El Bouhati’s Française receives advances on receipts
Souad El Bouhati’s debut feature Française was one of five films to be granted advances on receipts last week by CNC Director General Véronique Cayla.
On integration, the film follows current trends in French cinema, which is becoming more open to the topic (noteworthy recent titles on the theme include Days of Glory [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Jean Bréhat
interview: Rachid Bouchareb
film profile] and Bled Number one [+see also:
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film profile]).
Scripted by the director, a former social educator who first came to public acclaim in 2000 with her short Salam, Française is the story of 10 year-old Sofia who leads a happy and carefree life in the outskirts of a small French town, until one day, however, when her father makes a snap decision to return to his roots in Morocco, with the whole family in tow. Lost in this strange land, Sofia never stops trying to rekindle her relationship with her native France.
The film stars Leila Bekhti (Sheitan [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] and will feature in Cédric Klapisch’s forthcoming Paris.
Produced by Jacques Kirsner for Jem Productions, Française (which received €420,000 in CNC advances on receipts) has also been funded through a co-production and pre-sales agreement from France 2 Cinéma and pre-sold by Canal +.
The six-week shoot is scheduled to begin on April 16 in the Picardy region, before heading to Morocco in June.
Distribution in France and international sales are still under negotiation.
The CNC has also granted advances on receipts of €350,000 to Robert Guédiguian’s Lady Jane (Agat Films & Cie production, see article) and €470,000 for White Material by Claire Denis (Why Not Productions), starring Isabelle Huppert and Christophe Lambert (see news).
Two documentaries are also among the beneficiaries, with €130,000 for Christophe Gargot’s D’Aruscha à Aruscha (an Atopic production) and €170,000 for Israeli helmer Avi Mograbi’s Z 32 (a Les Films d'Ici production).
(Translated from French)
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