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PRODUCTION / FUNDING France / Germany

Noémie Lvovsky rises to the challenge of The Great Magic

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- Denis Podalydès, Judith Chemla, Sergi López, François Morel, Damien Bonnard and Rebecca Marder star in the cast of this musical steered by Atelier de Production and sold by Indie Sales

Noémie Lvovsky rises to the challenge of The Great Magic
Actress-director Noémie Lvovsky, actor Denis Podalydès and actress Judith Chemla (© Georges Biard)

Having kicked off on 7 June, the musical The Great Magic [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
has entered the home straight of its 38-day film shoot. This will be the 7th feature film directed by Noémie Lvovsky after Life Doesn’t Scare Me (in competition in Locarno in 1999 and the winner of the Jean Vigo Prize), Feelings (in competition in Venice in 2003 and awarded the Louis-Delluc Prize) and Camille Rewinds [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(selected for the Directors’ Fortnight in 2012 and bagging itself 13 nominations at the 2013 Césars, notably for Best Film), to name just a few of her works.

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The lead roles are played by Denis Podalydès (recently well-received in Cannes in Anais in Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet
film profile
]
, Deception [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arnaud Desplechin
film profile
]
and Bloody Oranges [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean-Christophe Meurisse
film profile
]
), Judith Chemla (at her best on the Croisette in La Traviata, My Brothers and I [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
) and Spaniard Sergi López (nominated for this year’s Best Supporting Actor Goya by way of Rosa’s Wedding [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
).

Likewise in on the act, we find Noémie Lvovsky herself (nominated for this year’s Best Supporting Actress César via How To Be A Good Wife [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anamaria Vartolomei
film profile
]
), François Morel (The Speech [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
), Damien Bonnard (very impressive in The Restless [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile
]
, screened in Cannes), Rebecca Marder, Jean-Luc Bideau, Anne Benoît, Anne Rotger, Armelle, Micha Lescot, Laurent Poitrenaux, Arthur Teboul and Paolo Mattei.

Loosely adapted from Eduardo de Filippo’s play La grande magia by Noémie Lvovsky, Florence Seyvos and Maud Ameline (the trio nominated for 2013’s Best Screenplay César courtesy of Camille Rewinds), the story plunges the audience into the 1920s. Charles and Marta are holidaying in a beautiful, seaside hotel, but their relationship is running out of steam. While dining in the hotel, a somewhat phony magician named Albert makes Marta disappear. Charles grows impatient and asks for his wife back, at which point the magician hands him a box, telling him that Marta is inside it, but that he should only open it if he has full faith in her, otherwise she might disappear forever...

Produced by Thomas and Mathieu Verhaeghe on behalf of Atelier de Production, The Great Magic is co-produced by Arte France Cinéma and Les Films du Poisson, alongside German firms NiKo Film and BR. Pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+, the feature film also benefits from the French-German co-production mini-treaty and the CNC’s fund for genre film production, as well as enjoying support from the Île-de-France and Brittany regions, and the SOFICA companies Cofinova, Cinémage, Cineventure and Cineaxe. Distribution in France will be managed by Ad Vitam, with international sales steered by Indie Sales.

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(Translated from French)

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