‘Magnetic Beats’ Director Sets Crime Thriller ‘De Grace’ for Mediawan Banner, Arte France (EXCLUSIVE)
Vincent Maël Cardona, whose 2021 pic “Magnetic Beats” won a prize at Cannes’ Directors Fortnight and a Cesar Award for best first film, is set to direct “De Grâce,” a sprawling crime thriller unfolding in the northern French port city of Le Havre.
The series is being co-produced and commissioned by Arte France (“En thérapie,” “Real Humans”), and is produced by Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin (“Two of Us,” “The Velvet Queen”) and Vincent Mouluquet at Ego Productions, a Mediawan company. Belgium’s Savage Films is co-producing. Mediawan Rights is representing the show in international markets.
Set to start shooting on location in Le Havre on Aug. 8, “De Grâce” features a strong ensemble cast including Olivier Gourmet (“The Minister”), Margot Bancilhon (“Five”), Panayotis Pascot (“Mon chien stupide”), Pierre Lottin (“Notre-Dame on Fire”), Astrid Whettnall (“Baron noir”), Philippe Rebbot.(“L’amour flou”) and French rapper Gringe.
“De Grâce,” penned by Maxime Crupaux (“Cherif”) and Baptiste Fillon, tells the story of Pierre Leprieur (Gourmet), a native of Le Havre who has become a well-known political figure highly respected within the local community of dockers. One night, as he’s celebrating his 60th birthday with close friends, his oldest son is arrested while driving a car he borrowed from his brother with one kilogram of cocaine on board. After asking his daughter, a criminal attorney, to take on the case, Pierre embarks on a journey to find those who are responsible for what happened to his sons, convinced that he is target of a conspiracy. His quest, however, leads him on a downward path exposing dark family secrets.
“This is a very ambitious project which will be directed by one of the most talented filmmakers of his generation and it will be both a crime thriller and family drama with some noir elements,” said Fleurantin, whose production credits include the award-winning drama series “Zone Blanche,” as well as Filippo Meneghetti’s “Two of Us” which won the Cesar Award for best first film in 2021 and “The Velvet Queen” which won this year’s Cesar Award for best documentary. Fleurantin is also the co-founder of Les Arcs European Film Festival.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
