Variety Celebrates French Cinema at Pre-Cannes Dinner at Laperouse

A few days before the start of the Cannes Film Festival, Variety gathered top French producers, distributors and talent, including Dominik Moll, Elodie Bouchez, Justine Triet and Coralie Fargeat at an intimate dinner hosted at the glamorous landmark restaurant Laperouse.

Bouchez, who recently starred in “Beating Hearts,” will be presenting two films at Cannes’ Directors Fortnight, “Enzo,” directed by Robin Campillo and late filmmaker Laurent Cantet, as well as “Classe Moyenne” by Anthony Cordier. The actor was sitting besides Oscar-nominated producer Marie Ange Luciani (“Anatomy of a Fall”) who produced “Enzo” as well as Laura Wandel’s “Adam’s Sake” which will open Critics’ Week; and Alexandra Henochsberg, president of Ad Vitam, which will distribute seven films from the Official Selection in France, including “The Secret Agent” by Kleber Mendonça Filho; “Romeria” by Carla Simón; “La Petite Dernière” by Hafsia Herzi; “Vie Privée,” starring Jodie Foster and directed by Rebecca Zlotowski; and “Enzo,” among others.

Moll, the Cesar-winning director of “The Night of the 12th” who will present his thriller “Dossier 137” in competition, was also there, alongside his producers Caroline Benjo and Carole Scotta at Haut et Court.

Also there was Alexandre Mallet Guy from Memento Distribution, which will release in France three films competing, Tarik Saleh’s “Les Aigles de la République,” Jafar Panahi’s film “A Simple Accident” and Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” as well as “Adam’s Sake” at Critics Week.

Amelie Bonnin, who will present her first film, “Leaving One Day,” on opening night of the Cannes Film Festival, sat alongside her producer Sylvie Pialat at Les Films du Worso, and Ardavan Safaee, president of Pathé, which will distribute the film in France and handles international sales. Pathé will also have Martin Bourboulon’s thriller “13 Days, 13 Nights” playing out of competition at the festival.

Nathanael and Elisha Karmitz, along with Fionnuala Jamison from MK2, also attended the dinner. The company has a record six films in competition, including the films by Trier, Mendonça Filho, Simon, Herzi, Panhai and Mascha Schilinski’s “Sound of Falling.”

French producer Charles Gillibert, whose film “Resurrection” directed by Chinese director Bi Gan was just added to the competition, was also at the Variety dinner. In addition to “Resurrection,” he will present Kristen Stewart’s first film, “Chronology of Water,” at Un Certain Regard, Kirill Serebrenikov’s “The Disappearance of Josef Mengele” at Cannes Premiere and Nadav Lapid’s “Yes” in the Quinzaine.

Melita Toscan du Plantier, the head of the Marrakech Film Festival who produced the film “Homebound” by Indian director Neeraj Ghaywan which will play at Un Certain Regard (and is executive produced by Martin Scorsese); and producer Julie Billy, who will present Herzi’s film in competition were also among the guests.

Eric and Nicolas Altmayer, and Jean Rachid Kallouche, who produced “Alpha,” Julia Ducournau’s anticipated follow up to Palme d’Or winning “Titane” which will play in competition, were there with Matthieu Derrien, a manager-publicist who is working with Kallouche and “Alpha” star Tahar Rahim. Renown entertainment lawyer Elsa Huisman also attended the dinner with Palme d’Or-winning director Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”) whom she is representing. Cannes alumn Fargeat, whose bold Demi Moore film “The Substance” earned six Oscar nominations and broke B.O. ground for a body horror film (grossing over $17 million in North America and more than $83 million worldwide), also turned up at the dinner.  

Owned by Benjamin Patou and Antoine Arnault, Laperouse first opened its doors in 1766 and became a favorite refuge for the Parisian intelligentsia, including philosophers, novelists, artists and eventually filmmakers who would flock the numerous salons lushly decorated with red velvet, filled with paintings, ornate moldings and crystal chandeliers. Patou pointed out Laperouse, which which was tastefully revamped a few years ago by Dior Maison head Cordelia de Castellane, was even mentioned by Marcel Proust in his iconic novel “In Search of Lost Time,” and served as a backdrop in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.”