Malavida brings Wang Chao's 'A Woman' to France with 2027 retrospective
A prize-winning Chinese drama that never reached French cinemas is finally on its way there.
French distributor Malavida, a company that buys rights and puts films into cinemas, has picked up Wang Chao's 2022 drama A Woman, according to Variety. The film won the screenplay prize at San Sebastián but has never had a theatrical release in France. Malavida announced the deal in Lyon during the International Classic Film Market, known as MIFC, where buyers and sellers trade in older films.
The acquisition will anchor a wider retrospective of Wang's work in spring 2027. The season is set to launch on March 24 and will also include The Orphan of Anyang from 2001, Day and Night from 2004 and Luxury Car from 2006. Malavida plans to restore The Orphan of Anyang and to bring Wang to France for the screenings. A separate cinema release for A Woman on its own is also being considered.
Malavida is adding three titles by Italian director Dino Risi to its slate. They are The Easy Life from 1962, The Monsters from 1963 and Tolgo il disturbo from 1990, which French audiences know as Valse d'amour. The three films will form part of a Risi retrospective organised for summer 2027, according to Variety.
The company is also screening a newly restored 4K digital version of Michael Radford's 1984 in Lyon as part of the Lumière Classics programme. The restoration was supervised by cinematographer Roger Deakins, who shot the original film. Sharp eyes will notice the difference. 4K means a far more detailed image than standard cinema prints.
For younger audiences, Malavida is preparing a new French-language version of Fyodor Khitruk's 1969 animation Winnie and His Friends. It will be narrated and sung by Philippe Katerine and is set for release on Feb. 25, 2027. The choice closes a circle for the distributor, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Katerine's directorial debut Peau de cochon was the first film Malavida ever released, back in 2005.
The 2027 slate also includes Konrad Wolf's I Was Nineteen, scheduled for April 21, according to Variety.
For fans in France, this means a busy year of revivals. Several films get a second life. One gets its first.
