Xavier Giannoli shooting Des rayons et des ombres
- Jean Dujardin, Nastya Golubeva Carax and August Diehl lead the cast of the French director’s new movie, produced by Curiosa Films and Waiting For Cinema, and sold by Gaumont
Filming on Xavier Giannoli’s 9th feature film, Des rayons et des ombres, kicked off in March shrouded in the greatest secrecy, but we do have one or two details on this latest opus by the filmmaker, who was selected twice in competition in Cannes (The Singer [+see also:
film review
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film profile] in 2006 and In the Beginning [+see also:
film review
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film profile] in 2009) and thrice in Venice (Superstar [+see also:
film review
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interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile] in 2012, Marguerite [+see also:
film review
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interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile] in 2015 and Lost Illusions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile] in 2021), before returning to the latter in 2023 with the series Of Money and Blood [+see also:
interview: Xavier Giannoli
series profile].
Stealing focus in lead roles are Jean Dujardin (named Best Actor in Cannes 2011 and at the 2012 Oscars for The Artist [+see also:
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interview: Michel Hazanavicius
film profile], and nominated four times for a Best Actor César, most recently in 2023 for Novembre [+see also:
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film profile]), Nastya Golubeva Carax (acclaimed in Paris Memories [+see also:
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interview: Alice Winocour
film profile]) and Germany’s August Diehl (who won the Lola for Best Actor at the German Film Awards thanks to 23, who was recently well-received in The Ice Tower [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lucile Hadžihalilović
film profile] and who’ll be hitting screens soon in La disparition), with support from André Marcon (nominated for the Best Supporting Role César in 2016 via Marguerite and hitting French cinemas in the second semester of this year in L’affaire de l’esclave Furcy and La femme la plus riche du monde) and Maia Cavalier-Bazan (Heads or Fails [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lenny and Harpo Guit
film profile]).
Written by the director in league with Jacques Fieschi (awarded the 2022 César for Best Adaptation thanks to Lost Illusions, nominated in the same category in 2017 and thrice for Best Screenplay in 1993, 1996 and 1999) and Patrick Godeau, the story follows Jean and Otto, a French newspaperman and a young German Francophile who are fighting for peace in Europe. Jean’s daughter, Corinne, is launching a brilliant acting career in the film world, but war breaks out and France is occupied. The two friends have a major role to play in this new France. Jean becomes a big press baron and an ardent advocate of collaboration with the occupying forces, while Otto becomes the Reich’s ambassador in Paris. Corinne, meanwhile, finds herself thrown into the lion’s pit…
Des rayons et des ombres is being produced by Olivier Delbosc on behalf of Curiosa Films and by Patrick Godeau for Waiting For Cinema, in co-production with France 3 Cinéma. The movie notably enjoys support from the CNC (via an advance on receipts) as well as from the Ile-de-France Region. The 75-day film shoot will last until July, with Christophe Beaucarne heading up photography. Set design is entrusted to Riton Dupire-Clément (awarded 2022’s César in his speciality for Lost Illusions), while world sales and distribution in France will fall to Gaumont.
For the record, Curiosa Films are notably overseeing post-production on Claire Denis’ Le cri des gardes and are wrapping filming today on Olivier Assayas’ Mage du Kremlin (read our article).
(Translated from French)
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