19/09/2008

Shooting kicks off on Monday, September 22 in the Paris area on Denis Dercourt’s fourth feature Loin des balles (“Far From the Gunshots”), which delves into the astonishing world of the reconstruction of major historical battles.

After the female duo at the centre of The Page Turner [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Denis Dercourt
interview: Michel Saint-Jean
film profile] – which was unveiled at Cannes 2006 and enjoyed remarkable success in France (735,000 admissions) and abroad – the director this time focuses on two male protagonists, played by Belgian actor Jérémie Rénier (currently on screens in Lorna’s Silence [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arta Dobroshi
interview: Arta Dobroshi
interview: Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne
interview: Olivier Bronckart
film profile]) and France’s Vincent Perez (Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train).

Co-written by the filmmaker and Jacques Sotty (who co-wrote The Page Turner), Loin des balles explores the relationship between two brothers. In response to the insistent demands of his cancer-stricken mother, a piano teacher (Perez) tries to cure his younger brother (Rénier) of his strange obsession with historical – and in particular Napoleonic – battles.

The older, “model” brother discovers this mysterious passion for which Dercourt has called on battle reconstruction specialists (in particular those in Boulogne-sur-Mer).

The film will be lensed by Rémy Chevrin (Love Songs [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]).

Produced by Michel Saint-Jean for Diaphana Films (who also produced The Page Turner), Loin des balles has a budget of around €5.5m. This includes co-production backing from France 3 Cinéma and a €480,000 advance on receipts from the National Film Centre (CNC).

The nine-week shoot will wrap up in November and the film will be released theatrically by Diaphana in the second half of 2009. International sales are being handled by Films Distribution.

(Translated from French)