12/07/2005

Charged with the selective pre-production aid for features, the main committee of the Advance On Receipts at the National Film Centre (CNC) has just chosen three films at the July session: La grande vie by Emmanuel Salinger, Mange, ceci est mon corps by Michelange Quay and the documentary Le théâtre des opérations by Benoît Rossel (produced by the company Everybody on deck). The final figures for these three advances will be announced in the Autumn, bearing in mind that the average amount for aid is around 400 000 euros.

Produced by Gilles-Marie Thiné for Arcapix, La grande vie marks the debut in the world of feature directing of the actor Emmanuel Salinger, appearing in around 20 films, notably La sentinelle (César for best Newcomer 1993) and Comment je me suis disputé…(ma vie sexuelle) by Arnaud Desplechin, La Reine Margot by Patrice Chéreau and also Capitaines d’Avril by Maria de Meideros. Also screenwriter for among others Noémie Lvovsky (Oublie moi) and Xavier Beauvois (N’oublie pas que tu vas mourir), Emmanuel Salinger has already made three shorts. With aid from the Bourse de la Fondation Beaumarchais and development money from the CNC, his screenplay La grande vie follows the misadventures of a philosophy professor in the provinces. Coming up to Paris to participate in a TV show, the character will become, by accident, the friend of the famous presenter of the talk-show, an encounter which will change the lives of both men. Casting has started, and the two principal male actors will join the female characters already cast Amira Casar and Julie Depardieu.

As for the project Mange, ceci est mon corps it will be produced by Tom Dercourt for Les Films à Un Dollar and directed by the American Michelange Quay, who stood out this year at the Rotterdam festival and in competition at Cannes with his latest short film: L'évangile du cochon créole.

(Translated from French)