Quillévéré’s debut feature Un Poison Violent starts shooting

by Fabien Lemercier

02/06/2009 - Young director Katell Quillévéré (29), who attracted attention with her shorts (including A Bras le Corps, unveiled in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and nominated for a Cesar in 2007), starts shooting this week in Brittany on her debut feature, Un Poison Violent (“A Violent Poison”).

The film stars young actors Clara Augarde and Youen Gourvil Leboulanger, alongside actress-singer Lio (A Parting Shot [trailer, film focus]), Stefano Cassetti (Roberto Succo, The Rest of the Night [trailer]) and seasoned performer Michel Galabru (who appears in Little Nicholas, to be released in late September).

Penned by the director, Un Poison Violent won the Emergence Prize in 2007, the Special Prize in the Junior category of the 2008 Grand Prize for Best Screenwriter competition and was selected for reading at last year’s Premiers Plans Film Festival in Angers – and centres on 14-year-old Anna. She leaves her boarding school to return to her village for the holidays, during which she must hold her confirmation ceremony, an important step in Catholic life.

On her arrival, she is reunited with her adored grandfather (Galabru) and her mother (Lio), who withdraws into an increasingly pious life, taking refuge in the company of a priest and childhood friend (Cassetti). Anna also meets Pierre (Gourvil Leboulanger), a free-spirited and light-hearted teenager, who cares little about God. Finally, she tries to catch up with her father, who no longer lives with them.

During her experiences, deep down Anna seeks to give herself body and soul. But does she seek to give herself to God or to something else? This something she cannot yet describe reveals much about her.

Produced by Justin Taurand for Les Films du Bélier, Un Poison Violent has a budget of around €2.32m. This includes €350,000 in pre-sales and co-production investment from Arte France Cinéma, pre-sales from Canal + and Ciné Cinéma, and backing from the Brittany and Pays de la Loire regions.

Shooting will take place in these two regions until July 22. Sophie Dulac Distribution will launch the film domestically, while international sales will be managed by Films Distribution.

(Translated from French)