Koch Lorber to Bring '05 Berlinale Winner "U-Carmen" to North America

2005 Berlinale Golden Bear winner "U-Carmen" by Mark Dornford-May has been picked up North American theatrical and home video rights by Koch Lorber Films in a deal with Fortissimo Films, Lorber president Richard Lorber announced Friday. The film will open in March at New York's Film Forum, followed by a roll out in select major markets with a DVD release planned for the third quarter of '07. The feature film is based on "Carmen," Bizet’s nineteenth century opera, with its classic "tale of love, jealousy, revenge and madness." "There are many reasons why Carmen is one of the world's most popular operas," commented Lorber in a statement. "But 'U-Carmen' takes an already powerful story and imbues it with a vibrancy, freshness and uniqueness and elevates the classic to a new level of modern-day relevancy." [Brian Brooks]