The former Monty-Python is one of the headliners of the Lumière Festival. The 82-year-old filmmaker takes us into his completely crazy universe, during an original masterclass, peppered with “prout”, where he shows his fans the restored version of “The Army of the 12 Monkeys”.
In 1995, the daring director Terry Gilliam revealed to the world Army of the 12 Monkeys. Having become cult, the film is inspired by a science fiction fable in homage to Chris Marker starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt. Twenty-eight years later, this unforgettable work is ready to see the light of day again in cinemas, in a version restored by the Atelier d’Images. The release is scheduled for November 8.
Army of the 12 Monkeys plunges us into 2035, in an apocalyptic world, where 99% of the population has been decimated by a deadly virus. Humanity places all its hopes in the time travel of James Cole, played by Bruce Willis, in order to go back to the source of the catastrophe. The scenario hits home today when we think about the health crisis we are experiencing since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Have as much fun as possible
Terry Gilliam is not a visionary, however. Fisherking, The Baron of Münchhausen, Las Vegas Paranoid… All his films are only the fruit of his imagination, combined with an element of truth. It does not claim to anticipate the future, but rather to understand the present from a different angle. He explains : “I’ve always made films about the future, about the present, but people live in the future, not just the present, like me.”
To design these offbeat worlds, there is no need to consume hallucinogenic substances; your dreams are enough to stimulate your creativity. His philosophy, inherited from the Lumière brothers, is to have as much fun as possible when he creates films. A tilted camera, a touch of humor, crazy scenarios and extravagant costumes, and the film is played!
Terry Gilliam is the guest of honor at the Lumière Festival in Lyon, where during a masterclass, he will share a moment with his audience, just after presenting a preview of the restored version of Army of the 12 Monkeys for which he hopes for the same fate as Brazilwhich enjoyed success long after its release in 1985.
“My films are like wine, they improve with time.”
Terry Gilliamdirector
The new version of Army of the 12 Monkeysrestored by Atelier d’Image, will be released in theaters on November 8.