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INVISIBLE EYES

"A HANDSOME PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER"

THE GAZETTE

"AN INTELLIGENT

MYSTERY"

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"AN EMPOWERING,

WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE"

OFF SCREEN

MONTREAL

WORLD FILM FESTIVAL

OFFICIAL SELECTION

FIRST FILMS

COMPETITION

SITGES FANTASTIC

FILM FESTIVAL

OFFICIAL COMPETITION

NEW VISIONS

DISCOVERY

A FIRST FEATURE FILM SUPPORTED BY JAN HARLAN

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF STANLEY KUBRICK'S

BARRY LYNDON, THE SHINING

FULL METAL JACKET, EYES WIDE SHUT

VERSION FRANCAISE

www.oliviercohen.com

Foreword

FOREWORD BY

JAN HARLAN

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF

BARRY LYNDON

THE SHINING

FULL METAL JACKET

EYES WIDE SHUT

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

"Invisible Eyes" is a remarkable first feature film by a new director, Olivier Cohen, with a wonderful new actress, Pia Mechler. It's a suspenseful story about the Unknowable, a film firmly placed within the extremes of what we love and what we fear, between dream and nightmare.

What I liked most is the story's ambiguity. "Invisible Eyes" is intriguing and multi-layered. It's a film with a sharp look, a unique style and brilliant performances. Here I see talent! That's why I've chosen to support "Invisible Eyes".

J. HARLAN

Trailer

TRAILER

Synopsis

SYNOPSIS

Supermodel Gaby is depressed at the thought that her age is forcing her to an early retirement. She goes to spend some time in a country house where she hopes to find inspiration to redirect her life. Soon Gaby has the eerie sensation that the place is somehow inhabited and that she's being watched. Figment of her imagination or evil spirit, an invisible force is determined to hurt her. Disfigured and weakened, Gaby will eventually ally herself to her enemy to discover a world where only the eternal beauty of the soul leads to immortality...

Photos

PHOTOS

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Clue Kit

CLUE KIT

FOLLOW THESE CLUES DURING THE FILM

AND TRY TO RESOLVE

THE INVISIBLE EYES MYSTERY

the ticking of a clock

a blond wig

the sound of a typewriter

a pile of film scripts

an old wardrobe

a gold ring

a birthmark

beach memories

Cast

CAST

PIA MECHLER
SIMON MERRELLS
MICHAEL MEARS

PIA MECHLER invisible eyes 03

Pia spent her teens modelling and working the runways in Paris and

Milan. At eighteen, her passion for

the moving image led her to the acclaimed European Film College in Denmark where she developed a love for acting.

Soon after graduating she appeared in a highly rated German television series in a recurring guest role. In 2006, she joined the (Special Coaching) Actor's Studio in Berlin. She applied, and was accepted by the Stella Adler Conservatory in New York City.

SIMON MERRELLS invisible eyes 03

In 2009, Simon Merrells played alongside Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins in THE WOLF MAN. He also played Terry Malloy in the acclaimed West End show ON THE WATERFRONT directed by Steven Berkoff.

Budd Schulberg himself said of Merrells that his performance was excellent. Simon Merrells has been prolific on stage, with such prestigious organizations as the NATIONAL THEATRE and the ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY.

MICHAEL MEARS invisible eyes 03

Michael Mears is an impressive and experienced stage actor. His credits with the ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY include Steven Pimlott's HAMLET, and JUBILEE by Peter Barnes.

Michael has also starred in major films and TV dramas such as FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, THE COLOUR OF MAGIC and THE OXFORD MURDERS. He's also played in some of the most famous British TV series such as THE BILL and INSPECTOR MORSE.

Filmmakers

FILMMAKERS

OLIVIER COHEN (DIRECTOR)
LIZ ROSILIO (PRODUCER)
MAKING THE FILM

OLIVIER COHEN (DIRECTOR)

OLIVIER COHEN (writer/director/producer)Olivier Cohen wrote and directed "Invisible Eyes". His first feature has a unique look and is the stamp of a confident new director. It encompasses his love for vintage movie classics and his stylish and deep vision of the world. His short film "The Magic Box", a 26-minute sci-fi drama feature, was selected at the 2001 L.A. Shorts Fest and won a Silver Award at the 2001 Atlantic City International Film Festival. The film was described by the American press as "a disturbing short film that succeeds in elevating the spectator into a supernatural world, with ethical and disturbing questions discreetly added."INTERVIEW WITH OLIVIER COHENWhat inspired you to write Invisible Eyes?The concept of "invisibility" and the idea of seeing without being seen were very inspiring ideas with great potential for directorial creativity. They have a visual dimension, and by building a story on these concepts I was able to explore complex issues that I am very interested in, namely, the true nature of human beings and man's free will.What are the main issues the film deals with?The film tackles universal issues. It questions the nature of man and in particular whether we would be good and moral beings if we were not accountable to society. If we were invisible would we be able to resist the temptation to do evil to satisfy our desires? "Invisible Eyes" also touches on issues surrounding stardom and celebrity. Are stars an illusion born from our desire to be greater than we are? And what if all our lives were nothing but illusions? In a poetic way, the film says that love may be the only truth.What was the main artistic challenge? Throughout the whole process of making "Invisible Eyes", from writing and storyboarding, to directing and editing, I knew that the best way to bring the 'invisible eyes' concept to the screen would be to turn the camera into a character. I wanted the viewers to question whether there really was a supernatural presence in the house or whether its all in the main characters mind. I wanted to draw the audience into this thrilling guessing game. This was achieved by filming the presence of the invisible eyes through subjective point of view shots. This was very challenging because I had to strike the right balance between showing too little and making everything obvious. If you dont show enough, the audience will miss the point. And if you're making everything obvious, theres no more mystery.What effect do you want the film to have on the audience?I hope that I have made an entertaining and thought-provoking film. The story of "Invisible Eyes" in itself is multi-faceted. The structure of the script is very traditional and contains all the classic elements of a thriller. What is unusual and perhaps a little unexpected in this thriller is that the film explores in great depth the psychology of each character and through the characters we are forced to question our own relationship with love, the Unknown, and our own existence. What are your influences?My influences are the great directors I love. Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Roman Polanski, and also Luis Bunuel and Ingmar Bergman. The film offers some affectionate nods to these masters of the 7th art.How did you prepare the actors and especially, the young German actress Pia Mechler for such a demanding part?Before the shoot, we had a two week rehearsal period. It was a great opportunity for me to develop a relationship with the actors and to explore the characters with them. Pia had a lot of great ideas. She'd done a lot of research. She's very talented and instinctive. As for Simon Merrells and Michael Mears, I felt very privileged to work with such experienced actors. They delivered their lines with great presence and gave depth to their characters. Why did you film in the UK?France, my country, has a great cinematic tradition. But I dont think it offers the same opportunities as the UK for small budget genre filmmaking. More importantly, I wanted to work with English actors and I was more than blessed to have the opportunity to work with actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company. One last reason: I love cheddar cheese and crumpets!.

LIZ ROSILIO (PRODUCER) olivier cohen

LIZ ROSILIO (producer)After working as a commercial solicitor in the City, Liz Rosilio embarked on a new career in film and television. She has contributed to a dozen films including high profile documentaries, dramas and docudramas, for both the BBC and Channel 4.Her credits include BORN EQUAL directed by BAFTA winner Dominic Savage and Gabriel Range's DEATH OF A PRESIDENT (Best Film award at Toronto Film Festival).INTERVIEW WITH LIZ ROSILIOHow would you describe "Invisible Eyes"?It's a journey into the mind of a mysterious woman. The film transports us into her world, and plays with our minds. It has so many twists and turns that you'll be on the edge of your seat as you try to piece the story together and discover what lies beneath the surface. But its more than just a classic psychological thriller. Its also a love story and a reflection on the nature of existence. The film has a magical fairy tale feel, a sort of modern "Alice in Wonderland" story of a young woman on a life adventure, trying to discover herself, and meeting various surreal characters along the way. The end is bewildering. You will leave wanting more and the film will haunt you for days after.What makes the film original and different?I think its original and different because whilst it has all the hallmarks of a thriller (the suspense, the fear, the victim, the villain, the twists and turns) and whilst it can be pegged onto modern themes (the voyeuristic obsession in todays society, the consequences of fame and stardom), the film also tackles universal philosophical questions. Through the villain we are brought to question the nature of man. The film doesnt preach a particular moral behaviour. These moral connotations are intentionally subtle and give the film depth. In other words, "Invisible Eyes" is an entertaining film and an intelligent work of art at the same time.Is the story popular with specific audience segments?Because it's a psychological thriller, the film speaks to quite a wide audience. Generally speaking, suspenseful and scary films attract men more than women. But we noticed that Invisible Eyes also appealed to women. Gaby's emotional world is rich and textured, her story is complex and interesting, and women relate to her and delight in following her emotional journey. Finally, the film also appeals to film buffs because it has a lot of references and deliberate nods to classic psychological thrillers of the 60s and 70s.So is "Invisible Eyes" a commercial film as well as being an auteur film? Absolutely. "Invisible Eyes" is a very entertaining thriller but it's also an auteur film with a philosophical and intellectual dimension. Because it is both a commercial film and an auteur film it can reach a very large audience. Examples of similar films that were successful are "Swimming Pool" that grossed $10M at the US Box Office with a limited release, and more recently "Let The Right One In". These films prove that audiences respond very positively to films that mix genres and atmospheres if they are intelligently made. As a matter of fact, that's precisely what The Hollywood Reporter says about "Invisible Eyes": "Marketed smartly, the handsomely made film could go beyond its obvious youth audience.".

MAKING THE FILM

THE STORY OF MAKING "INVISIBLE EYES"THE EARLY STAGESIn 2007, French director and screenwriter Olivier Cohen decided to produce his first feature film "Invisible Eyes". A few years earlier, Olivier had produced his first short film, "The Magic Box". Olivier knew that producing a long feature would be far more complicated than making a short film, especially since he did not want to set "Invisible Eyes" in his home country, France, but rather to set the film in the UK and to shoot it in English.The story of making Invisible Eyes is the story of a long and arduous journey. "France, my country, has a great cinematic tradition" says Olivier Cohen. "But I dont think it offers the same opportunities as the UK for small budget genre films. More importantly, I wanted to work with English actors."In January 2007, Olivier called his friend Liz Rosilio to ask her if she wanted to produce the film with him. Liz was the ideal partner for Olivier because of her previous experience producing documentaries and dramas at both the BBC and Channel 4, and because of her connections with crews and production facilities in London as well as her legal background."The script was a page-turner" says Liz Rosilio. "The story was so lively and uncanny that you were completely gripped by what was going on. It was more than just a classic psychological thriller. It was also a love story and a reflection on the nature of existence." Fascinated by the script, Liz decided to embark on this new venture with Olivier.Because most of the action was in a single location and there were very few characters, the film could be made for a very reasonable budget. Liz and Olivier decided to finance it mainly with private equity and tax incentives. With a 60-page business plan under their belt, they started looking for investors. "Fortunately, we had quite a lot of good contacts in our address book and we did our financing round before the financial crisis" says Liz. Soon, Olivier and Liz had raised enough money to make the film and had set up two production companies, one in the UK and the other in France. "At that point, Olivier and I had to make a very important decision. We could either start pre-production, or wait for a film distributor or a sales company that would invest in our film and release it once made.""When you make a film for such a small budget, it's very hard, if not almost impossible, to find distribution or sales in advance says Olivier. The companies that are able to guarantee theatrical release and foreign sales don't want to get involved in films under a certain budget with no names attached and it's perfectly understandable. If we'd wanted them to come on board, we would have had to increase the size of the project substantially and as a result it may have taken us years to finance 'Invisible Eyes'. The other option was to start pre-production with the money we'd raised and get the project moving which is ultimately what we decided to do."THE SHOOTPre-production started in October 2007. One of the main challenges was to cast the actress for the lead role, Gaby. An ex-supermodel, she embarks on a complex and intriguing emotional journey of self-discovery. Gaby appears in every scene. She carries the whole story on her shoulders. "We had to find an actress who was gorgeous enough to credibly pass off as a supermodel but who also had the acting ability to play a very complex and demanding role" says Liz. "Of course, we couldn't afford the Hollywood A-listers such as Naomi Watts, Kate Blanchet or Charlize Theron. So we knew that it was going to be very difficult to cast this role and that it may take us months to find Gaby."Liz and Olivier hired a casting director, Kate Plantin, and they auditioned almost a hundred actresses. "Generally speaking, I believe that for any role, if you cast the right actor, 90% of the director's job is done" says Olivier. "If the actor is not the right fit for the role, the director will never get a good performance from that actor - no matter how hard the director tries. Especially for a lead role like Gaby's, you can't afford a miscasting. I knew that the success or failure of my artistic enterprise hinged on casting the right actress for this extremely difficult role."Now the film is made, Olivier thinks he was very lucky to cross paths with the young Pia Mechler. The irony is that he wanted to work with English actors and ended up with a German actress for the lead role. "Pia clearly set herself apart and she did an outstanding job, delivering a very strong and soulful performance. Im very happy and proud that the reviewers say she's a wonderful actress with a bright future."Another huge challenge for pre-production was to find the main location. Almost all the action in "Invisible Eyes" takes place in a country house where a supernatural presence may be observing Gaby's every move. "Our location manager showed us thousands of photos and took me to tens of country houses across England. Most of them had the perfect style for a classic haunted mansion film. But I wanted something different says Olivier. For me, the style of the house had to work with the story on a conceptual level. In this film, the house is closely connected to what's going on inside Gaby's mind."The shoot started on 18 February 2008 and lasted 5 weeks. The main location was in Cookham (Berkshire), an hours drive from central London. An additional day was needed to film beach exteriors in Camber Sands (Kent) and was scheduled at the end of March, but it had to be pushed back to June due to bad weather. "One of the biggest challenges when you make a very small budget film is that you have no choice other than to shoot all the shots scheduled each day. You never get extra time to catch up any delays or to correct your mistakes" says Olivier. "So the risk is that you might end up with bits of footage that are difficult or impossible to edit together, and thus with a very badly made or even an unfinished film - in other words, an artistic failure and a financial waste. Each day, you're at the mercy of unexpected events or accidents, or difficulties with the crew that could slow the work or even stop it. So it's a lot of pressure, and under this pressure the director must steer the course of the ship. Come hell or high water, he must create and maintain an environment where the actors, the technicians and he can freely express their creativity and their talent."All this becomes even more stressful and complicated when the director also wears the producer's hat. "Sometimes I envy the position of the painter, the musician or the novelist because they have full control over their art, whereas a film director is bound by many external constraints. Only very few directors managed to have complete control over their artistic work, Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick for instance."Other than the usual ups and downs of any film shoot, the shoot of Invisible Eyes went very well. Actors and crew were happy and able to work with serenity, and this was crucial to the quality of the film. As a good Frenchman, Olivier takes pride in the fact that on set the food was excellent and helped maintain morale."'On set, Olivier proved to be resilient, and very open-minded. He's a great listener and gives actors and crew members a lot of freedom. He created a good atmosphere and everyone had the feeling they were contributing to a great film" says Liz."We prepared as well as possible. The actors had a two-week rehearsal period before the shoot says" Olivier. "For 4 weeks prior to the shoot, Darran Bragg, the director of photography, and myself went to the main location to redraft the initial storyboard that I had prepared prior to finding the location. Each day, equipped with a stills camera, a director's viewfinder, pencils and paper, we were giving shape to the visual aesthetics of the film." POST-PRODUCTIONWhilst the production of "Invisible Eyes" went well, post-production was a lot more challenging. As Liz Rosilio explains, the production budget was carefully drawn up and monitored and in fact the production team managed to come very slightly under budget. But they completely under-budgeted for post-production and were way too optimistic. As a result, it unexpectedly took them another two years to complete the film.Editing started in April 2008 in Paris. They hired an experienced film editor and rented an edit suite for 10 weeks. "When I saw the rough cut of the first scenes, I was disappointed" says Olivier. "It just didn't look like my film. I realised that my editor was not right for my film, but we couldn't afford to pay a new editor and start again from scratch. I was very hesitant to do so, but I finally decided to edit the film myself." Olivier borrowed a laptop with Avid from ESRA, a French film school, bought a computer screen and speakers, and installed all the equipment in his living room. The new edit took 4 months. "Generally speaking, I dont think it's good for a director to double up as editor, because he needs an external viewpoint. Despite all my fears, editing the film myself was one of the best decisions I ever made. It gave me the chance to explore the rushes very deeply; I had all the time I needed to try out different cuts for each scene and to find creative solutions for each problem. I was plunged into the universe of my film. I used a lot of temporary music and effect tracks in order to pace the film, something my previous editor had been reluctant to do. In her defence, I would say that in France we're very much lacking a genre film culture. And also, I think she didn't dare steer too far from my script and my storyboard in order to get the best visual result." The final picture edit was ready at the end of October 2008. Then came the sound edit. Once again, a first sound editor was hired and then replaced by another one. For the music score, Olivier Cohen hired the music composer Damien Salançon who had composed the music for his first short film. "For 4 months, we spent days and nights in Damien's studio" says Olivier. "The film has 29 music cues and for some of them up to 15 versions were necessary in order to find the perfect tone. I didn't expect to get so involved in the music composition. But Damien and I had a fantastic collaboration. Music plays a crucial role in 'Invisible Eyes' and Damien created a wonderful score." At the beginning of 2009, the film was not finished and money was scarce. "We were reluctant to go back to our investors to ask them to finance the gap. They had paid for a finished film, they would get a finished film" says Liz. "We still had enough money to make an acceptable version of the film that could be shown to potential buyers. So we made that version and started the sales process."ON THE RIGHT TRACK FOR DISTRIBUTIONThanks to a very good deal with a French post-production house, and with the help of the sound mixer Jean-Guy Véran, Olivier's long-standing friend, the final cut was conformed, the picture was graded and colorized, foley sounds recorded and a temporary mix was done. "In February 2009, Olivier and I went to the European Film Market in Berlin in order to meet distributors and sales companies. And in May, we showed the film at the Cannes Film Market. It was our first experience of selling a film. It was a tough but fantastic experience. Anyone who's ever been to a film market knows how hard it is to set yourself apart in such a place, especially when you're not connected and when your product is not in the spotlight. Nevertheless, a few buyers came to our screenings, as well as a number of festival programmers and also a film critic from The Hollywood Reporter who wrote a tremendously fantastic review on 'Invisible Eyes'." Olivier Cohen adds: "Now we realise how difficult it is for a film that is produced outside the traditional system to find its way. Had we secured a deal with a well-connected sales agency or distributor before going into production, certain doors would have opened more easily."The film was selected at the Montreal World Film Festival. It was shown there with its temporary mix. "The reaction from the audience was absolutely fantastic. Much to our surprise, women, who are generally less attracted to thrillers, appreciated the film very much. Days after the screenings, some of them were stopping Olivier in the streets of Montreal to tell him how much they loved his film and how sensitive they were to Gaby's emotional journey."Olivier also had the opportunity to show his film to Jan Harlan, who was the executive producer of Stanley Kubrick's films for 30 years, from "Barry Lyndon" to "Eyes Wide Shut". "I was very touched by Jan's compliments and genuine enthusiasm about my film. I am so very happy and grateful that he offered to support us in this long and arduous road to release the film." Post-production will be finished in June 2010. Olivier and Liz now have a film that has been appreciated by its audiences, by the press and by their peers. It will no doubt stand out amongst the thousands of films released every year. .

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Press and News

PRESS & NEWS

LATEST NEWS
REVIEWS
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LATEST NEWS 24/09/2010INVISIBLE EYES SELECTED AT THE 43RD SITGES FILM FESTIVALWe are proud to anounce that INIVISIBLE EYES has been selected at the 43rd SITGES INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL, the number one fantasy film festival in the world. The film will compete in the Official New Visions Discovery Section, "dedicated to the most innovative and transgressing proposals on the movie scene". The festival will take place in Sitges, Spain, between the 7th and the 17th of October 2010.Olivier Cohen and Pia Mechler will be presenting the film.For screening dates, check the film's page on Sitges' website: click here.07/06/2010INVISIBLE EYES SELECTED IN THE "BREAKTHROUGH STRAND" OF THE LONDON UK FILM FOCUS 2010We are proud to announce that "Invisible Eyes" has been selected in the Breakthrough Strand of the London UK Film Focus event 2010 (LUFF). The LUFF provides a forum for the promotion of British films to international buyers chosen by the LUFF Steering Group. The Breakthrough Strand is there to showcase emerging talent and to enhance their exposure to leading sales agents and festival programmers. The LUFF was launched in 2004. It attracts approximately 250 top international buyers from around the world to see new British films in a relaxed environment, meet UK sales agents and negotiate international distribution deals. The 2010 London UK Film Focus event is supported by Film London, UK Film Council, Film Export UK (FEUK), the London Development Agency, UK Trade & Investment and BFI Southbank. More news to follow including dates of the screening of "Invisible Eyes" at the BFI...01/06/2010SOUND MIX OF INVISIBLE EYES COMPLETEDIN JUNE 2010The sound mix of "Invisible Eyes" will be completed in early June 2010 at Mac' Tari studios in Paris, France.Jean-Guy Véran will be finalazing the mix that represents the end of a 2-year-long arduous journey of post-production...To read the story of the making of the film please click There.

REVIEWS

Invisible Eyes Press Reviews.pdf

EXTRACTSRay Bennett, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (USA)" Olivier Cohen's intelligent mystery "Invisible Eyes" has all the conventions of a thriller about a woman alone in a house but confounds expectations by moving pleasingly into "Twilight Zone" territory.The offbeat story, which stars German catwalk veteran Pia Mechler as an over-the-hill supermodel who starts to believe the walls have eyes, also has echoes of the themes explored by Charlie Kaufman in "Adaptation," with a puzzle about who's really writing the script.Marketed smartly, the handsomely made film could go beyond its obvious youth audience to draw in fans of classic film and television mysteries.(...)The French director establishes an unsettling tone that tickles the imagination in the mood of that wonderful word eldritch, but along with the requisite shocks, he delivers a smart and intriguing payoff.Merrells, who has won plaudits in the Brando role in a stage production of "On the Waterfront" in London's West End, makes his character ambiguously sinister and Mears nails his small but vital role."Donato Totaro, OFF SCREEN (Canada) "One of the most intriguing genre titles at the festival was Invisible Eyes (2009) a UK- France co-production directed by young French filmmaker Olivier Cohen, and starring a German actress with a bright future, Pia Mechler (as fashion model Gaby). (...)Pia Mechler carries the film with her wonderful performance. She is in practically every shot and has some difficult scenes to play out, long, unbroken dialogue scenes, scenes where she speaks to herself or an imagined, invisible presence. A poorer actress would have made these potentially ludicrous scenes ludicrous. Mechler has an obvious beauty (the actress was indeed a model before turning to acting) but uses her body, voice and expressive eyes to signal the many different emotions and subtle changes in her state of mind. She drifts effortlessly from dream like fantasy states to reality states. Her slight German accented English also works for the performance, adding a sense of anywhere/anyplace to her identity. Director Cohen cleverly evokes some masterpieces of woman gone mad films, like the aforementioned Repulsion, Bergman's Persona, and Red Desert.(...) but director Cohen introduces his own twists and psychological touches."Andrew Osmond, L'ECRAN FANTASTIQUE (France)"This first feature film by French director Olivier Cohen pays homage to classic psychological thrillers from the 70s, whilst displaying his own unique style." (Ca ( nce)

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INVISIBLE EYESA JOURNEY INTO THE MIND OF A MYSTERIOUS WOMANFOREWORD BY JAN HARLANWATCH TRAILERSYNOPSISPHOTOSCLUE KITCASTFILMMAKERSPRESS & NEWS
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