– The French sales agent’s line-up features films by Pierre Salvadori, Louis Clichy, Géraldine Nakache, Sarah Arnold, Félix de Givry and Sompot Chidgasornpongse
Iron Boy by Louis Clichy
With three feature films in the Official Selection, two in the Directors’ Fortnight and one in Critics’ Week, French international sales agent Playtime is gearing up for a particularly intense Marché du Film (12-20 May) at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Topping the bill is the opening film of this year’s edition of Cannes: The Electric Kiss by French director Pierre Salvadori.
In the Un Certain Regard section, Playtime will be banking on the animated feature Iron Boy by French filmmaker Louis Clichy, who’s making his solo feature film directorial debut after co-directing Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods and Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion. Penned by the director and Franck Salomé, the screenplay takes us onto a farm in the heart of the Beauce region, where 11-year-old Christophe is trying to keep up with his father. But the young boy starts to lean over and collapse without warning — on the tractor, at school and at dinner… A doctor finds a solution: Christophe must wear an iron corset to keep himself upright. As the farm goes through hard times, Christophe grows up as best he can. He discovers a new passion for music and meets Clara, with whom everything suddenly seems possible… The film is steered by Eddy Cinéma, in co-production with Rhône-Alpes Cinéma and Belgian outfit Beside Productions.
Another asset gracing the Official Selection is Think Good by French director Géraldine Nakache, due to be unveiled in Cannes Première, with Niels Schneider and Monia Chokri leading the cast. The story begins when Gil meets Jacques: their love is clear, but the intensity of the early days gives way to a relationship in which Gil feels increasingly trapped, to the point she loses her bearings. Jacques reassures her: if she thinks positively, only good things will come her way. But little by little, Gil realises the control Jacques exerts over her life… The film is steered by French firms Liaison Cinématographique and Pan Cinéma, in co-production with Belgium’s Artémis Productions, Be TV and Orange, Proximus, RTBF and Shelter Prod.
The Playtime team headed up by Nicolas Brigaud-Robert, Sébastien Beffa and François Yon will also be counting on two titles selected for the Directors’ Fortnight: Too Many Beasts
by Italian-Swiss filmmaker Sarah Arnold (article) and 9 Temples to Heaven by Thai director Sompot Chidgasornpongse (the long-time assistant director to Apichatpong Weerasethakul). It’s a fine showcase, rounded off by Goodbye Cruel World, which marks the feature film directorial debut of France’s Félix de Givry (well known as an actor, but also the producer and co-writer of Arco) and which is set to close Critics’ Week. Starring Milo Machado-Graner (Anatomy of a Fall) in the titular role, the film centres on 14-year-old Otto Vidal who disappears after sending a farewell letter to his classmates. Everyone believes him dead, but one night a girl from his high school called Léna recognises him as he wanders the city streets… Production comes courtesy of Remembers and Iliade et Films.
The Marché du Film will also see Playtime pressing on with pre-sales on Santo Subito! by Bertrand Bonello (article – starring Mark Ruffalo) and Sound Of Silence by Joyce A. Nashawati, which are both currently in production, as well as on five titles in post-production: It Will Happen Tonight by Italian helmer Nanni Moretti (news – which could well be in the running for Venice’s Golden Lion), A Woman Today by Robert Guédiguian (news), A Man’s Skin by Léa Domenach (article), Greenland by Emmanuel Courcol (article) and Blind Ants by Spain’s Igor Legarreta (article). That’s without forgetting Fils de personne by Safy Nebbou (article), which will be released in France on 10 June.
(Translated from French)
