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PRODUCTION / FUNDING France

Filming to wrap imminently on Claire Denis’ Both Sides of the Blade

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- Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon and Grégoire Colin lead the cast of the filmmaker’s 13th feature, a Curiosa Films production sold by Wild Bunch International and Anton

Filming to wrap imminently on Claire Denis’ Both Sides of the Blade
Director Claire Denis

Having kicked off on 14 December, filming on Claire DenisBoth Sides of the Blade [+see also:
film review
trailer
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]
has now entered the home straight in Paris. The film sees the director reuniting with three familiar faces from her previous works: Juliette Binoche (the winner of the 1997 Best Supporting Role Oscar and a nominee for its Best Actress equivalent in 2001, crowned Best Actress in Cannes 2010, Berlin 1997 and Venice 1993, recently well-received in The Truth [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hirokazu Kore-eda
film profile
]
and How To Be A Good Wife [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anamaria Vartolomei
film profile
]
, and soon to be seen in Between Two World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Carrère
film profile
]
), who previously joined forces with the director in Let The Sun Shine In [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
and High Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Claire Denis
film profile
]
; Vincent Lindon (named Best Actor in Cannes 2015 and at the 2016 Césars for The Measure of a Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile
]
, nominated repeatedly in the same category at the Césars in 1993, 2000, 2008, 2010 and 2013, recently at his best in At War [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile
]
and The Apparition [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile
]
, and making a much-anticipated appearance this year in Titane [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Julia Ducournau, Vincent Li…
film profile
]
) who’s collaborating with Denis for the third time after featuring in the cast of Friday Night [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
and Bastards [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, and Grégoire Colin (everywhere of late, mainly as a result of his first role in Should the Wind Drop [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nora Martirosyan
film profile
]
as well as various other appearances, such as in Lovers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicole Garcia
film profile
]
, Simple Passion [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Danielle Arbid
film profile
]
, Camille [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Boris Lojkine
film profile
]
and The Price of Success [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Teddy Lussi-Modeste
film profile
]
), who has already filmed with Claire Denis six times since starring in Nénette et Boni.

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Jostling alongside them in the cast we find director Mati Diop (who previously stepped in front of the camera in Fort Buchanan [+see also:
film review
trailer
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]
, among other works), seasoned actress Bulle Ogier (nominated for the 2000 and 2008 Best Supporting Role Césars, and leading the cast of last year’s Wonders in the Suburbs [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
) and the youthful Issa Perica (nominated for the Lumières’ 2020 Revelation award for Les Misérables [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ladj Ly
film profile
]
), not to mention Hana Magimel (Benoît Magimel and Juliette Binoche’s daughter) in her very first screen appearance.

Written by Claire Denis and novelist Christine Angot (who previously teamed up together to pen Let the Sun Shine In), Both Sides of the Blade tells the tale of a passionate love triangle. Jean and Sara have been living together for 10 years. When they first met, Sara was living with François, Jean’s best friend and an admirer from back when he played pro rugby. Jean and Sara love each other. One day, Sara sees François in the street. He does not notice her, but she is overcome by the sensation that her life could suddenly change. François gets back in touch with Jean. For the first time in years. He suggests they start working together again. From here on, things spiral out of control.

Both Sides of the Blade is the 14th feature film directed by Claire Denis, who’s been selected for the Venice Film Festival six times (in competition with S'en fout la mort in 1990, with The Intruder [+see also:
trailer
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]
in 2004 and with White Material [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
in 2009; in 1999’s Films of the Present line-up with Beau travail, in the Controcorrente (Upstream) section in 2002 with Vendredi soir, and participating out of competition in 2008 with 35 Shots of Rum [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
) and selected for Cannes on five occasions (in competition with Chocolat in 1988, out of competition in 2001 with Trouble Every Day, in the Un Certain Regard line-up with J'ai pas sommeil and then with Bastards in 1994 and 2013, and gracing the 2017 Directors’ Fortnight with Let the Sun Shine In), who won a Golden Leopard in Locarno in 1996 via Nénette et Boni and who was selected for San Sebastián’s competition in 2018 on account of High Life. Her project intitled The Stars at Noon [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, starring Robert Pattinson, is currently on stand-by.

Produced by Olivier Delbosc on behalf of Curiosa Films, Both Sides of the Blade has notably been pre-purchased by Canal+. Photography is entrusted to Éric Gautier (the winner of the 1999 César in his category who has since been nominated a further six times and whose filmography also includes Into the Wild and The Motocycle Diaries [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
). Distribution in France will be steered by Ad Vitam while sales are jointly managed by Wild Bunch International and British firm Anton (whose international production and distribution division has been headed up by France’s Cécile Gaget since October last year).

For the record, Curiosa Films is currently overseeing post-production on Lost Illusions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile
]
by Xavier Giannoli, Between Two Worlds [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Carrère
film profile
]
by Emmanuel Carrère, Waiting for Bojangles [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Régis Roinsard, Little Nicholas' Treasure by Julien Rappeneau, Les choses humaines [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Yvan Attal
film profile
]
by Yvan Attal, the French-Belgian comedy Mystère à Saint-Tropez by Nicolas Benamou (starring Gérard Depardieu, Christian Clavier, Benoît Poelvoorde and Thierry Lhermitte) and A Radiant Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Sandrine Kiberlain (the actress’s first feature film, whose cast is led by Rebecca Marder). Curiosa titles awaiting release are My Father’s Stories [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Jean-Pierre Améris and Hommes au bord de la crise de nerfs by Audrey Dana.

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(Translated from French)

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