– The Brussels-based sales company will present the Nepali drama Elephants in the Fog in the Un Certain Regard section and the offbeat French animation Blaise in ACID
Blaise by Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guigue
Best Friend Forever is once again set to showcase a line-up spanning different genres and continents in this latest edition of the Marché du Film (running 12 – 20 May), which is unspooling within the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Two world premieres will top the bill. In the Official Selection, within the Un Certain Regard section, we’ll find Abinash Bikram Shah’s first feature film. The Nepalese filmmaker previously made his mark as a screenwriter – notably via Shambhala, which competed in Berlin two years ago – after a long stint working in television. Elephants in the Fog (read our news) follows Pirati, the matriarch of a small Kinnar community living in a village nestled in the heart of a forest inhabited by wild elephants. She dreams of one thing only: escaping to live a “normal” life with the man she loves. But when one of her daughters goes missing, she’s forced to investigate and to choose between love and her responsibility to her community. This strong female lead guides us through a thriller-like plot blending personal ambition with a sense of community. The film is a co-production between Nepal (Underground Talkies Nepal, Jayantii Creations), France (Les Valseurs), Germany (Die Gesellschaft DGS, Zischlermann Filmproduktion), Brazil (Enquadramento, Bubbles Project) and Norway (Storm Films).
In the ACID line-up, meanwhile, the team spearheaded by Charles Bin and Martin Gondre will be batting on behalf of an offbeat, animated film by Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guigue, called Blaise, which was adapted from Planchon’s comic book, first into a series for Arte and now into a feature film. Blaise tells the story of the Sauvage family who are desperately searching for love. Carole, the mother, knows her employees hate her and is determined to earn their respect, whatever the cost. Jacques, the father, who has never worked a day in his life, is trying to restore his self-esteem. As for shy 16-year-old Blaise, he inevitably allows a girl to lead him astray and embarks on a crusade which might be revolutionary but which certainly isn’t thought through. The voice cast features Léa Drucker and Jacques Gamblin. This animated comedy boasts a singular aesthetic, derived from the comic book which revisits the photo novel, employing a perverted form of photographic realism which is as grotesque as it is unsettling, and promising a generous helping… of acidity. The film was produced by KG Productions.
Best Friend Forever’s slate also includes a clutch of films presented in the Berlinale (namely the winner of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, Nina Roza, by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, the Generation titles Chimney Town: Frozen in Time by Yusuke Hirota and Papaya by Priscilla Kellen, and the Panorama title A Russian Winter by Patric Chiha), as well as Conrad & Crab – Idiotic Gems by Claude Schmitz, previously unveiled in Rotterdam.
The Brussels-based team will likewise seize the opportunity to present three projects in post-production: Thomas Vernay’s feature film debut, Fief, adapted from David Lopez’s eponymous novel, which won the Prix du Livre Inter in 2018; another debut feature entitled L’Ecologie des Sentiments by Alexandre Steiger, from the producers of Souleymane’s Story; and Haven of Hope, by Anglo-Pakistani director Seemab Gul, from the producers behind Banel & Adama.
(Translated from French)
