17/09/2003

There appears to be a solution on the horizon for the troubled French group Duran Duboi, which is the European leader in audio post-production for feature films and specialist digital effects. According to the weekly paper 'Ecran Total', the company owned by the international producer Tarak ben Ammar, Quinta communications has made a take-over bid for Duran Duboi’s work, which was declared bankrupt last April.

In spite of its precarious financial situation, Duran Duboi is one of the most important companies in the world on the technical side of the film industry. In 2002 it had a turnover of €36.7m, and this year the group has also worked on the 3D animation for the film by Enki Bilal, La femme piège and its other projects include the post production on the new works by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Un long dimanche de fiançailles) and Alain Chabat ( RRRrrr). Many of the great names in world cinema have worked with the company in its Joinville and Boulogne auditoria, and the group is also renowned for the high quality and technical competence of its output.

In a bid to save the company, the group led by Pascal Herold appears to have opted for the solution offered by Tarak Ben Ammae, even though the buyer is an American. If the offer is accepted at the company’s general meeting, being held at the end of September, Quinta Communications would take over more than 50% of Duran Duboi’s capital. This would make Quinta one of the big guns of the cinematographic and audio-visual market in France, following on from its purchase of two other French companies in 2002: LTC and Ex-Machina. The possibility of a further merger between these three companies can’t be ruled out.

(Translated from French)