29/09/2025 - Ariane Labed and Arcadi Radeff lead the cast of the French director’s first feature, which is a Moderato production set to be sold by Kinology

Actress Ariane Labed and actor Arcadi Radeff

Primarily known for his short film, Rien d’important (selected for the national competition in Clermont-Ferrand 2023), François Robic has been shooting his debut feature film, Le royaume des aveugles, since 8 September.

The cast is led by French-Greek actress Ariane Labed (named Best Actress in Venice 2010  thanks to Attenberg [+see also:
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interview: Athina Rachel Tsangari
film profile], nominated for 2015’s Best Newcomer César via Fidelio: Alice’s Journey [+see also:
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interview: Lucie Borleteau
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interview: Valentine Cadic
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interview: Rebecca Zlotowski
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film profile] and hitting French cinemas on 31 December in Drifting Laurent) and Mireille Roussel.

Written by the director himself, the story takes us to a valley in the Pyrenees. Magda returns to the village she left years earlier, but rumours soon begin to take their toll. One morning, in the neighbouring forest, a young woman disappears…

Produced by Clémence Crépin Neel and Igor Courtecuisse on behalf of Moderato, Le royaume des aveugles enjoys an advance on receipts from the CNC, the Occitanie region, and the SOFICA companies Indéfilms and Cinéaxe. The feature film was developed within the Gindou Cinéma writing residency, in Chalet Mauriac and in the Les Arcs Film Festival’s Co-Production Village (scooping the International ArteKino Prize in the process). The 24-day film shoot in Ariège is due to wrap on 10 October. Photography is entrusted to Margot Besson while the film’s music will be composed by Émile Petitperrin. World sales will fall to Kinology and distribution in French cinemas to Tandem.

(Translated from French)