08/01/2006

Black Book in competition in Venice

PRESS RELEASE

VENICE – We are delighted that BLACK BOOK, the highly anticipated new film from acclaimed director Paul Verhoeven has been selected to play in offical competition at the forthcoming Venice Film Festival (August 30 – September 9). This prestigious event will mark the film’s world premiere.

Having helmed many Hollywood blockbusters including Basic Instinct, Robocop and Total Recall, BLACK BOOK marks Verhoeven’s return to the European stage where he directed much of his early work including the successful Dutch films Turkish Delight, Soldier of Orange and The Fourth Man. Verhoeven: “I am absolutely thrilled that my movie will premiere in Venice.”

BLACK BOOK is a dramatic WWII thriller about a young Jewish woman (Carice van Houten) who joins the Dutch resistance after barely escaping a Nazi massacre in which she witnesses the brutal murder of her family. The leader of the resistence persuades her to start an affair with the leader of the SD in an attempt to rescue his own son who is about to be executed. She gets entangled in a deadly web of double play and betrayal.

The leads are played by Carice van Houten (Minoes), Sebastian Koch (The Life of Others), Thom Hoffman (The Fourth Man) and Halina Reijn (Zus & Zo).
The film is produced by Fu Works in association with Egoli Tossell Film, Clockwork Pictures, Motion Investment Group, Motel Films, Hector and VIP Medienfonds 4.

London based ContentFilm International is representing worldwide sales, BLACK BOOK has already sold to 50 countries worldwide.

Producer San Fu Maltha said: “I am not only happy for the movie, the director and the crew but also about the fact that a Dutch film has been selected in competition which has not happened in over a decade. This is a boost for the entire Dutch film industry.”

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For more information:

International Sales & Publicity:
ContentFilm International
Judith Baugin
Judith.Baugin@contentfilm.com