03/12/2002 - Pan-European project about life in the WWI trenches, Merry Christmas is scheduled for day-&-date release on Armistice Day in France, Germany & the UK

The second feature film by French director, Christian Carion, is an ambitious story about World War I entitled Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas). Carion, who came to the forefront of public attention with his first film,Une hirondelle a fait le printemps (One Swallow Did Make the Summer – seen by 2.3 million French filmgoers) plans to cast a Frenchman, Englishman and German and the film will be released day-and-date in these three territories.
Joyeux Noel takes place at Christmas in 1914 in the trenches near Flanders and Artois when a truce was announced and soldiers from rival camps celebrated the festivity together. The three protagonists will act in their respective languages as a way of giving the film a greater pan-European dimension.
The film is scheduled to go into production in the winter of 2003-2004 and will be released in the three above-mentioned territories on 11 November – Armistice Day.
Produced by of della Nord-Ouest Productions (Une hirondelle a fait le printemps and Irréversibile), with a budget said to be in the region of Euros 12-15 million. Rossignon and Carion hope the powerful storyline will enable them to access European funds.

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(Translated from French)