A MINUTE OF SILENCE (Une Minute de silence) Los Angeles Premiere Drama France/Germany/Belgium, 1998 In French with English subtitles 35mm/1.85/Color/Dolby SR/88 min Awards: Youth Jury Emile Cantillon Award, Namur International Festival of French-speaking Film (1998) Written & directed by: Florent Emilio Siri Cinematography: Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci Editor: Joëlle Dufour Music: Alexandre Desplat Produced by: Marc de Bayser, Frank Le Wita Production Company: Film Oblige Co-production: Idéa, Champ contre Champ, LichtBlick, K2 With: Benoît Magimel (Marek), Bruno Putzulu (Mimmo), Jean-Yves Chatelais (the journalist), Alexander May (Freddy), Eric Savin (Tony) A social drama set in Lorraine as the coal mines are closing down, A Minute of Silence is the story of Marek (Benoît Magimel, Intimate Enemies (COLCOA 2008), Skyfighters (COLCOA 2006), A Girl Cut in Two) and Mimmo (Comédie Française actor Bruno Putzulu, Holy Lola (COLCOA 2005), In Praise of Love), who have worked together in the mine since age 16. When the miners’ union declares a strike, Marek wants to do his part and fight while Mimmo feels differently and dreams of a better future somewhere else. As the conflict intensifies, their friendship is put to the test. FLORENT-EMILIO SIRI Born in 1965, Florent-Emilio Siri is among the very few young French directors who have had the opportunity to work both in France and in Hollywood. He began his feature film career with A minute of silence in 1998 (screened at COLCOA 2008) and the critically-acclaimed action film The Nest. He then directed two award-wining Splinter Cell video games, adapted from the Tom Clancy novel. Following the release of The Nest, Bruce Willis asked him to direct his action film Hostage in 2005, produced by Miramax. Florent-Emilio Siri has also directed music videos for rap groups such as IAM, Alliance Ethnik and the Wu-Tang Clan.