Swimming Pool

After Francois Ozon's acclaimed 8 Women, comes his sixth feature Swimming Pool. This is the filmmaker's first film to compete for the Palme d'Or.

Director: Francois Ozon
Cast: Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier
French-UK/colour/2002/103'

HT Image

Swimming Pool tells the story of Sarah Morton, an uptight British crime novelist suffering from a bout of writer's block, who retreats to her editor John's (Charles Dance) villa, in the South of France to seek inspiration. The explosive arrival of the sexy and promiscuous Julie (John's daughter) played by Sagnier, is to seriously shake up the tranquil surroundings.

With Swimming Pool François Ozon reveals an ambiguous and malevolent thriller, confirming his penchant for psychological crime dramas and his love of "actresses".

Credits:
Co-producer: Timothy Burrill
Cinematography: Yorick Le Saux
Editing: Monica Coleman
Original Music: Philippe Rombi

Says the director of his film:
"I wanted to make a film in complete contrast to 8 Women, which was quite a difficult project. With Swimming Pool I was looking to rediscover the joys of filming simply, with some of my favourite actors. I like the idea of working in an enclosed space, it enables me to watch my actors as if I was a scientist experimenting on animals."