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PRODUCTION Belgium

Versus and a new generation of filmmakers

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When you ask Jacques-Henri Bronckart (read the interview) if Versus Productions will become a label, hes miles and replies "Yes, perhaps, yes". Created in 1999, by two brothers (Olivier Bronckart is executive producer at Films du Fleuve), Versus showed its ambitions from the outset : "a willingness to work with directors of our generation, people who share more than the fact of producing films but also build strong friendships" explains Jacques-Henri. Having produced numerous documentaries and short films, Versus has launched itself into the world of fiction: "the aim is to bring these directors with us into feature films."

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The first two feature adventures have been successes. Co-produced between France, Lebanon and Germany, In the Battlefield [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, first feature from a director of Lebanese oroigin formerly working in the documentary medium, Danielle Arbid, made the tour of numerous festivals and won among others, the Europa Cinema Prize 2004 at Cannes. As for the first feature by Bouli Lanners, Ultranova [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile
]
, selected in the Berlin Panorama 2004, left with the CICAE prize and has had a good reaction from the public and release dates in Europe (read the news).

Versus has many projects on the go. Olivier Masset-Depasse has completed the shooting of his first feature (read interview and news on the set of Cages [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
). Micha Wald, after the highly appreciated Alice et moi (winner of the Critics’ Week 2004 and at Locarno) begins shooting Voleurs de chevaux [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
in March 2006 and writing work has already begun on the next, Simon Konianski. Thomas de Thiers, whose Des plumes dans la tête [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
was screened at the Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Festival of 2003, joins the Versus band with Déluge, currently in development.
Note also two minority co-productions with France: Black Box by Fabrice Génestal and Indigènes [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean Bréhat
interview: Rachid Bouchareb
film profile
]
by Rachid Bouchareb, in tune with the editorial ethos at Versus : "a desire to make films, contemporary cinema in touch with today’s world and which are self-examining."

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(Translated from French)

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