31/05/2023 - Franc Bruneau, Vanessa Guide and Xavier Lacaille star in the French director's first feature, a comedy about the war of the sexes produced by Kazak and sold by Best Friend Forever

Anaïde Rozam, Vanessa Guide and Cyril Gueï in Zénithal

A former student at La Fémis, Jean-Baptiste Saurel has made a name for himself with short films such as Retrosexo (presented at Clermont-Ferrand in 2017) and The Dickslap (in competition at Cannes' Critics Week in 2012), and helmed six episodes of the recent Parallels series (Disney+). He is currently in the middle of post-production for his first feature film, Zénithal.

The cast includes Franc Bruneau (seen in Bloody Milk [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hubert Charuel
film profile], The Last Journey Of Paul W. R. [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and the series Reign Supreme [+see also:
series review
interview: Olivier Wotling
series profile]), Vanessa Guide (Let the Girls Play [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Xavier Lacaille (The Book of Wonders). We also find Cyril Gueï (noticed in Full Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eric Gravel
film profile]), Anaïde Rozam (seen in Paris, 13th District [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), Rebecca Finet (caught in The Sitting Duck [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean-Paul Salomé
film profile]) and Bruno Gouery (seen in American series White Lotus).

Written by the director and Élodie Wallace, the script centers around Francis (Franc Bruneau) and Sonia (Vanessa Guide). Together for 10 years, they no longer understand each other. She dreams of a new sexuality, while he is stuck in an outdated masculinity. When Francis falls into the clutches of a Machiavellian doctor (Xavier Lacaille) bent on preserving male domination, Sonia decides to take action to save Francis, her relationship and establish peace between the sexes...

Zénithal was produced by Amaury Ovise for Kazak Productions, and was pre-bought by Canal+ and Ciné+. The cinematography is by Yann Maritaud (nominated for the Lumière 2021 Image Award for  Slalom [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Charlène Favier
film profile]). The French release will be orchestrated by The Jokers Films in June 2024. International sales are handled by Best Friend Forever.

Kazak Productions is also currently in post-production on Anti-Squat [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Nicolas Silhol (French release on 6 September) and The Good Teacher [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Teddy Lussi-Modeste (with François Civil as its lead, co-written by the director with Audrey Diwan).

(Translated from French by Margaux Comte)