04/09/2006

Principal photography kicks off today on Dans la vie (lit. “In Life”), the new feature by Philippe Faucon. Faucon’s previous film, The Betrayal [+see also:
trailer
film profile], was selected at the Toronto and Rotterdam festivals.

Faithful to his favourite themes, the director (winner of the Perspectives du cinéma français award at Cannes in 1990 with his debut feature L'Amour) will once again tackle the subject of encounters between communities filled with passion and prejudice, racism and hate even, and the way in which these conflicts can gradually be resolved.

Penned by the director, the story follows the developing relationship between Sélima, a young nurse of Algerian origin, and Esther, an old Jewish woman from Oran, paralysed from the waist down, who is taken up with memories of the Algeria of her youth.

Despite the fears of Esther’s son, the two women hit it off to such a point that Halima, Sélima’s mother, agrees to look after the cranky old woman full-time. This experience puts their mutual prejudice to the test, before transforming it into reciprocal interest, not without provoking, however, disparagement from the Muslim neighbours.

Produced by Istiqlal Films, the director’s company, Dans la vie received an advance on receipts of €420,000 from the Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC ), €130,000 in funding from the Paca (Provence – Alpes - Côte d’Azur) region, €100,000 from the Franche-Comté region and pre-sales and co-production financing from Arte France Cinéma.

The five-week shoot, which continues through October 13, will spend two weeks in Toulon and three weeks in Besançon. Pyramide will handle the film’s French distribution as well as international sales.

(Translated from French)