FRANCE: Jane Campion comes back to short films with an atmospherical tale about water, and the lack of it.

Record ID: 345439

  • Title: FRANCE: Jane Campion comes back to short films with an atmospherical tale about water, and the lack of it.
  • Date: 1st June 2006
  • Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 25, 2006) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JANE CAMPION, FILM DIRECTOR, SAYING: "I also love the quality of water. To me, it's... You know, I have a yoga teacher who was like, showed to me this little Hindu custom that they do with pouring water in the morning to welcome the sun, and I just thought you know, I want to raise consciousness about water as something that is so good, something really beautiful, and life giving."
  • Embargoed: 16th June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVAC2Z1PBBC40JANB59LH64LA2JR
  • Story Text: Director Jane Campion came to the Cannes Film Festival with a short film about water scarcity.
    The story is set in the Australian countryside -- where the lack of water is more crucial than in big cities, Campion said.
    "I want to raise consciousness about water as something that is so good, something really beautiful, and life giving," said Campion.
    The film tells the story of eleven year old Ziggy, who writes a diary about the many sad things that happened during a severe drought. Ziggy also reports on the frequent dreams people in her town have about water. In one of the dreams, Felicity, the town's most beautiful and talented girl, plays the violin on top of an empty water tank to try and bring the rain.
    The short film casts Campion's daughter, Alice Englert, and some of her friends.
    "Children I think are very moral naturally and also full of hope and they are not cynical. They, they really want to believe that the world can be better. And you know, I don't want to disappoint them with that hope!" she said.
    Campion's short film 'Peel' won the Golden Palm for short films in 1986. Since then, she has mainly directed long features.
    'Sweetie', 'An Angel at my Table' and 'The Piano' won many awards, the later winning the Palme d'Or in 1992. Her latest film 'In the Cut' stars Meg Ryan in a New York drama.
    Campion said she is pleased to go back to short films.
    "I love short films and I think that they are like, to me, you know, you don't get paid to do short films really because there is not much exhibition. So everybody does features, but in fact short films give you a kind of different freedom, that you can be atmospheric with them, the storytelling responsibility is quite low," she said.
    In partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, 'The Water Diary' highlights one of the eight objectives of the Millennium; to ensure a sustainable environment.
    Eight renowned directors were given 'carte blanch' to illustrate the eight Millennium objectives.
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