04/07/2006

Filming began yesterday in the Paris region on Noémie Lvovsky’s fourth feature, L’ami de Fred Astaire [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (lit. “Fred Astaire’s Friend”).

Three years after her Feelings – presented in competition at Venice, winner of four César nominations and the Louis-Delluc award, and 1.2m admissions in France – Lvovsky’s latest masterpiece features a line-up that includes Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Bulle Ogier, Sabine Azéma, Arié Elmaleh (Gad’s father) and Bakary Sangare.

Co-written by the director and her regular partner Florence Seyvos, L’ami de Fred Astaire tells the story of the chaotic Billinsky family. Daughter Sarah (Bruni Tedeschi) struggles to lead a peaceful existence in dividing her time between her separated parents: her highly energetic father Salomon (Marielle), a real Casanova and amateur tap dancer, and her slightly crazy mother Geneviève (Ogier), who lives alone. In an attempt to make room for her fiancé François (Elmaleh), Sarah’s life gets even more complicated upon discovering she is pregnant although she thought she was sterile.

Produced by Pascal Caucheteux for Why Not Productions, the €5.3m film was co-produced by Swiss outfit Vega Film (10%) and received an advance on receipts of €380,000 from the Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC).

L’ami de Fred Astaire was also granted €600,000 in backing from Eurimages and €487,000 in support from the Ile de France region. Shooting is expected to last twelve weeks until October and will include 56 days of shooting in the Ile de France and four in Switzerland.

UGC International will distribute the film in France during 2007 and are also handling international sales.

(Translated from French)