Podalydès and 86 sidekicks in Bancs Publics
UGC Distribution is today launching Bruno Podalydès’ fifth feature, Bancs Publics (Versailles Rive Droite) [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (“Public Benches: Versailles Right Bank”), in French theatres. This ensemble film has been lauded by the press for its poetic humour which borders on the absurd and explores themes of urban solitude.
Set in various locations – including an office, a DIY store and a park – the film comprises a series of short episodes featuring 86 actors. These include the director, his brother Denis Podalydès, Emmanuelle Devos, Pierre Arditi, Chiara Mastroianni, Josiane Balasko, Olivier Gourmet, Hippolyte Girardot, Thierry Lhermitte, Julie Depardieu, Nicole Garcia, Mathieu Amalric, Vincent Elbaz, Amira Casar, Michael Lonsdale, Florence Muller, Claude Rich, Catherine Deneuve and Benoît Poelvoorde.
With Bancs Publics, the director (whose latest work, The Perfume of the Lady in Black [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bruno Podalydès
interview: Pascal Caucheteux
film profile], entertained viewers out of competition at Venice 2005) closes a trilogy that began with A Night in Versailles (Best Short Film Cesar 1993) and continued with Only God Sees Me (Best Debut Feature Cesar 1999).
Produced by Why Not Productions for €5.4m, Bancs Publics was co-produced by France 2 Cinéma and UGC Images. The film received an advance on receipts from the National Film Centre (CNC), a pre-sale from TPS and backing from the Ile-de-France region.
Wild Bunch has sold the film for Benelux, Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Russia, Central America, India, Mexico, Taiwan and the Middle East.
This Wednesday also sees the release of two other European films: French comedy Bambou [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (“Bamboo”) by Didier Bourdon, who stars alongside Anne Consigny (distributed by Océan Films); and Eliane de Latour’s immigration drama Birds of Heaven [+see also:
trailer
film profile], co-produced by France, the Ivory Coast and the UK, and starring Fraser James and Marie-Josée Croze (distributed by Shellac).
(Translated from French)
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