EXCLUSIVE: Film expected to premiere in A-list autumn festival.

Frantz

Paris-based Films Distribution has a secured a slew of deals on François Ozon’s upcoming drama Frantz ahead of an expected premiere at a major autumn festival.

Shot mainly in black-and-white, with a few scenes in colour, the post-First World War drama stars Pierre Niney.

He plays a young Frenchman who meets the fiancé of a dead German soldier killed in battle at his grave in a small German town. The Frenchman’s presence so soon after defeat enflames passions. Upcoming German actress Paula Beer co-stars as the fiancé.

The film has sold to Benelux (September), Argentina (Distribution Company), Greece (Feelgood),UK (Metrodome), Italy (Academy Two), Portugal (Leopardo), Ex-Yugoslavia (MCF Megacom), Turkey (Bir Films), Brazil (California) and Colombia (Cine Colombia) and Korea (Challan).  

“We really didn’t know how the market would respond to a black and white trailer, even though it’s Ozon,” said Films Distribution co-chief Nicolas Brigaud-Robert.

Eric and Nicolas Altmayer at Paris-based Mandarin Cinéma are leading producing the film in co-production with Germany’s X Filme Creative Pool.