After travelling to Venice with Blonde Animals, which was discovered on the Lido in International Critics’ Week in 2018, another major festival is on the agenda for the directorial duo composed of Maxime Matray and Alexia Walther next month, since their second feature film, Affection Affection, will be unveiled in the Filmmakers of the Present competition of the 78th Locarno Film Festival (running from 6-16 August).

Stealing focus in the cast are Agathe Bonitzer (nominated for the 2013 Best Newcomer Lumière, previously involved in Blonde Animals and acclaimed last year for Maria Montessori), Nathalie Richard (recently at her best in She Is Conann and On the Edge, to name only two works) Christophe Paou (Stranger By the Lake, Bloody Oranges) and Marc Susini (Pacifiction).

Written by the two filmmakers, the story takes us to the Côte d'Azur, benumbed by winter, where a teenage girl disappears on her birthday. Council worker Géraldine subsequently turns sleuth. No-one saw anything but everyone has something to say about it, and Géraldine struggles to steer clear of the gossip, theories and beliefs doing the rounds. And the unexpected return of her mother doesn’t make things any easier. As everyone knows, small towns are a hotbed for small crimes...

According to producer Emmanuel Chaumet, "Maxime Matray and Alexia Walther are filmmakers who make movies because it’s a brilliant experience and an opportunity for collective creation: the technical crew and actors are all just happy to be working with them, despite limited budgets. Funding complications aren’t a source of frustration for them; on the contrary, they actually help drive freedom and fantasy."

Produced by Emmanuel Chaumet on behalf of Ecce Films (who are also managing world sales), Affection Affection enjoyed support from the Sud region and will be released in French cinemas by UFO Distribution.

For the record, Ecce Films recently oversaw Baise-en-ville by Martin Jauvat and Dandelion’s Odyssey by Momoko Seko (both movies discovered in Cannes’ Critics’ Week, the latter having also triumphed immediately afterwards in Annecy), and are soon to wrap filming on Lila Pinell’s Shana.