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PRODUCTION France

Les Cow Boys: the shoot is imminent for newly turned director Thomas Bidegain

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- François Damiens toplines the screenwriter’s directorial debut, produced by Les Films du Trésor and sold by Pathé

Les Cow Boys: the shoot is imminent for newly turned director Thomas Bidegain
Screenwriter and director Thomas Bidegain

On 12 November, the first clapperboard will slam for the directorial feature debut by screenwriter Thomas Bidegain, the Franco-Belgian co-production Les Cow Boys. Having won twice at the César Awards (in 2010 for Best Original Writing with A Prophet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jacques Audiard
interview: Jacques Audiard and Tahar R…
film profile
]
, and in 2013 for Best Writing – Adaptation with Rust & Bone [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jacques Audiard
interview: Jacques Audiard
film profile
]
), Bidegain has also contributed to the writing for such films as Loving Without Reason [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile
]
, Saint Laurent [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Bertrand Bonello
film profile
]
, La famille Bélier and Erran [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Jacques Audiard
film profile
]
(the upcoming Jacques Audiard movie, which is currently being shot). For his first venture behind the camera, he has assembled a cast that includes Belgian actor François Damiens (nominated for the César for Best Supporting Actor in 2011 for Heartbreaker [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile
]
and in 2014 for Suzanne [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Katell Quillévéré
film profile
]
, nominated for the Magritte Award for Best Actor in 2014 for Tango libre [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Frédéric Fonteyne
film profile
]
; also popular in such titles as Delicacy [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
and Playing Dead [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
), Finnegan Oldfield (who turned heads in Geronimo [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
and has been filming Bang Gang this summer – read the article), Agathe Dronne (who recently appeared in One of a Kind [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
) and John C Reilly.

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Written by Thomas Bidegain and Noé Debré, the story revolves around Alain, who has two children: 16-year-old Kelly and 13-year-old Kid; the latter was given his nickname in homage to his father’s affinity for country music and the Wild West culture. One day, Kelly disappears, and the family’s lives fall apart. With the help of his son, Alain fights tirelessly to find his daughter, even if it means isolating himself completely. He never finds her, but discovers that she ran away with an Islamist and has devoted her entire life to her husband’s cause. As the years go by, Alain’s quest starts to peter out. Kid is now a grown man. He takes over from his father and reluctantly becomes a modern-day lone cowboy...

Produced by Alain Attal for Les Productions du Trésor, Les Cow Boys is benefitting from co-productions by Belgian outfits Les Films du Fleuve (run by the Dardenne brothers) and Lunanime. Having been pre-purchased by Canal+, Ciné+ and France Télévisions, the feature is also being backed by the CNC’s advance on receipts and by the Cinémage and Cofinova Soficas. The 46-day shoot (which will wrap on 23 January 2015) will take place in the Rhône-Alpes region, Belgium and India. Distribution in France and international sales will be handled by Pathé.

Les Productions du Trésor recently released Jeanne Herry’s Elle l'adore [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(which took 461,000 admissions in five weeks) in theatres and will bring out La prochaine fois, je viserai le coeur [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Cédric Anger (read the review in French) on 12 November. The Paris-based outfit also has Rien de ne sert de courir by Maïwenn (read the article) in post-production.

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(Translated from French)

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