‘One Fine Morning’ Producer Les Films Pelleas Sets Next Project by Guillaume Senez, Guillaume Brac, Anne-Sophie Bailly (EXCLUSIVE)

Les Films Pelleas, the Paris-based banner behind Mia Hansen-Love’s “One Fine Morning” (pictured), is set to produce Guillaume Senez (“Our Struggles”)’s and Guillaume Brac’s next projects, as well as the feature debut of Anne-Sophie Bailly whose short “The Midwife” is currently playing at Telluride. The Paris-based banner’s roster of completed roster includes Karim Moussaoui’s “L’Effacement,” and Annie Ernaux’s documentary “Les annes Super-8.”

“Mona” revolves around around a woman in her 60’s who raised alone her disabled son and is at a point in her life where she aspires to start caring for herself. But when her son is unexpectedly having a baby, Mona finds herself with another heavy responsibility to bear.

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David Thion, producer at Les Films Pelleas, said the film is timely and based on things Bailly observed. “It’s a beautiful and emotional story about a single mother caring for her son,” said the Paris-based producer who is now at Telluride to present “One Fine Morning,” the sole French title of the official selection. Filming is expected to begin next Spring. Bailly is a graduate of France’s prestigious film school La Femis.

“Une part manquante,” meanwhile, marks Senez’s follow up to “Nos Batailles” which earned its star Romain Duris a Cesar nomination. The helmer’s next project is set in Japan and tells the story of a renown French chef who divorces his Japanese wife in Tokyo and loses all custody rights of his three-year daughter. Finding himself cut off from his child’s life, he decides to abandon his job and becomes a taxi driver, hoping he will find his daughter and her mother while driving across the city.

Thion said Senez was inspired to write this story after visiting Japan and learning that under the local family law, shared custody is never granted and in case of a mixte couple, the Japanese parent always gets custody of children.

“Like ‘Our Struggles,’ ‘Une part manquante’ will be a highly emotional film mining fatherhood and filiation bonds,” said the producer, adding that Duris will likely play the lead role of the movie.

Co-written by Jean Denizot (“The Churchmen”), “Une part manquante” is co-produced by Versus in Belgium and will start shooting next year. Be For Films is handling international sales. Haut et Court will distribute the film in French theaters.

Brac’s project, co-written by Catherine Paillé is a coming-of-age tale taking place during a school trip in France’s countryside.

Moussaoui’s next film, “L’Effacement” is co-written by Maud Ameline, based on Samir Toumi’s novel.
The film charts the journey of a young Algerian man from an upper class family who becomes increasingly alienated by his authoritative father and implodes. “It’s a story shedding light on a young generation caught between founding myths, social injunctions and personal desires, and it’s also a film about a failed transmission between generations,” said Thion, who described it as an “Algerian Taxi Driver.” Co-produced by Niko Film in Germany, the film will come out during the first semester of 2023 and is being handlied by MK2 Films. Ad Vitam, which released Moussaoui’s previous film, “Waiting For Swallows,” will release the film in France.

The company is also working on the next films by Justine Triet (“Anatomie d’une chute”) which wrapped shooting in May and is repped by MK2 Films; Katell Quillevéré’s “Le temps d’aimer” (co-produced by Les Films du Belier) which wrapped in July and is being sold by Charades; and is developing Charline Bourgeois-Taquet’s follow up to “Anais in Love.” Speaking of Bourgois-Taquet’s project, Thion said the film will be about “a woman who is trying to live happily in a world that is unwell.”

The banner’s roster of upcoming releases include “One Fine Morning,” which comes out on Oct. 5, Christophe Honore’s “Le lyceen” on Nov. 23, and Ernaux’s documentary on Dec. 14.

“The DNA of Les Films Pelleas is to work closely with auteurs who become renown filmmakers and discover emerging talents,” said Thion. “It’s very difficult for auteur cinema right now as there are less financing sources but we’re continuing to support filmmakers who have singular projects that must be made,” he continued.

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