Kaurismäki sells Three Wise Men in France
by Annika Pham
Three Wise Men [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the new intimate drama by Mika Kaurismäki that screened in Toronto’s Contemporary World Cinema section, has been acquired for French theatrical distribution by Epicentre.
The deal was negotiated by Paris-based sales company Wide Management, which has a multi-picture deal with Kaurismäki’s production house Marianna Films.
The low-budget film tells the story of a police inspector, a photographer and an actor, all aged 51, who meet by chance on Christmas Eve in Helsinki and spend the night together in a karaoke bar. The night takes a dramatic turn when a mysterious woman enters the bar.
The film was shot as an experimental piece inspired by John Cassavetes and stars Kari Heiskanen, Pertti Sveholm, Timo Torikka, Irina Björklund and Tommi Eronen.
Three Wise Men was produced by Marianna Films with co-financing from YLE and the Finnish Film Foundation, which recently gave €100,000 in production support. The domestic release through FS Film Oy is set for November 14.
The older brother of Aki, Kaurismäki is currently working on his next feature film, The House of Branching Love. The €1.3m film, which just finished shooting at the end of August, is the story family therapist Juhani Helin (35) and business trainer Tuula Helin (34), who decide to divorce in a civilized manner. But when a Pandora’s box of their marriage flies open, it releases the plagues of love and hate. The delivery date is set for February 2009.
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