On the eve of EFM, Pathe International announced deals on two major territories for Stephen Frears' Cheri which screens in competition here on Feb 10. Lumiere has taken the film for Benelux and Nordisk for Scandinavia.

The film, written by Christopher Hampton from Colette's novel stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones and Kathy Bates. It is a reunion of sorts for the team behind Dangerous Liaisons - Frears, Hampton and Pfeiffer.

Set in the demi-monde of pre First World War Paris, Cheri is the story of the love affair between the beautiful retired courtesan Lea (Pfeiffer) and Cheri (Friend) the son of her old colleague and rival, Madame Peloux (Bates). Lea has educated the spoilt and callow boy in the ways of love, but after six years Madame Peloux has secretly arranged a marriage between Cheri and Edmee (Jones), daughter of another rich courtesan. As the inevitable moment of parting approaches, Lea and Cheri try to come to terms with their imminent separation, but the roots of their life of ease and pleasure reach deeper than even they imagine and they begin to understand, too late, how much they mean to one another.

Cheri is a BKL Films, in association with Pathe, UK Film Council, Aramid Entertainment and with the participation of MMC Studios, Filmstiftung NRW, DFFF and Tiggy Films, presentation of a Bill Kenwright Production.

Other distributors already in place include Miramax Films in North America, Rai/01 in Italy and Icon in Australia/New Zealand.

Pathe will release the film theatrically in the UK and France.