07/01/2015 - Lou de Laâge, Vincent Macaigne, Agata Buzek and Agata Kulezsza star in this Mandarin Cinéma production set to be sold by Films Distribution

According to Cineuropa's sources, the shoot for Agnus Dei [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lou de Laâge
film profile], the 14^th feature film by Anne Fontaine, will get under way in Poland on 13 January. The cast of the film, a co-production involving France, Poland and Belgium, will boast rising French stars Lou de Laâge (nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actress in 2014 for Jappeloup [+see also:
trailer
interview: Lou de Laâge
film profile], putting on a fine performance recently in Breathe [+see also:
trailer
interview: Lou de Laâge
film profile], and set to be seen on screens this year in Le tournoi and L'attesa) and Vincent Macaigne (nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actor in 2014 for The Rendez-Vous of Déjà-Vu [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and popular in such titles as Tonnerre [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guillaume Brac
film profile] and Eden [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Charles Gillibert
interview: Mia Hansen-Løve
film profile]), as well as Polish stars Agata Buzek (winner of the Eagle for Best Actress in 2010 for The Reverse [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agata Buzek - actress
interview: Borys Lankosz
film profile]) and Agata Kulesza (who has been raking in the awards for her role as Wanda in Ida [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
film profile]).

Written by Sabrina B Karine, Alice Vial, Anne Fontaine and Pascal Bonitzer, the story revolves around Mathilde Beaulieu, a young doctor sent to the German-Polish border by the French Red Cross so that she can ensure that French casualties and prisoners are repatriated. Her life and beliefs are turned upside down when she discovers that several of the sisters at the convent next to the hospital where she works are heavily pregnant.

After having risen to fame at the Cannes Critics' Week in 1993 with Les histoires d'amour finissent mal... en général, Anne Fontaine has been selected on the Croisette a further two times (Augustin in Un Certain Regard in 1995 and Oh la la! [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] out of competition in 2006). She has also been in competition at Venice (Dry Cleaning, Best Screenplay Award in 1997), Locarno (How I Killed My Father [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in 2001) and San Sebastián (In His Hands [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in 2005). Other highlights in her filmography are Coco Before Chanel [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2009), Two Mothers [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2013) and Gemma Bovery [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2014).

Produced by Eric and Nicolas Altmayer for Mandarin Cinéma (which has the recent titles Saint Laurent [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Bertrand Bonello
film profile] and The New Girlfriend [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: François Ozon
film profile] to its credit), Agnus Dei is co-produced by Polish outfit Aeroplan Film, Mars Films (which will be distributing the film in French theatres), France 2 Cinéma and Belgian company Scope Pictures. Having also been pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+, the feature is being backed by Eurimages and the Polish Film Institute. As previously reported, the screenplay received support from the Torino Film Lab and Le Groupe Ouest. The entirety of the shoot will take place in Poland and will continue until 2 March, with Caroline Champetier (winner of the 2011 César Award in her respective category for Of Gods and Men [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Beauvois
film profile] and nominated in 2013 for Holy Motors [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leos Carax
film profile]) serving as DoP. International sales will be handled by Films Distribution.

(Translated from French)