{{Short description|2024 film by Bertrand Mandico}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Dragon Dilatation | image = | caption = | director = Bertrand Mandico | screenplay = Bertrand Mandico | producer = Antoine Garnier | starring = {{Plainlist| * Elina Löwensohn * Christophe Bier * Nathalie Richard * Clara Benador * Yuming Hey * Ekaterina Ozhiganova * Sandra Parfait * Pacôme Thiellement * Karoline Rose Sun * Julia Riedler * Camille Rutherford * Claire Duburcq }} | cinematography = {{Plainlist| * Nicolas Eveilleau * Sylvain Verdet }} | editing = {{Plainlist| * Laure Saint-Marc * Helio Pu }} | music = Pierre Desprats | studio = {{Plainlist| * Orphée Films * Venin Films * Ecce Films }} | distributor = | released = {{Film date|df=yes|2024|8|8|Locarno}} | runtime = 114 minutes<ref name="locarno">{{Cite web |title=Dragon Dilatation |url=https://www.locarnofestival.ch/festival/program/film.html?fid=fee9fee1-5f61-4fc2-94c2-847b9192aae6&eid= |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=Locarno Film Festival}}</ref> | country = France<ref name="locarno"/> | language = {{Plainlist| * French<ref name="locarno"/> * English<ref name="locarno"/> * Japanese<ref name="locarno"/> }} | budget = }}
'''''Dragon Dilatation''''' is a 2024 experimental French film written and directed by Bertrand Mandico. Shot in split-screen format, it combines two film essays: a free adaptation of Igor Stravinsky's ballet ''Petrouchka'', and footage from a cancelled stage production rehearsed at the Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers titled ''The Deviant Comedy''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 August 2024 |title=Bertrand Mandico "Dragon Dilatation" {{!}} RTS |url=https://www.rts.ch/audio-podcast/2024/audio/bertrand-mandico-dragon-dilatation-28594654.html |website=Radio Télévision Suisse |language=fr}}</ref> The film explores subjects such as the Russo-Ukrainian war, police violence in France, totalitarianism across Europe, the #MeToo movement, and sexual abuse in the modelling and fashion industries. The film had its world premiere at the 77th Locarno Film Festival out of competition on 8 August 2024.
== Premise == The two essays presented in the film, ''Petrouchka'' and ''The Deviant Comedy'', address subjects such as the Russo-Ukrainian war, police violence in France, totalitarianism across Europe, the #MeToo movement, and sexual abuse in the modelling and fashion industries.<ref name="interview">{{Cite news |last=Kudláč |first=Martin |date=20 August 2024 |title=Bertrand Mandico • Director of Dragon Dilatation |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/465597/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250913211300/https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/465597/ |archive-date=2025-09-13 |access-date=2026-03-31 |work=Cineuropa}}</ref>
== Cast == * Elina Löwensohn<ref name="locarno"/> * Christophe Bier<ref name="locarno"/> * Nathalie Richard<ref name="locarno"/> * Clara Benador<ref name="locarno"/> * Yuming Hey<ref name="locarno"/> * Ekaterina Ozhiganova<ref name="locarno"/> * Sandra Parfait<ref name="locarno"/> * Pacôme Thiellement<ref name="locarno"/> * Karoline Rose Sun<ref name="locarno"/> * Julia Riedler<ref name="locarno"/> * Camille Rutherford<ref name="locarno"/> * Claire Duburcq<ref name="locarno"/>
== Production == The film was written and directed by Bertrand Mandico; produced by Antoine Garnier with Mandico, Flavien Giorda and Emmanuel Chaumet serving as co-producers; Nicolas Eveilleau and Sylvain Verdet serving as cinematographers; Laure Saint-Marc and Helio Pu as editors, and Pierre Desprats composed the score.<ref name="locarno"/> It was produced by Orphée Films and co-produced by Venin Films, Ecce Films and Nanterre-Amandiers Centre Dramatique Nationale; with international sales handled by Kinology.<ref name="locarno"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dragon Dilatation (ex-Petrouchka) de Bertrand Mandico (2024) |url=https://en.unifrance.org/movie/59534/dragon-dilatation-ex-petrouchka |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=Unifrance}}</ref>
Both films were commissioned to Mandico. Initially. he would not combine the two films. The adaptation of Igor Stravinsky's ballet ''Petrouchka'' was commissioned by the Aix-en-Provence Festival, while Philippe Quesne invited Mandico to create ''The Deviant Comedy'' at the Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers and told him: "Make cinema on stage; it will serve as a show." Mandico took advantage of this opportunity to prepare the film ''She Is Conann'' (2023) that he was writing at the time, and wrote a show that portrayed a double, Octavia, who questions ''She Is Conann'' and begins rehearsing with actresses. The show ended up not happening because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Mandico decided to film what it was supposed to be originally and it became ''The Deviant Comedy''. Both films explore subjects such as the Russo-Ukrainian war, police violence in France, totalitarianism across Europe, the #MeToo movement, and sexual abuse in the modelling and fashion industries.<ref name="interview"/>
== Release == The film had its world premiere at the 77th Locarno Film Festival out of competition on 8 August 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Szalai |first=Georg |date=July 10, 2024 |title=Locarno Fest Lineup Includes Hong Sang-soo, Paz Vega Films, Honors for Mélanie Laurent, Guillaume Canet |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/locarno-international-film-festival-2024-lineup-melanie-laurent-1235941214/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 August 2024 |title=1res images pour "Dragon Dilatation" de Bertrand Mandico, sélectionné à Locarno |url=https://lepolyester.com/1res-images-pour-dragon-dilatation-de-bertrand-mandico-selectionne-a-locarno/ |website=Le Polyester |language=fr}}</ref><ref name="locarno"/>
== Reception == Muriel Del Don of ''Cineuropa'' wrote; "''Dragon Dilatation'' is - like all of Mandico’s movies – a bewildering, erotic-decadent and always incredibly poetic journey into fluid worlds (in all senses of the term), where reality as we know it crumbles away before eventually tumbling down."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Del Don |first=Muriel |title=Review: Dragon Dilatation |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/465420/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250917112118/https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/465420/ |archive-date=2025-09-17 |access-date=2026-03-31 |work=Cineuropa}}</ref>
Martin Kudlac of ''ScreenAnarchy'' wrote; "''Dragon Dilatation'' is primarily for Mandico's dedicated fans and completists, showcasing his foray into stage performance and his engagement with performance art beyond the cinematic medium. While under ordinary circumstances these works might have appeared as DVD/Blu-ray extras or part of a retrospective, the festival's decision to present them on the big screen is fitting. It highlights Locarno's openness to avant-garde and experimental film hybrids, as both Mandico's pieces can be categorized as film essays."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kudlac |first=Martin |date=30 August 2024 |title=Locarno 2024 Review: DRAGON DILATATION Captures Bertrand Mandico's Foray Into Theater Through Meta-Cinematic Hybrid |url=https://screenanarchy.com/2024/08/locarno-2024-review-dragon-dilatation-captures-bertrand-mandicos-foray-into-theater-through-meta-cin.html |website=ScreenAnarchy}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title}} * {{Allocine title}} * {{Unifrance title}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dragon Dilatation}} Category:2024 films Category:2024 French films Category:French multilingual films Category:2024 French-language films Category:2024 English-language films Category:2024 Japanese-language films Category:2020s avant-garde and experimental films Category:French avant-garde and experimental films Category:French independent films Category:French-language independent films Category:English-language independent films Category:Japanese-language independent films Category:English-language French films Category:Japanese-language French films Category:Films directed by Bertrand Mandico Category:Films with screenplays by Bertrand Mandico Category:Russo-Ukrainian war films Category:Films about ballet Category:Films about theatre Category:Films about modeling Category:Films about sexual abuse Category:Films about fashion in France