Why Not Productions active on all fronts

by Fabien Lemercier

06/10/2010 - While Xavier Beauvois’s Of Gods and Men [trailer, film focus] continues to occupy the top spot at the box office (1.72m admissions in 26 days), another title from Why Not Productions is hitting screens today: Gregg Araki’s Kaboom [trailer].

Unveiled out of competition at the latest Cannes Film Festival, the film was co-produced by Wild Bunch, who are handling distribution. This third collaboration between Why Not and the highly original US director marks another master-stroke for the Paris-based production company whose international reputation continues to grow.

Having produced works by Jacques Audiard, Arnaud Desplechin, Christophe Honoré, Antony Cordier (Happy Few [trailer], currently on screens), Claire Denis, Bruno Podalydès and Jean-François Richet, among others, Why Not Productions is opening up more and more to European cinema. After producing UK director Ken Loach’s latest two features (Looking for Eric [trailer, film focus], Route Irish [trailer]), the company headed by Pascal Caucheteux and Grégoire Sorlat is currently involved in co-producing German filmmaker Ulrich Köhler’s La Maladie du Sommeil (“The Sleep Disease”), as it did for Czech director Bohdan Slama’s Country Teacher [trailer, film focus] and collective Romanian film Tales From the Golden Age [trailer].

Why Not is also making a name for itself as a distributor. After launching, in association with Bac Films, Christian Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days [trailer, film focus] in 2007, the company will independently release Everyone Else [trailer, film focus] by Germany’s Maren Ade (Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress at the Berlinale 2009 – to be released in France on December 8) and If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle [trailer] by Romania’s Florin Serban (Silver Bear at the Berlinale 2010).

Among Why Not’s forthcoming productions, highlights include Chinese director Lou Ye’s Bitch, starring Tahar Rahim (in post-production, co-produced by Les Films du Lendemain); and in preparation Christophe Honoré’s Biens-Aimés (“Beloved”), featuring Catherine Deneuve and Louis Garrel; and Arnaud Desplechin’s Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.

This Wednesday’s new releases also include another title presented at Cannes, directed by a North American and produced by Europe: Woody Allen’s You Will Meet A Tall, Dark Stranger [trailer] (produced by Spain’s Mediapro – distributed by Warner France).

For its part, Bac Films is releasing Caged by France’s Yann Gozlan, while Gaumont is hoping for success with Fair is Fair by fellow French director Isabelle Mergault (see news).

Also hitting screens are Forever Waiting by Spain’s Francisco Avizanda (distribution: Hévadis Films); Red Like the Sky by Italy’s Cristiano Bortone (Les Films du Préau); Mariana Otero’s documentary Into Our Own Hands (Diaphana Distribution); and US animated blockbuster Despicable Me, which was co-directed by France’s Pyer Coffin, made by special effects studio Mac Guff Ligne and was one of the first projects approved by the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC) for the international tax credit.

(Translated from French)