Mubi Cancels Annual Istanbul Festival After Government Bans ‘queer’

Director Isabelle Julien tells IndieWire about bringing the Paris Opera production to big screens with only four days of filming.

"We didn't spruce it up with CG," the writer/director said. "She is doing those movements."

Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, the grandson of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman, makes his feature debut with a Cannes winner now repping Norway at the Oscars.

Mark H. Rapaport's first feature isn't for the faint of heart, but it's carried by the filmmaker's dry sense of humor.

The "Queer" star even had to think about how many 007 films he actually starred in.

"This ban not only targets a single film but also undermines the very essence and purpose of the festival," a company statement said after the local government banned the opening night feature.