email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

Focus on French production

by 

Three Gallic producers have films in competition at the 60th edition of the Venice Film Festival. Moritz De Hadeln selected a total of 20 films, including 29 Palms by Bruno Dumont, Raija by Jacques Doillon and Les sentiments by Noémie Lvovsky. A promising trio by talented directors.
However media attention is likely to focus on Noémie Lvovsky thanks to the calibre of the cast she assembled for her third feature, Les Sentiments : Nathalie Baye (a former winner at Venice for Une liaison pornographique), Jean-Pierre Bacri and Isabelle Carré (winner of the best actress César in 2003 for Se souvenir des belles choses). Produced by Claude Berri through his Hirsch slate with a budget of €7.5m, the film benefited from the CNC's Box Office Advance fund as well as a €1.5m investment by state broadcaster TF1.
Lvovsky first emerged as a coming European talent when she won a Silver Leopard for her second feature, La vie ne me fait pas peur, at the 1999 Locarno Festival, followed by the Jean Vigo award. Lvovsky also co-wrote the screenplay of Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's It's easier for a camel... and her popularity is likely to contribute to a positive box office take when ARP Sélection release Les sentiments domestically on 12 November.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

The selection of Jacques Doillon's Raija is just another step in his long and illustrious career. He last took part in the Venetian event in 1996 with Ponette and won the critics' FIPRESCI award in 1990 for Le petit criminel.
Budgeted at €2.5m, Raija was produced and will be distributed by Les Films du Losange, and received funding from the Box Office Advance scheme and a €380,000 contribution from France 3 Cinéma.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy