Hotel

CDA ENTERTAINMENT DOUBLE DISC DVD RETAIL RELEASE: 4 NOVEMBER 2002

THIS YEAR’S MOST ORIGINAL AND STRIKING PIECE OF CINEMA.

Mike Figgis’s most astonishing film to date, HOTEL, is available to own andrent on DVD (RRP £22.99) from 4 November 2002.

Last year Mike Figgis traveled to the Island of Lido di Venezia in theVenetian Lagoon accompanied by a cast of over 30 actors including Rhys Ifans(Notting Hill), David Schwimmer (Friends), Saffron Burrows (Deep Blue Sea,Time Code), John Malkovich (Con Air, In The Line Of Fire), Salma Hayek (Traffic),Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels), Julian Sands (Arachnophobia) and Max Beesley (TomJones). They were to play the guests and staff of a Hotel. All they had wasthe briefest of character outlines.

Shot entirely on digital film and using the latest groundbreaking equipmentsuch as ‘night vision lenses (there are some scenes where the actors could seenothing of one another), HOTEL intertwines a series of multi-layered storiesto astonishing effect.

Synopsis:
Academy Award-Nominee filmmaker, Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas, Time Code),brings together a dazzling all-star cast in this story of dark sexual intriguewhere no one is quite what they seem and the staff are more in control than theguests.

Figgis brings a fresh approach to film-making. Add to this the surplus ofbizarre sexual activity and horrific cannibalistic images and HOTEL becomesone place you will not want to check into alone…

(Letter from Mike Figgis to prospective cast – December 2000)

“I’m putting together an ensemble of actors and film people to make adigital movie in Venice. Last year I did TIME CODE in LA and it was a veryinteresting three week event. I think everyone got something out of it and itwas one of the best working experiences I’ve had in the film business.

Venice is a magical environment to work in. Just walking around the town gaveme so much inspiration. We will be shooting for about five weeks. The mainlocation is a hotel on the Lido, the rest will be out and about in Veniceitself. I thought it would be useful to lay down some thoughts about thesystem that I wish to use. I’d hate to have this come as a surprise later on.

1. I like the actors to wear their own clothes. This is not a hard and fastrule. I ask the actors to bring a selection of their own clothes. Because ofthe way I shoot it is possible to wear different clothes on different days.Continuity is not an issue.

2. There is no hair or makeup department. Actors are responsible for their ownappearance. Working with digital cameras and available light means that makeupis not as crucial anyway.

3. There is no transport system (Venice is car-free) and actors turn up undertheir own steam for meetings.

4. We are working on a favoured nations system. All the actors get the samemoney. The money is not great. Sorry about that. I’m working out a pointssystem so that if the film ever made any money some of it will make its wayback to the ensemble.

5. There is no script. Much of the film is improvised but that is not as scaryas it sounds. We shoot a scene and then watch it soon after and then there isdiscussion and then we shoot again until the scene begins to work. I amentirely there for the actors and the process of developing a scene in thisway is very enjoyable and very much an ensemble experience.

6. It’s very difficult to accurately plan how the time is going to be scheduled.I will be working everyone quite hard for periods of time and then there willbe periods where the pace slacks of while I work out what to do next. Thereforeit will not be an orthodox week as in conventional shooting schedules. I nevertake anyone past the point of exhaustion though.

These are the ground rules and they may all modify or change as we proceed, Ihope they do.”

Title Content and Specification Information:

This two disc special DVD will include the following features:

• Scene Access
• Theatrical Trailer
• 28 Web Shorts / Additional Scenes
• 24 Minutes Behind-the-scenes Documentary
• Photo Gallery Stills