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PRODUCTION Belgium

Laurent Micheli readying Lola vers la mer, starring Benoît Magimel and Mya Bollaers

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- The filmmaker (Even Lovers Get the Blues) will roll cameras on his feature film, produced by Wrong Men, as of the beginning of September

Laurent Micheli readying Lola vers la mer, starring Benoît Magimel and Mya Bollaers
Director Laurent Micheli (© Marie Augustin/Emergence)

Three years on from the release of his auto-produced film Even Lovers Get the Blues [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, made with a team of young actors, Laurent Micheli is gearing up to commence filming on Lola [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurent Micheli
film profile
]
, with the young newcomer Mya Bollaers playing a leading role and pitting herself against the well-seasoned French actor, Benoît Magimel.

The film follows Lola, a young, 18-year-old transgender girl, who learns that she is finally going to get her operation, just as her mother, who was supposed to be supporting her financially, passes away. In respect of her last wishes, Lola and her father, who haven’t seen each other for two years and who are polar opposites in every way, find themselves on a grudging journey to the Belgian coast. As the trip progresses, however, it becomes apparent that the outcome of their journey isn’t entirely the one they expected… 

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In his quest to find the actress best suited to play the role of Lola, the director organised a huge number of castings in Francophone countries all around the world. He eventually found the Belgian transgender actress, Mya Bollaers - a highly significant choice at this particular point in time, where many in Hollywood are expressing frustration at the systematic casting of cisgender actors in transgender roles. Sharing centre stage with Bollaers will be French actor Benoît Magimel, who recently starred in Memoir of Pain [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Finkiel
film profile
]
 by Emmanuel Finkiel, as well as in the Netflix series, Marseille, and who will soon appear in two new works: White as Snow [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Anne Fontaine and Nous finirons ensemble [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Guillaume Canet. Filming for Lola is scheduled to last 8 weeks, taking place between Brussels and the Belgian coast as of the beginning of September. 

Lola is produced by Benoit Roland for the Belgian firm Wrong Men, who previously gave us The Faithful Son [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guérin Van de Vorst
film profile
]
, Blind Spot [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nabil Ben Yadir
film profile
]
, Parasol [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 and Prejudice [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antoine Cuypers
film profile
]
, and is co-produced by 10:15 Productions in France, and by Lunanime in Belgium. International sales and distribution in France will be taken in hand by Les Films du Losange, while Lumière will manage distribution in the Benelux Union.

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(Translated from French)

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