17/07/2007

Lensing wrapped up last weekend in the Paris region on Un cœur simple (“A Simple Heart”), Marion Lainé’s feature debut starring Sandrine Bonnaire and Marina Foïs.

Also featuring Pascal Elbé and Patrick Pineau, the film is a loose adaptation by the director of Gustave Flaubert’s eponymous short story published in 1877 in his Three Tales anthology, which was the penultimate work by the famous writer.

Lainé prepared the film at the 2006 Université d'été d'Emergence, a summer university that supports young directors starting out in feature filmmaking.

Set in the first half of the 19th century and featuring elements of Flaubert’s correspondence, Un cœur simple centres around Félicité (Bonnaire), a poor maid working for Madame Aubain (Foïs).

Full of goodness and devoted to others, she faces several disillusions throughout her life, falling in love successively with Théodore (Elbé) who betrays her, then with Clémence, her nephew Victor who disappears and, last but not least, God, whom she later discovers.

Rezo Productions took over the production reins of Un simple coeur earlier this year following the death of producer Béatrice Caufmann of BC Films, who conceived the film. Filming took place in the Haute-Normandie and Paris regions from May 14 to June 10.

Backing was provided by a co-production and pre-sales agreement with Arte France Cinéma, CNC advances on receipts (€440,000), the Ile-de-France region (€320,000), as well as pre-sales from Canal+ and Ciné Cinéma.

Rezo Films is expected to release the title on French screens in autumn 2008 and is handling international sales.

(Translated from French)