22/03/2024 - Estéban toplines this gory comedy being produced by Acqua Alta and set to be sold by Best Friend Forever

On 25 March, the first clapperboard is due to slam on the island of Réunion for Vade Retro, the fourth feature by Antonin Peretjatko, following The Rendez-Vous of Déjà-Vu [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2013 Directors’ Fortnight and nominated for the César Award for Best Debut Film in 2014), Struggle for Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2016) and Unsophisticated Lady [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2021).

The cast includes Estéban (who was involved in the director’s first two films and could be seen recently in The Jolly Forgers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Yolande Moreau
film profile]), Pascal Tagnati (I comete – A Corsican Summer [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pascal Tagnati
film profile], Struggle for Life), Céline Fuhrer (Apnée [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Bloody Oranges [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean-Christophe Meurisse
film profile]), Eva Rami (the series Standing Up), Alma Jodorowsky (The Enemy [+see also:
film review
interview: Stephan Streker
film profile], the series Split), Sébastien Chassagne (Yannick [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), Yuliya Abiss (The Revenge of the Shiny Shrimps), Pascal Légitimus (who acted in Struggle for Life) and Fred Tousch (Bloody Oranges).

The starting point for the story, written by the filmmaker and based on an original idea by Japan’s Masa Sawada, is the fact that, in order to begin life as an adult, a vampire must bite someone. To lose his “virginity”, he needs “pure” blood. Otherwise, he knows that his family will be cursed: they will turn to dust, along with their castle. Norbert is already 350 years old, and it’s time for him to come of age. He has found his prey, but she turns out to be a vampire hunter. He emerges from the encounter traumatised, having lost a tooth. So his family decides to send him to the other side of the world to enable him to overcome his sudden phobia, bite someone and save their castle.

Produced by Christophe Gougeon and Richard Frank for Paris-based outfit Acqua Alta, Vade Retro has been pre-purchased by Ciné+ and has also secured an advance on receipts from the CNC as well as support from the Réunion region (where the shoot will take place from 25 March-26 April before the team heads back to France for a few days). The cinematography will be entrusted to Nicolas Eveillau (She Is Conann [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bertrand Mandico
film profile]). The French theatrical release will be handled by Paname Distribution and the international sales by Best Friend Forever.

As a reminder, Acqua Alta recently staged Under a Blue Sun [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Daniel Mann, which was unveiled earlier this year in the Tiger Competition at IFFR.

(Translated from French)