Bernadette Lafont becomes a drug dealer in Jérôme Enrico’s Paulette

by Fabien Lemercier

12/01/2012 - This week, shooting started in the Paris area on Jérôme Enrico’s second feature: Paulette. After Oedipus in 2001, the son of film director Robert Enrico is this time embarking on a social comedy centred on some elderly people who turn to drug dealing in order to get themselves out of financial difficulties.

The cast includes seasoned actresses Bernadette Lafont (pictured – recently acclaimed in Skylab [trailer]), Dominique Lavanant and Spain’s Carmen Maura (Service Entrance [trailer]).

Co-scripted by the director with Bianca Olsen, Laurie Aubanel and Cyril Rambour, the film centres on Paulette (Lafont), a rather racist widow at the end of her tether, who lives on a housing estate, amidst drug dealing and petty theft.

One day, during a chase between louts and the police, she comes across a bar of hashish. This character turned horrible by misfortune starts to deal drugs in order to support herself.

The dealing takes off, but the young louts are jealous. She gets attacked and stops her illegal activity. Until the day she invites three friends round for tea. By mistake, she puts some hashish in her cake. The "space cake" takes effect. And now Paulette is back on the road to dealing.

Produced by Ilian Goldman for Légende Films (which has notched up two hits with The Round Up [trailer] - which is being released in Spain tomorrow - and Back to Square One [trailer]), Paulette will be shot in the Paris area until February 25. Gaumont, which is co-producing the film, will release it in French theatres on October 3, 2012 and is expected to handle international sales.

(Translated from French)