Biopic based on the life of Jacques Cousteau.
The 64th San Sebastian Festival (Sept 14-24) is to close with the world premiere of The Odyssey, a film based on the life of Jacques Cousteau, written and directed by Jérôme Salle.
The €35m film looks at the challenging relationship between the underwater exploration pioneer and his son Philippe. The screenplay is based on the books Mon père, le Commandant Jacques-Yves Cousteau, by Jean Michel Cousteau, and Capitaine de la Calypso, by Albert Falco.
Salle is perhaps best known for writing action romance The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, and directing both Cannes 2013 closer Zulu and César-nominated Anthony Zimmer, which starred Sophie Marceau.
The Odyssey stars Lambert Wilson, Pierre Niney and Audrey Tautou in the parts of Cousteau, his son Philippe and his wife, respectively.
Wilson’s, known for performances in Xabier Beauvois’ Of Gods and Men and André Téchiné’s Rendez-vous, will make his second visit to San Sebastian, having attended the Festival in 2007 for the screening of Michael Radford’s Flawless, which also closed the festival.
Niney won the Best Actor César for Yves Saint Laurent in 2014 and stars in François Ozon’s Frantz. Tautou is best known for her performances Amelie, which opened San Sebastian’s Zabaltegi strand in 2001.
The Odyssey is a French-Belgian co-production by Pan Européenne and Fidélité Films, distributed by Wild Bunch.
The film will be screened out of competition on September 24, following the festival closing gala.
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