The section Certain Regard opens today with the presentation of No One Knows About Persian Cats by Bahman Ghabadi. The Iranian director gained international acclaim in Cannes in 2000 for his first feature film, A Time for Drunken Horses, which won the Camera d'Or award. He’s back this year with a portrait of Tehran, shot in a rush and without authorization, a story of Iranian youth fighting against repression and being bullied around. As his two heroes, underground musicians, desperately tr...

In the handsome press book for the new Agnieszka Holland musical biopic "Copying Beethoven" writer/producer Christopher Wilkinson, regarding the appearance of actor Ed Harris in the title role, is quoted as having said on a visit to the set, "I see Beethoven standing there -- but what have they done with Ed Harris?" If Ed Harris does to some extent disappear into the skin of the composer in this not-to-be-denied bravura acting job, and if the trompe l'oeil maquillage really does makes it hard ...