Philippe Torreton and Lola Dueñas to star in La pièce manquante

by Fabien Lemercier

28/06/2012 - On August 1, Nicolas Birkenstock will kick off five weeks of filming for his feature debut, La pièce manquante (lit. “The missing piece”). The film is to star Philippe Torreton (nominated for a 2012 Cesar for best actor for his performance in Guilty [trailer], and recently on the set of Mood Indigo by Michel Gondry) as well as Spanish actress Lola Dueñas (photo - The Sea Inside [trailer], Volver [trailer, film focus]).

Written by the director with Carl Lionnet, the screenplay tells the story of the Mouton family who have just moved into a big house in the middle of the countryside. André (Torreton), a sculptor and somewhat of a local celebrity, has decided to take life more slowly. Paula, his partner, is the one who insisted that they leave the city with their daughter Violette, 16, and son Pierre, 7. But one day, Paula disappears…

Produced by Juliette Sol for Stromboli Films, La pièce manquante is to receive an advance on receipts from the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC) and aid from the Bourgogne region. The film should be ready in spring 2013. Ad Vitam will be in charge of the film’s distribution in France, and SND will handle its international sales.

Stromboli Films also co-produced After Lucia, the feature by Mexican director Michel Franco (read the review) that won the Un Certain Regard Prize at the last Cannes Film Festival and that will be released in France by Bac Films this October.

(Translated from French)