08/03/2012 - After Les Enfants de Timpelbach, French director Nicolas Bary is currently shooting a new adaptation, The Scapegoat, based on Daniel Pennac’s novel

Like its predecessor, The Scapegoat requires elaborate sets and is being set up as a co-production between France and Luxembourg. The companies involved are Chapter 2 and Pathé Films, both from France and Luxembourg outfit Bidibul Productions.

The film has a comfortable €12m budget, of which €3.5m comes from Bidibul and the Luxembourg Film Fund.

The film stars double Palme d’Or-winning director and occasional actor Emir Kusturica (L' affaire farewell [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and recent Oscar nominee and César winner Bérénice Bejo (pictured) (The Artist [+see also:
film review
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interview: Michel Hazanavicius
film profile]) who had to be on set in Luxembourg just days after the Oscar ceremony she attended with her Oscar-winning husband, the film's director Michel Hazanavicius.

The film is based on the first novel of a series by Pennac that recount the story of Benjamin, a professional scapegoat who works in a department store and the eldest of several siblings.

His girlfriend, whose name is unknown but who’s referred to as Aunt Julia, accompanies him on his adventures as he has to try and prove that he’s not responsible for a series of bombings.

Besides Bejo and Kusturica, the film also stars Raphaël Personnaz (The Princess of Montpensier [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and almost 50 others in speaking roles. Over a hundred extras are also part of the large-scale project, which is currently shooting in studios in Contern in the Grand Duchy.

The shoot of the second feature of Bary, who's only 32, will continue through the end of March and total 11 weeks between Luxembourg and Paris.