A film produced by four European countries and made by a director who set up a distribution company especially for its release – Bye Bye Blackbird by Robinson Savary – was the most original event in the news on releases in France last month.

Released on 39 screens through Friday Films, the debut feature by the young director was funded by Eurimages and co-produced by Samsa Films (Luxembourg), Ipso Facto Film (UK), Reverse Angle Production (Germany) and Dor Film (Austria).

Starring Swiss actor James Thiérrée, Poland’s Izabella Miko, UK actors Derek Jacobi and Jodhi May and France’s Michael Lonsdale, Bye Bye Blackbird, with music by Mercury Rev, is the story of a young man in London at the beginning of the century. Drawn by the image of a beautiful trapeze artist on a poster, he decides to join the circus that she works for, carrying out all types of lowly tasks until the day when he presents the director with an insane and dangerous number that he dreams of presenting with her but which results in drama