23/03/2012 - The Franco-German television channel will co-produce films by Greek director Panos Koutras and the Italian duo Fabio Grassadonia - Antonio Piazza.

Europe was centre-stage at Arte France Cinéma’s second 2012 session, as the company will support Xenia (lit. “Foreign”) by Greek Panos Koutras (pictured) with co-production and pre-sales. Produced on the French side by Marie-Pierre Macia and Juliette Lepoutre for Movie Partners in Motion Film, this fourth feature film by the director of The Attack of the Giant Mousaka (1999) and A Woman’s Way [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Berlinale Panorama 2009) recounts the epic tale of two young brothers of Albanian origin in search of a better life, from south to north Greece, in a country that tends to be overly nationalist. Cameras are due to roll in September and October.

Also among the selected is Salvo (lit. “Safe”), the first feature film by the Italian duo Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza. Produced by Antoine and Martine de Clermont-Tonnerre for Mact Productions, the film will tell the story of Salvo, a killer from the Palermo mafia who, during a murder, causes his victim’s blind sister to see again. It’s a miracle, in a world where miracles don’t happen. The cast of the film, to be filmed in July-August, is to include Saleh Bakri (The Band’s Visit [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Carolina Crescentini.

Arte France Cinéma has also chosen to support Un château en Italie (lit. “A castle in Italy”) by Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi (SBS Productions - read the article) and Le procès (lit. “The trial”) by Israeli filmmakers Ronit and Schlomi Elkabetz (Prendre femme, Sept jours). Produced on the French side by Elzevir Films, the film will retrace a woman (Ronit Elkabetz)’s fight against Israel’s rabbinical court to divorce her husband (Simon Abkarian).

Arte France Cinéma’s first 2012 session (read the article) decided to support Abus de faiblesse (lit. “Abuse of weakness”) by Catherine Breillat, Elefante Blanco (lit. “White elephant”) by Argentinian director Pablo Trapero, Paradjanov, l’enfant aux diamants (lit. “Paradjanov, the diamond chid”) by the duo Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova, and Mystery by Chinese director Lou Ye.

(Translated from French)