Having kicked off on 14 October, filming on Pieces of a Foreign Life, Gaya Jiji’s second feature film after My Favourite Fabric [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film] (unveiled in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2018) is due to wrap on 22 November in Bordeaux.

The Syrian director based in France has entrusted her lead roles to Zar Amir Ebrahimi (awarded an acting trophy in Cannes 2022 and nominated for the European Film Award for Best Actress via Holy Spider [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Ali Abbasi
intervista: Ali Abbasi
intervista: Zar Amir Ebrahimi
scheda film], touring cinemas in Italy since yesterday, and competing in Tallinn this week via Reading Lolita in Tehran [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film]) and Alexis Manenti (who scooped 2020’s Best Newcomer César for Les Misérables [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Ladj Ly
scheda film] and who’s starring in The Mohican [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Frédéric Farrucci
scheda film] this year), with further acting support coming from Egypt’s Amr Waked (Syriana, Lucy [+leggi anche:
trailer
making of
scheda film]), Megan Northam (well-received this year in Meanwhile on Earth [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film] and hitting French cinemas on 27 November in Rabia [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Mareike Engelhardt
scheda film]) and Grégoire Monsaingeon (starring in this year’s Niki [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film]).

Penned by the director and Sarah Angelini in collaboration with Agnès Feuvre (nominated for 2022’s Best Original Screenplay César thanks to The Divide [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Catherine Corsini
scheda film]) and Mehdi Ben Attia (who directed The String [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film], among other works), the story revolves around Selma who flees Syria, leaving behind a 6-year-old son and a husband who has vanished into the regime’s prison system. Once arrived in Bordeaux following a dangerous journey, she works endless hours off the books, whilst beginning a new battle for the right to asylum and to bring her son Rami over from Syria. Selma soon makes the acquaintance of a lawyer called Jérôme, and their subsequent relationship calls everything into question…

Pieces of a Foreign Life is being produced by Laurent Lavolé for Gloria Films and by Gilles Sacuto and Miléna Poylo for TS Productions, in co-production with France 3 Cinéma and Belgian firm Panache Productions. Pre-purchased by OCS/Ciné+ and France Télévisions, the feature film also enjoys support from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the Gironde department and Bordeaux Métropole where the film was shot in its entirety, with Antoine Héberlé (nominated for the 2017 Best Cinematography Lumière via A Woman’s Life [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
Q&A: Stéphane Brizé
scheda film]) heading up photography. World sales are entrusted to France tv distribution while the title’s French release falls to Tandem Films.

For the record, Gloria Films are set to release Julien Menanteau’s Lads [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film] in French cinemas on 19 March, while TS Productions will be banking on Giulio Callegari’s Un monde merveilleux [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film] (produced by Marianne Productions) as of 15 January.