"Finishing a text doesn’t mean it will be published, being published doesn’t mean it will be read, being read doesn’t mean it will be liked, being liked doesn’t mean it will be successful, being successful doesn’t promise wealth." Such is the narrative crux of À pied d’œuvre which Valérie Donzelli has been shooting since 17 February.

This will be the filmmaker’s 7th feature, notably following The Queen of Hearts [+leggi anche:
recensione
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scheda film] (screened in Locarno’s Cineasti des Presente line-up), Declaration of War [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film] (selected for Cannes’ Critics Week and awarded six César nominations), Marguerite & Julien [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (in competition in Cannes), Notre Dame [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (shown in Locarno’s Piazza Grande) and Just the Two of Us [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Valérie Donzelli
scheda film] (screened in the Cannes Première line-up and awarded four César nominations, claiming victory in the Best Adaptation category).

Eye-catching names toplining the cast include Bastien Bouillon (awarded 2023’s Best Newcomer César and nominated for the Best Actor Lumière via The Night of the 12th [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Dominik Moll
scheda film], recently well-received in Berlin in The Incredible Snow Woman [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Sébastien Betbeder
scheda film] and hitting French cinemas on 27 June via Partir un jour) and two actresses who are reuniting with the director following their work in Just the Two of Us: Virginie Ledoyen (recently seen in Homecoming [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Catherine Corsini
intervista: Suzy Bemba
scheda film] and The Soul Eater) and Marie Rivière (Éric Rohmer’s favourite actress, hitting French cinemas on 12 March in Queen Mom [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Manele Labidi
scheda film]).

Adapted by Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand (awarded the Best Adapted Screenplay César for The Night of the 12th) from Franck Courtès’ eponymous novel, the story follows a successful photographer who abandons everything to dedicate himself to writing and who subsequently discovers poverty. It’s a radical story, both lucid and self-deprecating, following the trajectory of a man who’s prepared to pay a high price for his freedom.

À pied d’œuvre is being produced by Alain Goldman on behalf of Pitchipoï Productions in co-production with France 2 Cinéma. Set to be shot over six weeks in Paris and the surrounds, the movie has also been pre-purchased by Canal+ and Disney+, and enjoys support in the form of an advance on receipts from the CNC. Distribution in French cinemas will fall to Diaphana.

For the record, Pitchipoï Productions released Tristan Seguéla’s Mercato in French cinemas on 19 February and are currently overseeing post-production on L’Homme qui rétrécit by Jan Kounen (toplined by Jean Dujardin, this new adaptation of Richard Matheson’s famous novel will be distributed in French cinemas by Universal Pictures in October). Alain Goldman has also announced that he’ll be producing Hungarian director László Nemes’ upcoming film, revolving around French resistance fighter Jean Moulin, who’ll be played by Gilles Lellouche.