ and ‘The Return of Peg Leg Pete’, and has worked on BBC Scotland’s ‘Intergalactic Kitchen’.
Both Mr Duane and Mr Cairns will attend the Telluride Film Festival - which runs from 29th August to 1st September - to introduce the film at both screenings.
Telluride is considered an early barometer for the future trajectory of the Hollywood awards season, with each film’s selection kept strictly under wraps beforehand.
The trailer for ‘Natan’ can be viewed by clicking on the link below:
