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PRODUCTION / FUNDING France / UK / Belgium

The shoot kicks off for Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s Earwig

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- Paul Hilton, Alex Lawther and Romola Garai topline the first English-language film by the French helmer, produced by Petit Films and Anti-Worlds, co-produced by Frakas and sold by WBI

The shoot kicks off for Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s Earwig
Director Lucile Hadzihalilovic

On the heels of Innocence (New Directors Award at San Sebastián in 2004) and Evolution [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(Special Jury Prize and Best Cinematography Award at San Sebastián in 2015), groundbreaking French director Lucile Hadzihalilovic kicks off the shoot today for Earwig [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lucile Hadzihalilovic
film profile
]
, her third feature and her first in the English language, in Belgium. Toplining the opus are Brits Paul Hilton (Lady Macbeth [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: William Oldroyd
film profile
]
), Alex Lawther (The Imitation Game [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile
]
, The Translators [+see also:
trailer
interview: Régis Roinsard
film profile
]
) and Romola Garai (who rose to fame in Angel [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film in 2011 and 2012 for Emma and The Hour, respectively, and was popular at Venice recently in Miss Marx [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Susanna Nicchiarelli
film profile
]
).

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

The story, written by the director and Geoff Cox (who was previously on the Evolution writing team and who also penned High Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Claire Denis
film profile
]
), based on the novel of the same name by Brian Catling, is set somewhere in Europe, mid-twentieth century. Albert (50) is employed to look after 10-year-old Mia. His most important task is to see to her ice dentures, which must be changed several times a day. They live alone in a large apartment: the shutters are always drawn, Mia never leaves and day follows day in an unchanging ritual. Every week, the telephone rings and a male voice questions Albert about the girl’s wellbeing. Every week Albert responds with the same answers until one day the voice tells Albert he’ll have to bring the girl to Paris. Devastated, Alberts world slowly unravels around him.

Produced by Jean des Forêts for French outfit Petit Film and by Andy Starke for British production house Anti-Worlds, Earwig is being co-produced by Belgium’s Frakas Productions. The feature has secured backing from the BFI, Film4, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Screen.brussels, Casa Kafka Pictures and the Angoa. The cinematography has been entrusted to Jonathan Ricquebourg (Lumières Award for Best Cinematography in 2017 for Last Days of Louis XIV [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Albert Serra
film profile
]
, also showered with praise for Shéhérazade [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
and Eat Your Bones [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
). The sales are being overseen by Wild Bunch International.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

(Translated from French)

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