'It's Not Me' Review: Leos Carax's Personal Manifesto

Sideshow, Janus Films Take Leos Carax’s It’s Not Me for North America

Sideshow and Janus Movies scooped up one other buzzy title out of Cannes, buying It’s Not Me from French auteur Leos Carax (Holy Motors, Annette) for North America.

An autobiographical collage of outdated and new footage, referencing all the pieces from silent films and Hollywood Golden Age classics to scenes from his personal work and private residence films, It’s Not Me pays direct homage to the late, nice Jean-Luc Godard in its deconstruction of the language of cinema and the treacheries of auto-fiction.

Commenting on his cinematic “self-portrait,” Carax stated: “A lot of painters have finished theirs, in fact. I attempted to make mine with none mirror. A self-portrait seen from behind. Or, like in a dream dreamed a few years in the past: How come I can see myself in that mirror, regardless that my eyes are closed? And after I test within the mirror, my eyes are certainly closed.”

It’s Not Me debuted within the Cannes Première sidebar. It’s a CG Cinéma, Théo Movies and Arte France Cinéma co-production made with the participation of Arte France, Chanel and Les Movies du Losange. Les Movies du Losange is promoting the movie worldwide and distributing it in France.

“Leos Carax is among the visionary filmmakers of our time,” stated Sideshow and Janus Movies in a press release. “He created one of the thrilling and ingenious movies of the whole pageant that manages to transcend our already excessive expectations.”

The deal for It’s Not Me was negotiated by Alice Lesort for Les Movies du Losange on behalf of the filmmakers with Sideshow and Janus Movies.

Sideshow and Janus have had a busy Cannes, additionally snatching up Payal Kapadia’s well-received competitors title All We Think about as Gentle; Gints Zilbalodis’ 3D animated eco-fable Circulate, which screened in Un Sure Regard; and Alain Guiraudie’s queer crime thriller Misericordia, one other Cannes Première title.