07/01/2003 - The French Christmas film by Jean-Pierre Limosin is a hit thanks also to rising star Anna Mouglalis

Released on Christmas Day 2002, Novo by Jean-Pierre Limosin is most definitely "flavour of the month" in France. Despite a limited release, Novo, distributed by Haut et Court, attracted over 40,000 filmgoers in its first week out, climbed to 16th position in the domestic box office and is 4th in terms of per-screen average. Novo was first presented at last year’s Locarno Film Festival and in Paris alone, where it was visible on 9 screens, Novo proved to be one of the biggest hits of Christmas week; selling 2,212 tickets.
This outstanding success is due to a great original screenplay written by Limosin and Christopehe Honoré (17 fois Cucile Cassard), and a strong Franco-Hispanic cast lead by the magnetic Eduardo Noriega (Open Your Eyes), Paz Vega (Lucia y el sexo), Nathalie Richard and Julie Gayet. Novo also features one of French cinema’s most popular newcomers, Anna Mouglalis. She first came to the forefront of public attention in Claude Chabrol’s Merci pour le chocolat and Mouglalis is also the “Face” of Maison Chanel and, Novo aside, has other two features on general release in France: La vie nouvelle and Le loup de la Côte Ouest. Mouglalis’s mere presence in this project guaranteed massive media coverage and an extended theatrical shelf life for Limosin’s Nova. The film was produced by France’s Lumen Films (headed by Iranian Hengameh Panahi) and co-produced by Spain’s Alta Produccion and Switzerland’s Amka Films.

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(Translated from French)