31/05/2005

Filming on Claude Chabrol's 51st feature film began three days ago in Paris and will last for nine weeks, with a cast of Isabelle Huppert who plays a judge, Frangois Berliand, Patrick Bruel and Maryline Canto. Wrapped in a cloak of secrecy, the project is already looking for a new title since the one chosen by the filmmaker (La comidie du pouvoir) is unavailable since it is the title of a published novel. The director, who turns 75 on-set on the 24th of June, re-finds his favourite actress Isabelle Huppert with whom he has made six films to date: Violette Noziere (1978), Une affaire de femmes (1988), Madame Bovary (1991), La Cérémonie (1995), Rien ne va plus (1997) and Merci pour le chocolat (2000). A fruitful collaboration that brought her an acting award at Cannes in 1978, a Cesar for best actress in 1996 and two Volpi Cups at Venice in 1988 and 1995.

Produced, as was his previous work (La Demoiselle d’honneur), by Patrick Godeau for Alicéléo, Claude Chabrol's new film, which has a working title of Une affaire d'Etat, will be distributed in France by Pan Européenne Distribution for an eventual outing on the 21st December 2005. As for international sales by Wild Bunch, the Cannes Market proved a dynamic occasion for European pre-sales to Belgium (Elysée), Switzerland (Frenetic), Italy (BIM), Germany (Concorde) and Spain (Wanda).

(Translated from French)