– A Chi-Fou-Mi production sold by StudioCanal, Hafsia Herzi dazzles as the protagonist of the second feature film by the director who triumphed in San Sebastian in 2015
Hafsia Herzi and Nour Salam in Words of Love (© Chi-Fou-Mi Productions)
The winner of San Sebastian’s New Directors competition in 2015 by way of The New Kid, Rudi Rosenberg is making his return in the Un Certain Regard section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival (running from 12-23 May – see the article) with a second feature film entitled Words of Love.
Stealing focus in the cast are Hafsia Herzi (awarded the Best Actress César in 2025 via Borgo, nominated in 2024 for The Rapture, and also appearing in competition in Cannes in the movie The Birthday Party) and youngster Nour Salam, who are notably joined by Paulette Chetrit, Jacques Sebban and Stéphane Chargeboeuf.
Written by the director, the story takes us to Sarcelles in 1995, where Erika is raising her two children on her own. Her daughter, Abigaëlle, is convinced that her father, whom she’s never met, is somewhere out there silently loving her. When she makes the decision to track him down, Erika feels obliged to help, all the while trying to protect her. As she gets older, Abigaëlle’s mission borders on obsessive, threatening the already-fragile family equilibrium…
Words of Love was produced by Hugo Sélignac on behalf of Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, in co-production with Chapter 2 and TF1 Productions, with cinematography entrusted to Éric Dumont (The Measure of a Man, At War, Another World). Distribution in French cinemas will fall to Ad Vitam while world sales are in the hands of StudioCanal.
For the record, Chi-Fou-Mi Productions boasts another three films in this year’s Cannes showcase: in the Official Selection, Garance by Jeanne Herry (produced with Trésor Films – read our article), which is set to world premiere in the Official Competition, and Full Phil by Quentin Dupieux (news), which will be unveiled in a Midnight Screening, and, in the Directors’ Fortnight, the animated movie Le Vertige, similarly by by Quentin Dupieux. The firm is also overseeing post-production on Jupiter by Alexandre Smia (article).
(Translated from French)
