The Wallonia Brussels Federation Film Centre is backing Frédéric Fonteyne and Anne Paulicevich’s upcoming film
- In its first session for 2022, the Film Centre has pledged its support to projects including the ambitious historical movie A Man of the World
The Wallonia Brussels Federation Film and Audiovisual Centre has just announced the results of the Film Commission’s first 2022 session, which is supporting 57 new projects, of which 4 are fiction feature films in production.
These include A Man of the World, which is the new film by Frédéric Fonteyne and Anne Paulicevich (Working Girls [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anne Paulicevich and Frédér…
film profile]), based upon the true story of Ranuccio Bandinelli, an antifascist Archaeology and History of Art teacher who sought to steer clear of politics but who found himself appointed, ex-officio, as Hitler and Mussolini’s official guide during their visit to Rome and Florence. A Man of the World is the story of a man who could have become one of the greatest heroes of all time. A man who is believed to have had the opportunity to rid the world of Hitler and Mussolini in one fell swoop… The filmmakers are continuing their collaboration with Jacques-Henri Bronckart, who also produced Working Girls, on behalf of Versus Productions. The movie is co-produced by Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima and Carlotta Calori on behalf of Indigo Films (Italy) and by Nicole Gerhards for Niko Film (Germany).
Olivier Meys is likewise set for support in the production phase as he returns with his second feature film after the highly acclaimed Bitter Flowers [+see also:
film review
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interview: Olivier Meys
film profile]. In La vie devant nous, he follows Jahia, a young Eritrean who lives in an asylum seekers’ centre in Belgium. One day, she meets a young Moldavan woman called Nèta and gets caught in the whirlwind of her crazy energy. Unfortunately, Nèta’s family are ordered to leave the country and she suddenly falls victim to Resignation syndrome, drifting into a deep sleep. La vie devant nous is produced by Michigan Films (Belgium) in co-production with Kidam Films (France).
The Commission is also awarding aid in the production phase to filmmaker Jawad Rhalib who is making his return to fiction after dedicating himself to the documentary form in recent years (notably via Fadma: Even Ants Have Wings [+see also:
film review
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film profile] and When Arabs Danced [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and is currently preparing Amal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jawad Rhalib
film profile], produced by Scope Pictures. Last but not least, in league with Wallimage (read our news), the Commission is backing The Other Laurens [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Claude Schmitz
film profile] by Claude Schmitz, who just nabbed an award at FID Marseille for his previous film Lucie Loses Her Horse [+see also:
film review
interview: Claude Schmitz
film profile]. This movie is produced by Wrong Men (Belgium) and Chevaldeuxtrois (France).
In terms of films in the development phase, the Commission is wagering on the expert genre cinema duo composed of Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani (The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears [+see also:
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film profile], Let the Corpses Tan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
film profile]), who are receiving support for their work on Darling, which tells the story of a young painter tracking down his aggressor in 1960s New York, and which is produced by Gapbusters. It’s also throwing its weight behind Laurent Micheli’s (Lola [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurent Micheli
film profile]) adaptation of Simon and Capucine Johannin’s shock novel Nino dans la nuit which is produced by Wrong Men, as well as backing three second feature films: Wind & Walls by Samuel Tilman (The Benefit of the Doubt [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Samuel Tilman
film profile]), overseen by Eklektik Productions; Krieg by Delphine Noels (Post-partum [+see also:
trailer
interview: Delphine Noels
film profile]), carried by Frakas Productions, and Vigilante by Olivier Pairoux (SpaceBoy [+see also:
film review
interview: Olivier Pairoux
film profile]), produced by Kwassa Films.
Three first films are likewise receiving support in the development phase: L’Âge mûr by Jean-Benoît Ugeux (Wrong Men), L’Eveil de la Mangouste dorée by Fanny Desmares (Panique) and Brûleurs by Barney Frydman (Take Five).
Memorable works awarded writing aids, meanwhile, include new projects by Géraldine Doignon (Un homme à la mer [+see also:
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film profile]), Vanja d’Alcantara (Kokoro [+see also:
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trailer
film profile]) and Marc-Henri Wajnberg (I Am Chance [+see also:
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interview: Marc-Henri Wajnberg
film profile]), while foreign co-production subsidies have gone to new films by Bruno Dumont (co-produced in Belgium by Novak Prod) and Emmanuel Finkiel (co-produced in Belgium by Tarantula).
(Translated from French)
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