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PRODUCTION France

Paul Verhoeven filming Benedetta

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- The Dutch director is about to wrap the Italian leg of his shoot; Virginie Efira, Daphné Patakia, Charlotte Rampling, Lambert Wilson are among the cast of this SBS production being sold by Pathé

Paul Verhoeven filming Benedetta
Director Paul Verhoeven

After kicking off shrouded in the utmost secrecy in Tuscany in July, the shoot for Benedetta [+see also:
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trailer
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]
(working tittle: Blessed Virgin), the second French-language film by Paul Verhoeven (Basic InstinctFlesh and BloodRobocop, etc), is presently continuing for several more days in Umbria. For the cast, the famous Dutch filmmaker is reuniting with Belgian topliner Virginie Efira (nominated for the César Award and Lumières Award for Best Actress in 2017 for In Bed with Victoria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Justine Triet
film profile
]
, also popular in movies such as Sink or Swim [+see also:
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]
and Up for Love [+see also:
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]
, and set to grace screens soon in An Impossible Love [+see also:
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trailer
film profile
]
 and Keep Going [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile
]
), who played a supporting role in the director’s first French-language effort, Elle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 (which was unveiled in competition at Cannes in 2016, scooped the César Award for Best Film in 2017 and earned Isabelle Huppert a raft of prizes, including the Golden Globe for Best Actress and an Oscar nomination).

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Also among the cast members are Belgian-Greek actress Daphné Patakia (European Film Promotion Shooting Star in 2016, rising to fame in Interruption [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Daphné Patakia
interview: Yorgos Zois
film profile
]
 and giving a great performance in Djam [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
), British star Charlotte Rampling (Silver Bear for Best Actress at Berlin in 2015 and Oscar-nominated in 2016 for 45 Years [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Andrew Haigh
film profile
]
, Volpi Cup for Best Actress at Venice last year for Hannah [+see also:
film review
trailer
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]
, nominated for the César Award for Best Actress in 1986, 2002 and 2004, European Film Award for Best Actress in 2003 and 2015), Lambert Wilson (nominated for the César Award for Best Actor three times, including in 2011 for Of Gods and Men [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Beauvois
film profile
]
, and set to hit the cinema listings soon in Au bout des doigts and The Translators), Hervé Pierre (The Sense of Wonders [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), Clotilde Coureau (In the Shadow of Women [+see also:
film review
trailer
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]
), Olivier Rabourdin (nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2011 for Of Gods and Men), Louise Chevillotte (Lover for a Day [+see also:
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]
) and Lauriane Riquet (The Farewell Case [+see also:
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]
).

The story, written by the director together with David Birke, based on the book Immodest Acts by US author Judith C Brown, is set in the late 15th century. With plague ravaging the land, Benedetta Carlini joins the convent in Pescia, Tuscany, as a novice. Capable from an early age of performing miracles, Benedetta’s impact on life in the community is immediate and momentous. 

Produced by Saïd Ben Saïd and Michel Merkt for SBS ProductionsBenedetta will be distributed in France and is being sold overseas by Pathé. Once filming has wrapped in Italy (where line production duties have been entrusted to Urania Pictures), the shoot will shift to France. 

As a reminder, SBS Productions previously staged Elle and has also produced Aquarius [+see also:
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trailer
film profile
]
by Kleber Mendonça Filho, Carnage [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Roman PolanskiPassion [+see also:
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trailer
making of
film profile
]
 by Brian De PalmaMaps to the Stars [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile
]
 by David Cronenberg, three films by Philippe Garrel (Jealousy [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
In the Shadow of WomenLover for a Day) and A Castle in Italy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
film profile
]
 by Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, among others. The company currently has Synonymes by Israel’s Nadav Lapid and Nighthawk by Brazilian duo Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelle in post-production.

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(Translated from French)

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