18/07/2014 - The first “Action!” will be shouted on 4 August for the new opus by the talented, one-of-a-kind filmmaker. Partizan Films will produce, with backing from StudioCanal

Final preparations are under way ahead of the start of the shoot for Microbe et Gasoil [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the 11th feature film by Michel Gondry, whose filmography includes, among others, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (winner of the Oscar for Best Screenplay in 2005), The We and the I [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (which opened the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2012) and L'écume des jours [+see also:
trailer
making of
interview: Michel Gondry
film profile] (watch the video interview – set for release on 1 August in the UK).

The cast of his new opus – a comedy in the guise of a road trip that is, for the most part, a tale of a great friendship between two teenagers – features two young newcomers discovered by Gondry. They will be joined by Audrey Tautou (nominated for the César for Best Actress in 2002, 2008 and 2010; seen in cinemas recently in Chinese Puzzle [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), among others.

Written by the director, the story recounts the wild adventures of two teenagers who are somewhat marginalised: the tiny "Microbe" and the inventive "Gasoil". As the summer holidays get ever nearer, the two friends have no intention of spending the two months with their families. So with the help of a lawnmower engine and various planks of wood, they decide to build their own "car" and set off on an adventurous road trip around France…

Produced by Partizan Films, Microbe et Gasoil is co-produced by StudioCanal (which will handle distribution in France and international sales). Pre-purchased by Canal+ and OCS, the film, which is also being backed by Sofica Indefilms and Cinémage, will be shot from 4 August until the end of October in Ile-de-France and Bourgogne.

(Translated from French)