Arte France Cinéma picks Slack Bay by Bruno Dumont
- The upcoming works by Stéphane Brizé, Mehmet Can Mertoglu and Whit Stillman will also be co-produced by the film arm of the Franco-German channel
Arte France Cinéma’s (managed by Olivier Père) fifth selection committee of 2014 has opted to get involved in co-producing and pre-purchasing four projects. Among these titles is the promising Slack Bay [+see also:
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Q&A: Bruno Dumont
film profile], the eighth fiction feature film by Bruno Dumont, following his successful foray into TV series with Li'l Quinquin [+see also:
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film profile]. For the record, the filmmaker has been selected five times at Cannes (Caméra d’Or Special Mention in 1997 with The Life of Jesus, twice a winner of the Grand Prix with Humanité in 1999 and with Flanders [+see also:
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film profile] in 2006, on the Un Certain Regard line-up in 2011 with Hors Satan [+see also:
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film profile] and at the Directors’ Fortnight this year with Li'l Quinquin), once in competition at Venice (Twentynine Palms [+see also:
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film profile] in 2003) and once at Berlin (Camille Claudel 1915 [+see also:
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interview: Bruno Dumont
film profile] in 2013).
His new opus, Slack Bay, will begin shooting in summer 2015 and will be produced by his usual partner, 3B. The plot will immerse audiences in the early 20th century, telling a tragi-comic tale set at a seaside resort in Pas de Calais, where two families that have absolutely nothing in common are at the centre of a raft of mysterious disappearances.
Arte France Cinéma will also be supporting A Simple Man [+see also:
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interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile] by Stéphane Brizé. The sixth feature by the director, following Le bleu des villes (Directors’ Fortnight 1999), Not Here to Be Loved [+see also:
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film profile] (San Sebastian 2005), Among Adults [+see also:
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film profile] (2007), Mademoiselle Chambon [+see also:
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film profile] (César Award for Best Writing – Adaptation in 2010) and A Few Hours of Spring [+see also:
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film profile] (unveiled at Locarno in 2012), will star Vincent Lindon, who has already toplined the two latest films by the director. Written by Brizé together with Olivier Gorce, the screenplay tells the story of a 51-year-old man who, after being unemployed for 18 months, starts a new job as a security guard in a supermarket. He soon finds himself faced with a moral dilemma when he is asked to keep tabs on his colleagues (who will be non-professional actors playing themselves). Produced by Nord-Ouest Films, the feature will be shot this winter and is sold internationally by MK2 International.
Lastly, Arte France Cinéma will also co-produce the black comedy L'album photo [+see also:
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interview: Mehmet Can Mertoglu
film profile] by Turkish director Mehmet Can Mertoglu (a feature debut co-produced by A.S.A.P. Films on the French side) and Love & Friendship by US filmmaker Whit Stillman, an adaptation of an unfinished novel by Jane Austen (Lady Susan), which sees Paris-based outfit Chic Films producing.
(Translated from French)