Karin Viard could become Lulu, femme nue

by Fabien Lemercier

05/07/2012 - Solveig Anspach (Stormy Weather [trailer] at the Certain Regard in Cannes in 2003 and Queen of Montreuil to be released in France in January 2013) might choose Karin Viard (photo) to star in Lulu, femme nue (lit. “Lulu, naked woman”), a comic book adaptation to be her fifth fiction feature film. The director and actress have only ever worked together before on Battle Cries, for which the latter won a Cesar for Best Actress in 2000. Viard was also nominated two other times for a Cesar for best actress (in 2005 and in 2012 for Polisse [trailer, film focus]) and several times for a Cesar for best supporting actress in 1998, 2003, 2009, and 2011. Lulu, femme nue is also to feature Belgian actor Bouli Lanners, Corinne Masiero (Louise Wimmer [trailer], Rust & Bone [trailer, film focus]), cult actress Claude Gensac (who has often appeared as Louis de Funès’ wife onscreen), Pascal Demolon (Radiostars [trailer]), and Philippe Rebbot.

The director and Jean-Luc Gaget have adapted the first and second tomes of the comic book Lulu, femme nue by Etienne Davodeau for the film's screenplay. After a job interview that doesn’t go well, Lulu drops everything and hits the road leaving her husband and three children behind. But being a adventuress is not so easy. Our discreet heroine’s journey will be marked by three important encounters: with an ex-convict protected by his brothers, with an old lady bored to death, and with an employee who is harassed by her boss. The surprise of love, the comfort of other women's support, and ill-placed compassion will be the three movements in her journey. They will all help her to get back in touch with an old, forgotten friend: herself.

Produced by Caroline Roussel for Arturo Mio (selected for the 2010 Berlinale in the Generation section with Sister Welsh’s Nights), the film project Lulu, femme nue already counts on the partnership of Le Pacte for its distribution, Sofica Cinémage, and the Pays de la Loire region, and is currently looking for additional funding for shooting to kick off this autumn.

(Translated from French)