Bigger Than Us (documentary)

Last updated

Bigger Than Us
Bigger Than Us (2021) documentary poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Flore Vasseur
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
  • Christophe Offenstein
  • Tess Barthes
Edited byAurélie Jourdan
Music byRémi Boubal
Production
companies
  • Elzévir Films [2]
  • Big Mother Productions [2]
  • All You Need Is Prod [2]
  • France 2 Cinéma [2]
Distributed byjour2fête [3]
Release dates
Running time
96 minutes [2]
CountryFrance
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1 million [5]

Bigger Than Us is a 2021 French documentary film produced and directed by Flore Vasseur, co-produced by Marion Cotillard, [4] [1] and written by Vasseur and Melati Wijsen. [1] [6] The film made its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival in the special section Cinema for the Climate on 10 July 2021. [4] [7] It was released theatrically in France by Jour2fête on 22 September 2021. [3] It was nominated for the César Award for Best Documentary Film in 2022. [8]

Contents

Plot

The documentary follows Melati Wijsen, an 18-year-old Indonesian girl and well-established activist against plastic pollution in her country. She wants to understand how to hold on and continue her action, so she goes on to meet six other young activists across the globe.

Cast

Release

The film made its world premiere at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in the special section Cinema for the Climate on 10 July 2021. [9] [4] It was released theatrically in France by Jour2fête on 22 September 2021. [3]

Reception

Critical response

AlloCiné, a French cinema website, gave the film an average rating of 3.3/5, based on a survey of 12 French reviews. [10]

Home media

The film was released on DVD in France on 1 February 2022. [11] The extras include an interview with director Flore Vasseur, a debate with Mary Finn and Mohamad Al Jounde, a podcast and the webseries "It starts with you". [11]

Awards and nominations

AwardYearCategoryRecipient(s)Result
Dei Popoli Festival2021Young Jury AwardBigger Than UsWon [12] [13]
Medal of the National AssemblyN/AWon [12]
César Awards 2022 Best Documentary Film Flore Vasseur and Denis CarotNominated [8]
Better World FundBest CommitmentFlore VasseurWon [14]
Best Achievement Marion Cotillard Won [14] [15]
Cinema For ChangeHonorary AwardFlore VasseurWon [12]
Festival À Travers ChampsCommitment AwardBigger Than UsWon [12]
Reel 2 Real Youth FestivalEdith Lando Peace PrizeBigger Than UsWon [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion Cotillard</span> French actress (born 1975)

Marion Cotillard is a French actress. Known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters in both European and Hollywood productions, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, a European Film Award, a Lumières Award and two César Awards. She became a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2010, and was promoted to Officer in 2016, the same year she was named a Knight of the Legion of Honour. She has served as a spokeswoman for Greenpeace since 2001. She was the face of the Lady Dior handbag for nine years, and since 2020 she is the face of the fragrance Chanel No. 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dardenne brothers</span> Belgian film directors, screenwriters and film producers

Brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, collectively referred to as the Dardenne brothers, are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce, and direct their films together. They also own the production company Les Films du Fleuve.

<i>La Vie en Rose</i> (film) 2007 French film directed by Olivier Dahan

La Vie en Rose is a 2007 biographical musical film about the life of French singer Édith Piaf, co-written and directed by Olivier Dahan, and starring Marion Cotillard as Piaf. The UK and US title La Vie en Rose comes from Piaf's signature song. The film is an international co-production between France, Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom. It made its world premiere at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival in the main competition.

<i>Rust and Bone</i> 2012 film directed by Jacques Audiard

Rust and Bone is a 2012 romantic drama film directed by Jacques Audiard, starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts, based on Craig Davidson's short story collection Rust and Bone. It tells the story of an unemployed man who falls in love with a woman who trains killer whales. The film is a co-production between France and Belgium.

<i>Blood Ties</i> (2013 film) 2013 film

Blood Ties is a 2013 crime thriller film directed by Guillaume Canet and starring Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis and Matthias Schoenaerts. It is a remake of the 2008 French thriller film Les liens du sang by Jacques Maillot, an adaptation of the French novel Deux frères: flic & truand by Bruno and Michel Papet. The screenplay was written by Canet and James Gray. The film was selected to be screened out of competition at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. The film is a co-production between France and the United States. It was released in France by Mars Distribution on October 30, 2013, and by Roadside Attractions in the United States on March 21, 2014.

<i>The Immigrant</i> (2013 film) 2013 film by James Gray

The Immigrant is a 2013 American drama film directed by James Gray, starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner. It had its world premiere at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it competed for the Palme d'Or.

<i>Two Days, One Night</i> 2014 film directed by the Dardenne brothers

Two Days, One Night is a 2014 drama film written and directed by the Dardenne brothers, starring Marion Cotillard and Fabrizio Rongione. It is an international co-production between Belgium, France and Italy. The film had its world premiere at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival where it competed for the Palme d'Or.

<i>Its Only the End of the World</i> 2016 film by Xavier Dolan

It's Only the End of the World is a 2016 drama film written, directed and edited by Xavier Dolan. The film is based on the 1990 play of the same name by Jean-Luc Lagarce and stars Gaspard Ulliel, Nathalie Baye, Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, and Vincent Cassel. It is about a young playwright who reunites with his family after a 12-year absence to inform them he is going to die.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mona Achache</span> French-Moroccan film director and screenwriter

Mona Achache is a French-Moroccan film director, screenwriter, and actress. She wrote and directed the feature films The Hedgehog (2009), Les Gazelles (2014), Valiant Hearts (2021), and Little Girl Blue (2023). She also directed the Netflix documentary The Women and the Murderer (2021).

<i>From the Land of the Moon</i> (film) 2016 Iranian film

From the Land of the Moon is a 2016 French film written and directed by Nicole Garcia and starring Marion Cotillard. The film is adapted from the 2006 Italian novella by Milena Agus. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and received eight nominations for the César Awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Nicole Garcia, and Best Actress for Marion Cotillard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyna Khoudri</span> Algerian-French actress

Lyna Khoudri is an Algerian-French actress. In 2017, she won the Orizzonti Award for Best Actress at the 74th Venice International Film Festival for The Blessed. In 2020, she won the César Award for Most Promising Actress for her performance in Papicha. In 2021, she portrayed a student activist in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch. In 2023, Khoudri portrayed Constance Bonacieux in The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers: Milady. Khoudri has been a brand ambassador for the French fashion house Chanel since 2022.

Melati Riyanto Wijsen and Isabel Wijsen are Indonesian climate activists. The two sisters are known for their efforts to reduce plastic consumption in Bali.

<i>Charlotte</i> (2021 film) 2021 animated biographical drama film

Charlotte is a 2021 animated biographical drama film about German painter Charlotte Salomon, directed by Éric Warin and Tahir Rana, from a screen story by Erik Rutherford and a screenplay by Rutherford and David Bezmozgis, inspired by Salomon's autobiographical painting series, Life? or Theatre?. It stars the voices of Keira Knightley, Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo and Mark Strong. Knightley, Marion Cotillard, and Xavier Dolan serve as executive producers. Cotillard also voiced Salomon in the French version of the film. Charlotte is an international co-production between Canada, Belgium and France.

<i>Brother and Sister</i> (2022 film) 2022 film

Brother and Sister is a 2022 French drama film directed by Arnaud Desplechin, starring Marion Cotillard and Melvil Poupaud as estranged siblings who are forced to reunite after two decades following the death of their parents. The film made its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival where it competed for the Palme d'Or, and was released in theaters in France on the same day as its Cannes premiere, on 20 May 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flore Vasseur</span> French film director

Flore Vasseur is a French film director, screenwriter, film producer, novelist, journalist and entrepreneur. Her first feature-length documentary film, Bigger Than Us, premiered in the Cinema for the Climate section at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the 2022 César Award for Best Documentary Film.

<i>Little Girl Blue</i> (2023 film) 2023 docudrama film by Mona Achache

Little Girl Blue is a 2023 biographical docudrama film written and directed by Mona Achache based on the life of her mother, the writer and photographer Carole Achache, starring Marion Cotillard as Carole Achache and Mona Achache as herself. The film is a co-production between France and Belgium and had its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Special Screenings section on 21 May 2023, where it competed for the Golden Eye and was well received by critics. The title comes from the song of the same name written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. The film was released theatrically in France by Tandem on 15 November 2023.

<i>Slalom</i> (2020 film) 2020 drama film

Slalom is a 2020 drama film directed by Charlène Favier in her feature debut, and co-written by Favier and Marie Talon. It is a co-production between France and Belgium. The film stars Noée Abita and Jérémie Renier. The film was selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. It screened at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival on 29 August 2020. It was released in France on 19 May 2021.

Marc Missonnier is a French film producer. He previously co-headed Fidelité Productions before launching his own production company Moana Films.

Vanessa Filho is a French film director and screenwriter.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Bigger Than Us - French press kit" (PDF). Unifrance (in French). Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bigger Than Us de Flore Vasseur (2021)". Unifrance . Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Bigger Than Us". jour2fete.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Utichi, Joe (11 July 2021). "Marion Cotillard On Youth Activism Doc 'Bigger Than Us': "This Desire For Change Is A Fuel To Action" – Cannes Studio". Deadline . Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  5. "Bigger Than Us (2021)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  6. "Bigger Than Us, le documentaire qui met en avant les jeunes activistes". Radio Télévision Suisse (in French). 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  7. "Bigger Than Us". Festival de Cannes . Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Bigger Than Us". Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma (in French). Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  9. "Cinema for the climate". Festival de Cannes . 18 June 2021. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  10. "Critiques presse pour le film Bigger Than Us". AlloCiné (in French). Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Bigger Than Us (2021) - DVD". dvdfr.com (in French). Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Festivals and awards". biggerthanus.film. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  13. "R2R Festival wraps up the 24th hybrid edition!". Reel 2 Real Youth Festival. 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Better World Fund hosts series of powerful sustainability focused events in Dubai". Zawya. 5 April 2022. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  15. "Marion Cotillard Best Achievement Award for the Film "Bigger than us" - Dubai Expo 2020". YouTube . 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.