By Simon de Bruyn
The debut feature film from director Nash Edgerton, The Square, has had its international theatrical premiere, opening on 25 screens across France on 21 January.
The Square, which is being pitched by French distributor La Fabrique Films as an Aussie film noir, has opened to very positive reviews with critics comparing the writing and tone to early Coen brothers, Fred Vargas – and even David Mamet.
After attending at the French premiere last week, Edgerton told INSIDEFILM that France was one of the first territories sold as its sales agent was Pathé. He said that the film will next screen at the film market in Berlin to other European buyers, who are no doubt watching the French release with keen interest.
He added that the French premiere was a blast, and that he is enjoying promoting the film to a different, and fresh, audience.
“The French premiere was great. They were very welcoming. It has been exciting to walk around Paris and see posters for the film everywhere,” he said.
Edgerton has been very busy since The Square opened in Australian cinemas, although the film didn’t make the splash with Australian audiences he was hoping for, only taking a total of $318,000 in box office receipts.
“We have just finished making The Square DVD for Australia which will come out on March 5. Now am here in Sundance with Luke Doolan for his short Miracle Fish [which I executive produced]. I’m doing a few stunt jobs and I am writing something new,” he said.
The Square was also recently named by US studio executives as one of the best foreign films of 2008, in the annual International Watch List, which gathers votes from over 50 film execs and their assistants and publishes the ones with the most votes in an end of year list.
The Square was written by Joel Edgerton and Matthew Dabner, and produced by Louise Smith at Film Depot.