Docteur Chance (engl.)

Working on a plot that is clearly inspired by the classic noir movies, scene after scene, director F. J. Ossang composes a hypnotic portrait of a small-time crook who embarks on a pulsating road trip, both physical and human.

Thanks to the powerful punk soundtrack by Messageros Killers Boys – and a crazy cameo by the legend Joe Strummer – Docteur Chance (1997) becomes a cult movie, in which the mix of sound and image unleashes cinematic energy, impossible to forget.

Selected at Locarno97, this French-Chilean production leaves the audience with a sense of wonder and gives cinephiles plenty of references to play with. The way Ossang builds his work reminds for example of the best works directed by Wim Wenders, including an underestimated masterpiece like Until the End of the World (1991), with William Hurt and Max von Sydow. Pedro Hestnes, Marisa Paredes, and Elvire, all star in an insane, inspiring journey which is shown again at Locarno74 in the Histoire(s) du cinéma section.

Adriano Ercolani