15/09/2009

Yesterday, safe French box office bet Jean Becker started shooting in Charente-Maritime on his 12th feature: La Tête en Friche (“Uncultivated Head”, working title).

The film stars Gérard Depardieu (who has just finished shooting back-to-back on Signé Dumas and Mammoth) and 95-year-old Gisèle Casadesus (a star of French theatre, whose film career began in 1934 and includes recent title Hedgehog [+see also:
trailer
film profile]). The cast also features singer Maurane, Patrick Bouchitey, Jean-François Stévenin, Matthieu Dahan (discovered in the TV series Plus Belle la Vie), Sophie Guillemin and François-Xavier Demaison (So Happy Together [+see also:
trailer
film profile]).

Becker, whose filmography includes One Deadly Summer (which earned Isabelle Adjani the Best Actress Cesar in 1984), enjoyed immense success with his two latest films: Conversations with My Gardener [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (1.3m viewers, nominated for the Best Actor Cesar 2008) and Love Me No More [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (1m admissions in France and three Cesar 2009 nominations for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay).

Co-written by Jean-Loup Dabadie and Becker, based on Marie-Sabine Roger’s eponymous novel, La Tête en Friche centres on Germain Chazes (Depardieu), who weighs 110kg, is suspicious of words and lives in a caravan at the bottom of his mother’s garden. Spending his time in the local bistro and park, he is considered by most as a happy fool.

But one day, Marguerite (Casadesus), a very cultured old woman, introduces him to the world of books and words. As a result, his relationship with others and with himself completely changes.

Produced by Louis Becker for Ice 3 in co-production with KJB Production and France 3 Cinéma, La Tête en Friche has a €8.9m budget. The 36-day shoot will take place in the city of Pons (Poitou-Charentes region) and last until October 29.

StudioCanal, who are also co-producing and managing international sales, will release the title domestically on June 2, 2010.

(Translated from French)