The first feature film from an SVOD platform to win the Oscar for best film,
CODA
, the remake of
La Famille Bélier
, was never able to have the impact of its original in France.
Unlike in the United States or England where a few theatrical screenings were organized, Sian Heder's Franco-American drama was only available to subscribers of Apple TV+, which acquired
CODA
at Sundance.
The online launch of the film in the summer of 2021 was done at low noise.
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Coda
's triumph brings Apple TV+ into the big leagues
But CODA
's March 27 Oscar triumph,
which swept the three statuettes for which it was in the running and blew the king trophy to favorite
The Power Of The Dog
by Jane Campion, changed the game.
To give French cinephiles the chance to discover this inspired and militant transposition, the co-producer Pathé has obtained a temporary visa from the CNC allowing him to distribute, for 48 hours on Saturday and next Sunday, the adventures of Ruby Rossi and his deaf parents in the stricken fishing port of Gloucester.
120 partner cinemas
According to Le film français,
CODA
will be screened in 120 French cinemas.
The cinemas from the Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont circuits - the majority in the operation - CGR, Kinepolis and Grand Ecran, will participate, as well as a certain number of independent arthouse cinemas, in Paris and in the provinces.
Around 300 sessions are expected to take place.
Pathé preferred this option limited to two days to the possibility of organizing a number of screenings not exceeding 30 in the same film week and without any time limit.
Pathé explains that he wished, through these screenings of April 23 and 24, “
to organize an event to honor the French producers of
CODA (Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi, Patrick Wachsberger and Jérôme Seydoux, editor’s note)
.
The film was not planned at all in theaters at the start, it was really the Oscars that were the trigger
”.
In addition to the statuette for best film,
CODA
also left with the trophy for best supporting role for Troy Kotsur, a marvelous gruff and tender patriarch who couldn't be more creative in his sign language, and the trophy for best adaptation (ahead of
Dune
and
The Power Of The Dog!).
Dedicated subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Unlike
La Famille Bélier
, which employed hearing actors (Karin Viard and François Damiens) who abused sign language,
CODA
recruited pillars of the deaf artistic community, who are immensely popular, and offered a unique and historic platform to disabled talent.
As Ruby's mother, Marlee Matlin, an Oscar winner thirty-five years ago for
Les Enfants du silence
, and a fierce campaigner for representation and accessibility.
Veteran of theater in sign language (ASL), Troy Kotsur, 53, who slept in his car during his years of hardship, charmed by his career.
Read also
Coda
: the Hollywood fairy tale of the remake of
The Bélier Family
Seeking maximum authenticity, making a more political rereading, Sian Heder worked on his script with ASL interpreters and encouraged his actors to be very expressive and inventive about the way of signing, returning to the basics of silent cinema.
To respect this commitment, the screenings of April 23 and 24 will offer subtitles dedicated to the deaf and hard of hearing.
