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Curtis biopic to open Directors' Fortnight at Cannes
This is London26 Apr 2007
A biopic on the late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis has been selected to open a prestigious section at the Cannes Film Festival.
The debut feature by photographer Anton Corbijn follows the singer's rise to fame, as well as his relationships, his struggle with epilepsy and his suicide in 1980 just before the band's first US tour.
Film website Screen Daily said the film, Control, had been chosen to the open the Directors' Fortnight at next month's Cannes Film Festival.
The selection is good news for British film, after failing to get a single title in the official competition.
The movie spans the last few years of Curtis's life and is based on the book Touching From A Distance by his widow Deborah.
Leeds-born newcomer Sam Riley stars in the lead role, while Samantha Morton has been cast as Curtis's wife.
Joy Division formed in 1976 but dissolved in 1980 after the frontman's suicide.
The remaining members - bassist Peter Hook, guitarist Bernard Sumner and drummer Stephen Morris - reformed as New Order.
Corbijn is best known as the photographer of the iconic U2 Joshua Tree cover and the director of music videos like Joy Division's Atmosphere, which was shot after Curtis's death.
