Culture, News, Opinion — May 18, 2012 at 18:14

Cannes 2012: Weinstein Co. buys Libyan revolution documentary

 

 

CANNES, France — For the second time in as many days at the Cannes Film Festival, Harvey Weinstein has gotten political.

The independent-film mogul has bought “The Oath of Tobruk,” a documentary about the  2011 Libyan revolution directed by the provocateur French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy. The acquisition comes a day after Weinstein picked up “Code Name Geronimo,” a narrative film about the killing of Osama bin Laden, in the Cannes market.

“Tobruk,” which was a late addition to the festival’s main selection, follows the efforts in Libya as well as  the U.S. and Europe to support the rebels and oust Moammar Kadafi. Weinstein said he saw the movie as relevant to revolutions that are still going on, and one in particular.

Weinstein “sees this acquisition as a political action that could provide hope for other countries in a similar state of peril including Syria,” the Weinstein Co. company said in a statement announcing the deal.

No release date has been set for the film.

Weinstein previously waded into the Middle East with the acquisition of “Miral,” Julian Schnabel’s movie about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 

Source: The Envelope

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Alfredo-Atwater/100002407113567 Alfredo Atwater

    Right from the beginning of the Libyan uprise you could tell the Libyan rebels performed like Hollywood high rated movie stars. Even some Hollywood stars went to Libya to show their support. The passion and performance of the Libyan rebels was really admirable.

    I’m glad this film producer in France is probably giving them a job.