Newly launched French saleshouse Rezo International has picked up international rights to new pictures byFrench veteran Eric Rohmer and The World According To Bush directorWilliam Karel.

Rohmer aims to shoot TheRomance Of Astrea And Celadon at the end of 2005 and complete it in timefor Venice 2006. The film is adapted from a baroque period novel by Honored'Urfe and tells the tale of young love and jealousy between a highly idealisedcouple of shepherds. Rohmer has begun a search to cast two model-beautifulactors - possibly unknowns - as the pair.

"This is the film thatRohmer never dared to make. It will be highly stylised, very pure and idyllicand very sexy. We are already getting strong interest from most of thedistributors we worked with on Triple Agents," said Cecile Gaget, Rezo's headof international sales.

The film will be budgeted atEuros 4.5m and set up as an international co-production, with Rezo's pre-salescontributing to the production financing mix. Sister company, Rezo Films hasalready committed to French rights.

Karel is in production on DeathOf A Silence, a documentary about a daughter's search for the truth behindthe terrorist past of her father. It is produced by Roche Productions andbacked by the BBC and Arte.

On Bourlem Guerdjou'sbig-budget adventure tale Zaina Rider Of The Atlas, Rezo has scored araft of pre-sales. The film, which is screening a promo reel at Berlin,attracted Paradise for the CIS, Cineart for Benelux, Odeon for Greece, MFI forKorea, PJ Leone for Thailand and JMH for Switzerland. Germany's Prokino hasalso boarded as co-producer.