27/09/2023 - Iliès Kadri, Sofian Khammes and Edgar Ramirez star in the filmmaker’s first feature, produced by Les Films du Bal

Actors Iliès Kadri, Sofian Khammes and Edgar Ramirez (© Gage Skidmore)

Monday 18 September saw filming kick off on Camille Perton’s debut feature film Les Arènes. The cast stars Iliès Kadri (at his very best in Nobody’s Hero [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alain Guiraudie
film profile], similarly impressive in the series Le remplaçant and hitting cinemas next year in Javier Rebollo’s Dans la chambre du sultan), Sofian Khammes (recently well-received in South Sentinel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mathieu Gérault
film profile] and November [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], and hitting cinemas in March 2024 via La promesse verte) and Edgar Ramirez (awarded the Best Newcomer César and nominated for the Best Actor Golden Globe for the mini-series Carlos [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] in 2011, also nominated for the Best Supporting Role Golden Globe in 2019 thanks to season 2 of American Crime Story, and hitting cinemas next year in Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]).

Written by the director, the story revolves around Brahim, a promising 18-year-old footballer who’s gearing up to fulfil his dream: signing his first professional contract with his hometown club Lyon. But the rise of a powerful foreign agent within the club changes everything. In a race against time, with the help of his cousin and agent Mehdi, Brahim throws himself onto the transfer market, "the mercato" where no holds are barred...

Les Arènes is produced by Ève Robin and Judith Lou-Lévy (named a Producer on the Move by the European Film Promotion in 2022 – read our interview) on behalf of Les Films du Bal, in co-production with Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Cinéma. Pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+, the feature film also enjoys an advance on receipts from the CNC and further backing from the SOFICA company Cinémage. The 30-day film shoot will continue until 6 November in the Lyon region, as well as in Nice, Monaco and Baku, with Martin Roux heading up photography. Distribution in France will be managed by The Jokers.

For the record, Les Films du Bal were recently in Venice unveiling (within Critics’ Week) Adrien Beau’s The Vourdalak [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adrien Beau
film profile] (released in France on 25 October) and are overseeing post-production on Aude Léa Rapin’s Planet B. (read our article – toplined by Adèle Exarchopoulos) and on Mati Diop’s documentary Le Retour.

(Translated from French)