A teenager has a special power: she can bring us into her dreams – but also her nightmares.
Locked in her room, her only relationship to the outside world is virtual. She begins to go back and forth between dreams and reality, guided by a disturbing and mysterious youtuber, Patricia Coma.
Locked in her room, her only relationship to the outside world is virtual. She begins to go back and forth between dreams and reality, guided by a disturbing and mysterious youtuber, Patricia Coma.
Director
Bertrand Bonello was born in Nice, in 1968. He began his career in music, participating in numerous artists’ albums, before turning to cinema and directing.
In 1996, he directed Who I Am – Based on Pier Paolo Pasolini [Qui je suis – d’après Pier Paolo Pasolini], a documentary short adapted from Pasolini’s autobiographical prose poem. His first feature film, Something Organic, was presented at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival.
His feature film The Pornographer (2001), with Jean-Pierre Léaud, was presented at the Cannes Film Festival’s International Critics’ Week and was awarded the FIPRESCI prize.
In 2003, Tiresia was selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s official competition. Then he directed On War, selected at the directors’ fortnight in 2008.
In 2011, his feature film House of Tolerance was presented in Cannes’ official competition. Praised by the critics, it received eight nominations for the French César awards.
In 2014, he directed Saint Laurent, which also was selected in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie represented France at the Academy Awards and received ten César nominations.
The same year, he exhibited at the Pompidou Center, which dedicated a film retrospective to his work, and released a music album: Accidents. In addition, he took on the leading role in Antoine Barraud’s Portrait of the Artist [Le Dos rouge].
At the same time, he went on directing musical and short films: Cindy, The Doll is Mine (2005) with Asia Argento, which made Cannes’ official selection, My New Picture (2007), Where The Boys Are (2010), Ingrid Caven: Music and Voice (2012) presented at Locarno, and Sarah Winchester, Phantom Opera [Sarah Winchester, Opéra Fantôme] (2016) for the 3rd Stage, the Paris Opera’s digital platform.
In 2016, Nocturama premiered at TIFF and San Sebastian.
His last feature, Zombie Child, was selected at Cannes Film Festival / Directors Fortnight in 2019.
COMA will premiere at the Berlinale in February 2022.
In 1996, he directed Who I Am – Based on Pier Paolo Pasolini [Qui je suis – d’après Pier Paolo Pasolini], a documentary short adapted from Pasolini’s autobiographical prose poem. His first feature film, Something Organic, was presented at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival.
His feature film The Pornographer (2001), with Jean-Pierre Léaud, was presented at the Cannes Film Festival’s International Critics’ Week and was awarded the FIPRESCI prize.
In 2003, Tiresia was selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s official competition. Then he directed On War, selected at the directors’ fortnight in 2008.
In 2011, his feature film House of Tolerance was presented in Cannes’ official competition. Praised by the critics, it received eight nominations for the French César awards.
In 2014, he directed Saint Laurent, which also was selected in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie represented France at the Academy Awards and received ten César nominations.
The same year, he exhibited at the Pompidou Center, which dedicated a film retrospective to his work, and released a music album: Accidents. In addition, he took on the leading role in Antoine Barraud’s Portrait of the Artist [Le Dos rouge].
At the same time, he went on directing musical and short films: Cindy, The Doll is Mine (2005) with Asia Argento, which made Cannes’ official selection, My New Picture (2007), Where The Boys Are (2010), Ingrid Caven: Music and Voice (2012) presented at Locarno, and Sarah Winchester, Phantom Opera [Sarah Winchester, Opéra Fantôme] (2016) for the 3rd Stage, the Paris Opera’s digital platform.
In 2016, Nocturama premiered at TIFF and San Sebastian.
His last feature, Zombie Child, was selected at Cannes Film Festival / Directors Fortnight in 2019.
COMA will premiere at the Berlinale in February 2022.
Cast & crew
CAST
Louise Labeque (Zombi Child)
Julia Faure (Camille Rewinds – Nominated for Best Female Newcomer at Cesar 2013)
VOICES
Louis Garrel
Laetitia Casta
Gaspard Ulliel
Anaïs Demoustier
Vincent Lacoste
ANIMATION
Remembers – Ugo Bienvenu, Félix De Givry, Simon Cadilhac, Josselin Facon
PRODUCERS
Les Films du Bélier (Diamantino, Heal the Living),
My New picture & Remembers Production
Festivals and awards
- BERLINALE 2022 - ENCOUNTERS
“Bonello offers up a spellbinding film of
creative genius made very freely. Those
baffled by Coma, will no doubt get
another chance in the future to rewatch
what will inevitably become a cult film.”
creative genius made very freely. Those
baffled by Coma, will no doubt get
another chance in the future to rewatch
what will inevitably become a cult film.”
“Bonello calls this film a “little gesture,” and in
many ways it feels like an intimate story. But its
wider resonance makes it a topical and quietly
thought-provoking watch.”
many ways it feels like an intimate story. But its
wider resonance makes it a topical and quietly
thought-provoking watch.”
