07/05/2014 - Shot with the utmost confidentiality, the new film by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern has appeared in the Paris-based sales agent’s line-up

Having been a faithful partner of filmmakers Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern, Paris-based international sales agent Funny Balloons will be present at the Marché du Film of the 67th Cannes Festival (14-25 May 2014) and will be selling the sixth feature film by the eccentric duo: NDE: Near Death Experience. With its shooting having been shrouded in secrecy, the film stars the famous author Michel Houellebecq (recently lauded at the Berlinale Forum and Tribeca in The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Guillaume Nicloux).

Written by the two directors, the story revolves around Paul, an employee at a call centre who is clearly burning out. One Friday 13^th, he sees a TV news feature about this particular day that seems to him to be a sign that he must take action. Determined to make his thoughts into a reality, he runs away into the mountains, where he is about to have a rather peculiar experience...

To date, Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern have directed Aaltra (in competition at Rotterdam in 2004), Avida [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (out of competition at Cannes in 2006), Louise-Michel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benoît Delépine and Gustav…
interview: Benoît Jaubert
film profile] (winner of the Best Screenplay Award at San Sebastian in 2008 and the Special Jury Award at Sundance in 2009), Mammuth [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gustave Kervern, Benoî…
film profile] (in competition at the Berlinale in 2010) and Le grand soir [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2012). Produced by No Money Productions, NDE: Near Death Experience will be distributed in France by Ad Vitam.

At the Cannes Marché du Film, the Funny Balloons team (headed by Peter Danner and Louis Balsan) will also be using promo reels to pursue pre-sales for three titles in post-production: the Spanish-language feature Return to Ithaca by Laurent Cantet, the Franco-Belgian-Italian co-production Pasolini by Abel Ferrara and the Franco-American film Nasty Baby by Chilean Sebastián Silva.

At the market, there will be screenings of the Franco-Belgian co-production Ablations [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Arnold de Parscau (read the article – to be released in France on 16 July via Ad Vitam) and Club Sandwich by Fernando Eimbcke (winner of the Best Director Award at San Sebastian). 

(Translated from French)