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PRODUCTION France

Sami Bouajila sets his sights on the Olympics in Good Luck Algeria

by 

- The actor will soon start filming the feature debut by Farid Bentoumi, a Les Films Velvet production, co-produced by Les Films du Fleuve

Sami Bouajila sets his sights on the Olympics in Good Luck Algeria
Actor Sami Bouajila

On 1 December, the shoot will get under way for Good Luck Algeria [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, the feature debut by Farid Bentoumi. The cast includes Sami Bouajila (winner of the Best Actor Award at Cannes in 2006 for Days of Glory [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean Bréhat
interview: Rachid Bouchareb
film profile
]
and the César Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2008 for The Witnesses [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, nominated for the César for Best Actor in 2012 for Omar Killed Me [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), Franck Gastambide (who rose to fame in Les Kaïra [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), Chiara Mastroianni (nominated for the Lumière Award for Best Actress in 2012 for Beloved [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christophe Honoré
film profile
]
, popular recently in 3 Hearts [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benoît Jacquot
film profile
]
) and Hélène Vincent (nominated for the César Award for Best Actress in 2013 for A Few Hours of Spring [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
).

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Written by Farid Bentoumi, Noé Debré (the co-screenwriter on Erran [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Jacques Audiard
film profile
]
, the upcoming film by Jacques Audiard, among others) and Gaëlle Macé (Alyah [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
), the movie (based on a true story – that of the director’s brother) recounts the misadventures of 43-year-old Sam. In order to save his business, which manufactures cross-country skis, he tries taking a rather risky gamble: taking part in the upcoming Olympic Games for his father’s country: Algeria. 

Produced by Frédéric Jouve for Les Films Velvet, Good Luck Algeria is co-produced by Belgian outfit Les Films du Fleuve (Delphine Tomson, and Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne) and by France 3 Cinéma. Having been pre-purchased by Ciné+ and Be TV, the feature is also backed by the CNC’s advance on receipts, Emergence and the La Banque Postale Image Sofica. The eight-week shoot will wrap on 30 January 2015, and will first take place in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Rhône-Alpes regions, before continuing in Morocco and Algeria. Distribution in France will be handled by Ad Vitam, while Films Distribution will take care of international sales.

For the record, Les Films Velvet has produced such titles as Belle épine [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
and Grand Central [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rebecca Zlotowski
film profile
]
by Rebecca Zlotowski, as well as Stéphane Demoustier’s Terre battue [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(revealed in the Critics’ Week at Venice, and due to be released in French theatres on 17 December).

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

(Translated from French)

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