Rencontre 7ème Art Lausanne
It was a great pride to be able to contribute to this project of reach international that has been the first edition of the Rencontres 7th Art Lausanne from 24 to 28 March 2018!
To allow for this pioneering cultural event in Switzerland to take its full measure, I have worked in tandem with my friend Philippe Meylan for the creation of a Circle of Founding Patrons, friends committed to social causes that “make” Switzerland and contribute to its influence, both economic, as well as philanthropic and cultural! Our Circle of Patrons aims to grow over time… it is with gratitude that we invite you to join us – I am at your disposal for that! – unless you choose to support this project by joining r7al Friends (more info on the website).
r7al need you to be able to keep its momentum to pursue the mission of HERITAGE and PROSPECTIVE !!!
r7al has hosted over 7,400 lovers of cinema in its various programs and sessions throughout Lausanne and in the historic Capitol Cinema. In only 5 days, the Swiss film library received 10% of its annual visits. These were days of deep sharing between screenings, high level conferences, improbable meetings and glamorous events… the objective of keeping cinema alive was attained!
Some of the most notable highlights include the participation of Christopher Walken, especially at the occasion of the closing evening of the festival, during which he received the first r7al prize in tribute to his exceptional career!
Everyday, cinema lovers have been able to see the special guests that have come from around the world, at the occasion of round tables and conferences organized at Unil, ECAL or the Cinematheque, and attend screenings in the main cinema halls of the city (40 screenings in total, including award-winning films such as The Deer Hunter, Rain Man, Requiem for a Dream, Taxi Driver, The Wrestler, and Festen.)
Beyond the opening ceremony in a crowded Capitol – the largest Swiss cinema still in business – the key event was the ” cine-Brunch” of Sunday morning, led by the captivating Michel Hazanavicius, and with conversations with Darren Aronofsky, Thierry Frémaux, Alexandre Desplat , Tim Pope, Stephen Apkon , Hugh Hudson, Thomas Vinterberg, Fanny Ardant, Léa Seydoux, Rossy de Palma and Ursula Meier.
and Bérénice Bejo
If I had to choose the main highlight of the event– a task that is oh so extremely difficult given that all has been proposed was perfectly faithful to the purpose and spirit of the festival –it would be the ” Speak with Her ” lecture and debate series, offering insight on Women’s place in the professional world in general, and in the cinema industry. Organized by Women in Motion, the remarkable and committed testimony of Rossy de Palma, an ode to “Women Empowerment” was particularly strong and engaging!
Señora de Palma has expressed her joy to attend the first r7al, stating: “I will be present at all of the editions, I am very proud of Vincent, he organized a fantastic event!”.
In the PROSPECTIVE approach, the organizers of r7al, partnered with major universities of the region (EPFL, UNIL, ECAL, EHL EJMA and HEIG-VD). Their stages have received the most of conversations with renowned directors, actors, producers, composers, authors, as well as other professionals of the cinema industry. All these conferences were open to the public.
In this area, one of the most compelling topics of discussion was the emerging role of virtual reality in cinema. Producers and developers of novel technologies thus had the opportunity to exchange forecasts and projects. Vincent Perez and the team of the Rencontres du 7e Art thank the partners and sponsors who have made all this possible, as well as the very many participants for their presence!
