17/06/2013 - The branch of the Franco-German network will back Bande de filles, 3 coeurs, Les Mille et Une Nuits and Deux fenêtres

Managed by Olivier Père, Arte France Cinéma has selected four new projects which it will fund in coproduction and pre-purchasing: Bande de filles by French director Céline Sciamma (photo), 3 coeurs by her compatriot Benoît Jacquot, Les Mille et Une Nuits by Portuguese director Miguel Gomes and Deux fenêtres by Japanese director Naomi Kawase.

After Water Lilies [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Un Certain Regard in the Cannes Film Festival in 2007) and Tomboy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Céline Sciamma
film profile] (Panorama at the 2011 Berlinale), Céline Sciamma (32 years old) will again delve into the world of adolescence, but this time through young girls of African origin, in Paris and its suburbs. The main protagonist, Marieme, 15, lives her life as a succession of prohibitions: the censorship exercised by the neighbourhood, the law laid down by boys, the dead end of school... But her encounter with a group of girls who have claimed their freedom changes everything. She embraces the codes of the street, violence, friendship, to live her youth... Produced by Bénédicte Couvreur for Hold Up Films, Bande de filles, whose filming will begin in August, has also benefitted from an advance on receipts from the CNC.

After Farewell My Queen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benoît Jacquot
film profile] (in competition in the 2012 Berlinale and winner of the Louis-Delluc Prize the same year), Benoît Jacquot will begin filming his 21st feature film in September: 3 cœurs. Produced by Rectangle, the cast of this sentimental melodrama, whose screenplay was written by the director and Julien Boivent, will feature Belgian actor Benoît Poelvoorde and French actresses Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Léa Seydoux. Amongst other partners, Arte France Cinéma joins the Ile-de-France region and Elle Driver, which will handle the international sales.

The cinema branch of Arte will also fund the 4th feature film by Portuguese director Miguel Gomes: Les Mille and Une Nuits. Coproduced by Shellac Sud, this new project undertaken by the director of This Dear Month of August [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Directors’ Fortnight 2008) and Tabu [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Miguel Gomes
interview: Miguel Gomes
film profile] (Alfred Bauer Prize in the 2012 Berlinale) will adapt the famous tales of the Arabian Nights through a series of tragic, comical and fantastic stories, directly inspired from current events in Portugal's economic crisis over a 12-month period.

Finally, Arte France Cinéma has selected Deux fenêtres by Japanese director Naomi Kawase (in competition in Cannes in 2003, 2007 and 2011) which will be coproduced by the French company Comme des Cinémas.

As a reminder, these four projects complete the list of the 2013 coproductions backed by Arte France Cinéma which already included Sils Maria by Olivier Assayas, Winter Sleep by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Histoire de Judas Iscariote by Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche, Mercuriales by Virgil Vernier, L’Institutrice by Israeli director Nadav Lapid and Pasolini by American director Abel Ferrara, as well as the documentaries FrancoØonia, le Louvre sous l’occupation by Alexandre Sokourov and La Cour de Babel by Julie Bertuccelli.

(Translated from French)