My Son in competition
My Son, the debut feature by French director Martial Fougeron, will be one of 16 films competing for the Golden Shell at the 54th San Sebastian International Film Festival (September 21-30).
Starring Nathalie Baye, Victor Sevaux and Olivier Gourmet, the film, scripted by the director and Florence Eliakim, explores the psychological disarray of a young teenager and the conflict-ridden relationship with his strict and possessive mother.
Neglected by her husband and giving all her love to her docile and submissive son, whose every move she watches, the mother ends up making him become more and more withdrawn.
Produced by Frédéric Niedermayer for Moby Dick Films and Pascal Caucheteux for Why Not Productions, My Son was made on a €3.22m budget that included €400,000 in backing from France 2 Cinéma (€200,000 each in pre-sales and co-production funds), an advance on receipts from the CNC, as well as pre-sales financing from Canal + and TPS.
Scheduled for a December release by Mars Distribution, the film is being sold internationally by Celluloid Dreams.
The Official Competition line-up at San Sebastian also includes three French co-productions. First in line is a Les Productions Lazennec title, Lo que sé de Lola [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (lit. “What I Know About Lola”) by Spanish helmer Javier Rebollo (see news), starring Michaël Abiteboul, Lola Dueñas and Carmen Machi.
Co-produced by Spain’s Malvarrosa Media and Lolita Films, Lazannec's involvement allowed for the film - shot partly in France and sold internationally by Films Distribution - to receive €350,000 in advance on receipts from the CNC.
The CNC also granted €250,000 to Sounds of Sand [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Belgian director Marion Hänsel, a film co-produced by France’s A.S.A.P Films (28%), supported by Eurimages and sold by Dutch outfit Fortissimo Film Sales.
Iranian/Iraqi/Austrian/French co-production Half Moon by Kurdish director Bahman Ghobadi, a film made as part of the 2006 New Crowned Hope Festival, Abderrahmane Sissako’s The Court [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and the collective film Paris, je t’aime – both of which feature in the Perlas sidebar – round off the selection.
(Translated from French)
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