17/07/2008

Shooting gets underway on Monday in Ardèche on Nassim Amaouche’s debut feature, Adieu Gary Cooper (“Good-bye Gary Cooper”). The cast includes French and Spanish stars Jean-Pierre Bacri (It Takes All Kinds, Look At Me [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Angela Molina (who will be seen on screens in 2009 in Baaria by Italy’s Giuseppe Tornatore and Pedro Almodóvar’s Broken Embraces).

Lauded at international festivals for his two shorts, including the narrative film De l'autre côté (French Critics’ Discovery Award in 2004 and Cannes screening) and the documentary Quelques miettes pour les oiseaux (prize-winner at the 2006 Arcipelago Festival), which were both presented at the Locarno Film Festival, young director Amaouche (31) wrote the screenplay for Adieu Gary Cooper.

The film traces the story of the last residents of a working-class housing estate, who are attached to the place where they were born. One of the protagonists never knew his father and remains convinced he is the son of Gary Cooper.

Produced by Jean-Philippe Andraca and Christian Bérard for Les Films A4, Adieu Gary Cooper has received co-production backing from StudioCanal and Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, as well as pre-sales from Canal +.

Shooting will last until August 29 in Ardèche, primarily at the Blanche housing estate near the Lafarge cement factory and at Le Teil and Cruas. StudioCanal will handle domestic distribution and international sales.

Loyal partners of Agnès Jaoui, Les Films A4 are also preparing the launch of the director’s latest feature Let It Rain [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (co-written by and co-starring Bacri). The title will be released by StudioCanal on September 17.

(Translated from French)