Bacri prime suspect in Avant l’Aube

by Fabien Lemercier

01/02/2010 - Discovered in the Berlinale Forum in 2005 with Barrage, Raphaël Jacoulot started shooting his second feature, the thriller Avant l’Aube (“Before Dawn”), in the Pyrenees last week.

The cast includes Jean-Pierre Bacri (Goodbye Gary [trailer]), Ludmila Mikaël (soon to be seen in Sweet Evil), Vincent Rottiers (In the Beginning [trailer]) and Sylvie Testud (Lourdes [trailer, film focus]).

Co-written by the director and Lise Macheboeuf, the film is set in a large mountain hotel run by Jacques Couvreur (Bacri), where Frédéric (Rottiers) works. In this hushed atmosphere, an elegant Spanish traveller hires room no.17.

But his disappearance will disrupt the social life of this exclusive hotel. Frédéric suspects the family who employ him, but he protects his boss, who gives him the affection he never had. Soon, he finds himself in danger.

Produced by Dominique Besnehard and Michel Feller for Mon Voisin Productions, Avant l’Aube has received co-production support from France 3 Cinéma and Luxembourg’s Iris Production, pre-sales from Canal + and Ciné Cinéma, backing from the Midi-Pyrenees region, support from FONSPA (National Support Fund for Audiovisual Production/Luxembourg) and an advance on receipts from the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC).

Shooting will take place until February 20 in Gavarnie Cauterets, in the Midi-Pyrénées region, before relocating to Luxembourg in March. UGC Distribution will release the film in France and TF1 International will manage international sales.

(Translated from French)