Festival Director Roger Durling/Santa Barbara Independent)
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the start of the 10-day festival here in SB, and tonight was the night. There will be films of all types, including many worldwide premieres. Also on tap will be glittery, star-studded tributes; among the honorees are Annette Bening (Warren Beatty will be along to hold her hand on the red carpet), Geoffrey Rush (Colin Firth will be the presenter) and Christopher Nolan (with Leonardo DiCaprio in tow), as well as Nicole Kidman, James Franco and a host of panels representing screenwriters, directors, producers, even bloggers.
Tonight’s Opener was the American premiere of “Sarah’s Key,” a French film based on the bestselling book.
(courtesy shelfari.com)
Starring Kristen Scott Thomas, who was supposed to appear at the screening but had last-minute scheduling conflicts, the French language film features two parallel tales – one of a young Jewish girl whose family is rounded up during the Holocaust and the other of the journalist who’s assigned to write about that period in France’s history.
Here’s the trailer.
I really wasn’t that eager to see the film, not having read the book, but I was so wrong. “Sarah’s Key” was brilliant – suspenseful, poignant and beautifully acted. Highly recommended if a bit long.
Of course, the movie itself wasn’t the whole point of Opening Night at the Festival. I went with my friend Deborah, whose husband is on the board, and we had special passes allowing us to walk the red carpet and sit in the swell seats of the theater. No waiting in line. No getting stuck in the balcony. My kind of evening.
