Actress Beart, director defend new tsunami film

By Mike Collett-White

VENICE (Reuters) - French actress Emmanuelle Beart and the Belgian director of her latest movie have defended "Vinyan", amid concerns that the film which opens with the 2004 tsunami may be insensitive to people affected by the tragedy.

The horror story, which had its premiere at the Venice film festival, stars Beart and Briton Rufus Sewell as a couple who lose their son in the disaster but refuse to believe he is dead.

They embark on a dangerous journey to the jungle of the Thai-Myanmar border to look for him, but stumble across a terrifying world ruled by savage children.

"I don't want to be unpleasant to people who have really suffered from the tsunami," said director Fabrice Du Welz.

"I tried to be as respectful as I can," he told Reuters in an interview on Sunday. "I am, with Vinyan, respectful with people," he added, speaking in English.

"There is no provocation with me. I am really at peace with that. I don't want to shock anyone who suffered from that terrible disaster. There is no footage from the tsunami."

The only direct reference to the disaster is at the start, with a series of underwater shots and muffled sounds.

The remaining narrative follows the desperate and devastated couple several months after the tsunami occurred.