On 9 September, shooting began on the new feature by Lucas Belvaux, Les Tourmentés. The Belgian filmmaker based in France made his name in the social cinema register, exploring the groundswells that run through our societies, as in This is Our Land [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lucas Belvaux
scheda film] for instance, which addressed the far right “un-demonisation” strategy in France. He is also familiar with adaptations, since 38 Witnesses (One Night) [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lucas Belvaux
scheda film] of one by Philippe Vilain, and his latest film, Home Front [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lucas Belvaux
scheda film] (Cannes 2020 label), was an adaptation inspired by the eponymous novel by Laurent Mauvignier.

Les Tourmentés, before being a film, is also the debut novel by Lucas Belvaux, whose narrative, following the interior monologues of its main characters, in fact recalls the one found in Mauvignier’s work. Published in Autumn 2022, the novel was well received by the press. The filmmaker now uses this material he knows so well to make a film, which traces the story of Skender, a former legionnaire now homeless since his wife Manon left him, and who accepts the crazy proposition of the very wealthy boss of his former sergeant Max: to serve as game during an urban safari, for a very lucrative salary. He wants his death to help protect Manon and their two boys from want. Grand organiser of this singular contract, Max thinks he’s got everything under control but, even before they leave for the man hunt, which is to take place 6 months later, nothing goes as planned…

Skender will be played by French actor Niels Schneider (winner of the Best Male Newcomer César award for Dark Inclusion [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Arthur Harari
scheda film] and nominated for the Best Actor César award for Love Affair(s) [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Emmanuel Mouret
scheda film], currently starring in the mini-series Le monde n’existe pas). He will reunite with Ramzy Bedia in the role of Max, with whom he formed an explosive duo in the impressive series Of Money and Blood [+leggi anche:
intervista: Xavier Giannoli
scheda series]. Also in the cast are Linh-Dan Pham (César-nominated for Indochine and The Beat That My Heart Skipped [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]) who will play Madame, and Déborah François (nominated three times for the Best Female Newcomer César award, most recently for The First Day of The Rest of Your Life [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]), who will play Manon.

Les Tourmentés is produced by Patrick Quinet for Artemis Productions in Belgium, which has been accompanying the filmmaker for the past five films (and which recently released Turtles [+leggi anche:
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intervista: David Lambert
scheda film] by David Lambert, and from whom we will soon see Art or Fart [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Stefan Liberski
scheda film] by Stefan Liberski, starring Benoît Poelvoorde). The film is co-produced by Emmanuel Agneray for Bizibi in France, in partnership with the RTBF, BeTV and Proximus. It received support from the Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles, the CNC in France, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the Ile-de-France region, Canal+, Canal+ International and Ciné+. International sales and French distribution will be handled by UGC. The shoot will wrap on 30 October.