The first clapperboard is set to slam on 3 July in Strasbourg on Les Fantômes [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Jonathan Millet
intervista: Pauline Seigland
scheda film], the first fiction feature film by Jonathan Millet who turned heads with his short film Et toujours nous marcherons (in competition in Clermont-Ferrand in 2017), among other works. Stand-out names in the cast include French-Tunisian actor Adam Bessa (awarded the Best Actor Award in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2022 and nominated for the 2023 Acting Revelation Lumière via Harka [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], well-received this year in The Channel [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] and one of the main protagonists in the American Netflix two-parter Tyler Rake), Israeli-Palestinian talent Tawfeek Barhom (nominated for the 2023 Best Actor Guldbagge via Boy From Heaven [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Tarik Saleh
scheda film], previously at his absolute best in The Idol [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] and A Borrowed Identity [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Eran Riklis
scheda film]), Austria’s Julia Franz Richter (nominated for the Austrian Film Award for Best Actress in 2021, 2022 and 2023 thanks to The Diver Inside [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], 1 Verabredung im Herbst and Rubikon [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Leni Lauritsch
scheda film]) and Syria’s Hala Rajab.

Written by Jonathan Millet himself together with Florence Rochat, based on an original idea by the former, the story (which scooped the 2022 Grand Prize for Best Original Screenplay) unfolds in modern-day Strasbourg, which Hamid explores methodically. He’s a member of the Yaqaza cell, a secret organisation composed of Syrian citizens who track down war criminals. He sets out on the trail of his former torturer whose face he has never seen. On a hunch, he starts following this man, to the point of becoming obsessed…

Les Fantômes is produced by Pauline Seigland (read our interview) on behalf of Films Grand Huit, in co-production with Arte France Cinéma, Germany’s NiKo Film and Belgium’s Hélicotronc. Pre-purchased by Canal+, Ciné+ and Arte, the feature film also enjoys support from the CNC (by way of an advance on receipts and the Images de la Diversité fund), the French-German co-production mini-treaty (FFA German Federal Film Board, CNC) Eurimages, German Federal Film Board, the Brittany and Grand Est regions, the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg and the Gan Film Foundation. The eight-week film shoot will unfold in Strasbourg, Jordan and Germany, with Belgian Olivier Boonjing (the winner of the 2017 Magritte in his speciality for Parasol [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] and nominated for Zero Fucks Given [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Emmanuel Marre e Julie Lec…
scheda film] in 2023) heading up photography, and editing entrusted to Laurent Sénéchal (Anatomy of a Fall [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Justine Triet
scheda film]). The movie’s release in French cinemas will be steered by Memento Distribution.

For the record, Films Grand Huit were recently responsible for Disco Boy [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Giacomo Abbruzzese
scheda film] by Italy’s Giacomo Abbruzzese (awarded the Silver Bear for Best Artistic Contribution at this year’s Berlinale) and are currently overseeing post-production on Mi bestia [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Colombia’s Camila Beltran, as well as on Rabia [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Mareike Engelhardt
scheda film] by Mareike Engelhardt.