13/05/2025 - The French-born producer talked to Cineuropa about his company’s philosophy, working on the Berlinale title The Safe House and his new debut-feature projects

(© Vincent Quénault/Red Lion)

Since 2013, Vincent Quénault, Luxembourg’s representative at EFP’s Producers on the Move for 2025, has been producing films with Jeanne Geiben at Red Lion, founded by Geiben and Pol Cruchten in 1996. He is also the head of Marionnette, a production company based in Paris.

Cineuropa: Could you highlight the most important moments of your career as a producer?
Vincent Quénault: I got into production by chance. I started off as a television director on the Ciné+ channel in France. I knew Pol Cruchten, a highly respected director from Luxembourg, who studied at the same film school as I did, in Paris [ESEC]. In 2013, he invited me to join his team at Red Lion, his production company in Luxembourg. We developed a strong cinephilic bond, and I honed my skills under his mentorship as a line producer. After Pol passed away suddenly in 2019, his wife, Jeanne Geiben, who co-founded the company, encouraged me to keep producing with her. Jeanne and I collaborate on every project, which is always a highly stimulating process. Some recent highlights include the presentation of Vladimir Perisic's Lost Country [+see also:
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You just mentioned your recent project The Safe House, a co-production selected at the Berlinale. How important do you think European co-productions are? 
We joined the project in 2018, shortly after Lionel Baier's Swiss company, Bande à Part Films, secured the rights to Christophe Boltanski's novel. Filming took place in 2024, primarily in a studio in Luxembourg. The Safe House is a Swiss-Luxembourgish-French co-production, aiming to address themes such as anti-Semitism, civic engagement and the diverse cultural elements that shape a nation's identity. But above all, it's a comedy! An audacious, clever and popular film that perfectly aligns with the editorial vision we uphold at Red Lion. Regarding the European angle, it's deeply rooted in Luxembourg's identity. As a native of France, I truly enjoy working in this country for this reason. The flexibility, experience and language skills of Luxembourg's actors and technicians facilitate smoother co-productions. While collaborating with French- and German-speaking countries is quite natural, the Film Fund is also open to more innovative European partnerships, as I've experienced with projects in Serbia and Lithuania.

What is your company’s philosophy?
Our passion for cinema remains the driving force behind everything we do. When we choose to engage with a project, it's because we recognise a director's talent and their potential in the market. We strive to support them in realising their vision for the film, but our goal is to build a lasting partnership that extends beyond just one project.

What benefits do you think Producers on the Move can offer to your career and to the sector in general?
This initiative is invaluable, as it brings together European producers with complementary perspectives, encouraging collaboration across borders and igniting fresh project ideas. The advantages of these interactions are considerable; we all benefit greatly from the time we share and the exchange of our co-production experiences.

Could you disclose anything about your upcoming projects?
I am currently working on several debut features with directors for whom I've previously produced shorts. One of these is Alpha Amen by Gintarė Parulytė, a Lithuanian drama that delves into the impact of communist education on today’s generations. Another project is Campeona by Lucía Valverde, which follows a boxer in Cuba who has dedicated her life to advocating for women's rights in a sport that was only recently legalised in her country.

In collaboration with my French company, I'm also developing Shift by Julien Sauvadon, a first feature about a deliveryman in Lyon whose aspirations of greatness lead him to create an illegal business involving migrants. Additionally, we are in the works with Laura Schroeder’s upcoming film, The Cupboard, based on a true story from Luxembourg. Lastly, we’ve just wrapped shooting on Divorce During the War, directed by Andrius Blaževičius. This film is a co-production with Lithuania and explores the consequences of the war in Ukraine on the daily lives of a couple living in Vilnius, torn between their comfortable lifestyle and their civic commitment [see the news].

(Translated from French)