20/10/2005

End of shooting this week-end on the Ile de Ré for Les Meurtrières, the 6th feature by Patrick Grandperret from an original idea by Maurice Pialat, the director who died in 2003 and was notably winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1987 with Sous le soleil de Satan. Assistant to Maurice Pialat on Passe ton bac d'abord (1979) and Loulou (1980), Patrick Grandperret who directly notably Mona et moi (1989 - Prix Jean Vigo) and L’enfant lion (1993) retraces this time the passionate and perilous misadventures of two young girls interpreted by Céline Sallette and Hande Kodja. Rejected by their parenta, they run off and when they meet, they get on well in the psychiatric hospital from which they soon escape. With no money, they ask for help, in vain, from people they know (friends, ex-boyfriends, neighbours,...). Their encounters become more and more dangerous on the roadside, confronted with abuse which ends in extreme violence. From a screenplay written by the director and by Moreau from a large project unachieved by Maurice Pialat, for which the shooting was interrupted after a few days in 1977 because the principal actress did not suit a director who is as talented as he is intransigent.

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Produced by Sylvie Pialat for Les Films du Worso, Les Meurtrières had a budget of 2 million euros, including An Advance on Receipts of National Film Centre (CNC) of 410 000 euros and aid from Sofica EuropaCorp. Starting on the 5th September , shooting took place entirely at La Rochelle and on the Ile de Ré. Co-producer of the film, StudioCanal holds video and TV rights while Wild Bunch handles international sales. In France, Les Meurtrières will be distributed in the theatres by Pan Européenne.

(Translated from French)