Nous York: Nakache and Bekhti’s American dream

by Fabien Lemercier

14/11/2011 - Last Friday, shooting wrapped in New York on directorial duo Géraldine Nakache and Hervé Mimran’s second feature: Nous York. After a successful debut with All That Glitters [trailer] (1.4m admissions in France in 2010 and three nominations for the 2011 César Awards), the filmmakers are continuing in the same vein with a film starring Leïla Bekhti (pictured - discovered in A Prophet, Best Female Newcomer César for All That Glitters [trailer], currently on screens in The Source [trailer] and set to be seen as of January in A Better Life [trailer, film focus]) and Nakache herself. The rest of the cast includes US actress Sienna Miller (currently enjoying a fling with French cinema, for she recently filmed Rachid Bouchareb’s Just Like A Woman), Manu Payet, Nader Boussandel, Marthe Villalonga and Baptiste Lecaplain.

Scripted by Nakache and Mimran, Nous York centres on three French childhood friends who arrive in New York to celebrate the birthday of Samia (Bekhti), who lives in a magnificent loft apartment. Also in on the surprise is Gabrielle (Nakache) who also lives in New York, but isn’t as successful as Samia. Miller will play the role of a famous film star who rents out her Manhattan apartment to the French friends.

Produced by Aïssa Djabri and Farid Lahouassa for Vertigo Productions, Nous York was shot over nine weeks (including eight in New York). Its €10.9m budget includes co-production support from M6 Films and Pathé, and pre-acquisitions from Canal +, Ciné+ and W9. Pathé will release the film in France (on November 7, 2012) and handle international sales.

Vertigo’s slate also includes, in post-production, Thomas Gilou’s comedy Would I Lie To You? 3, which Mars Distribution will release on February 1, 2012.

(Translated from French)