05/07/2011

"The gods don’t like us to force destiny". With these words in mind and in a comic tone, original French director Brigitte Rouän will start shooting in Greece at the end of August on her fourth feature: Tu Honoreras Ta Mère et Ta Mère (“You Will Honour Your Mother and You Mother”).

Rouän previously attracted attention with Overseas (Cannes Critics’ Week 1990 and nominated for the Best Debut Film César 1991), Post Coitum (which earned the director a nomination for the European Film Award 1997 for Best Actress) and Housewarming [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2005). For this her latest film, the director has put together a cast including Nicole Garcia (Bachelor Days Are Over [+see also:
trailer
interview: Katia Lewkowicz
film profile]), Éric Caravaca (soon to grace screens in Chicken with Plums [+see also:
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film profile] and Here Below), Patrick Mille (Love Crime [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Michaël Abiteboul, Gaspard Ulliel (The Princess of Montpensier [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), Elisa Tovati, Julie Gayet, Lakis Lazopoulos and Demis Roussos.

Scripted by Rouän, the film traces the misadventures of Jo (Garcia) who arrives in Greece with her sons (Caravaca, Mille, Abiteboul and Ulliel) even though she knows that the festival she set up has been cancelled because of the crisis. She squats in a house because she is no longer provided with accommodation and forces the mayor’s hand to get him to put on a “little” show after all.

But the gods punish her: her sons are sulky with her, the show gets out of hand, and her grandson sleeps with a Greek girl from the village. They all get thrown out: it’s the end of an era in Jo’s life which she was still clinging on to.

Produced by Patrick Sobelman for Agat Films, Tu Honoreras Ta Mère et Ta Mère has received co-production support from Greek company Boo Productions, France 2 Cinéma and ISF Cinéma, pre-acquisitions from Canal + and Cine +, and backing from Sofica Soficinéma and La Banque Postale Images.

Shooting will take place from August 24 to October 5 on the Greek islands and in France. French theatrical distribution will be managed by Ad Vitam and international sales by Films Distribution.

(Translated from French)