TF1International has taken on international distribution rights to Italiandirector Cristina Comencini's La Bestia Nel Cuore, a new production fromRome outfit Cattleya.

Backed by RaiCinema, La Bestia Nel Cuore is a family drama adapted from Comencini's ownnovel about a woman who was abused by her father as a child. The film iscurrently shooting in Italy and the US, with Best of Youth actorsAlessio Boni and Luigi Lo Cascio, as well as Stefania Rocca and GiovannaMezzogiorno.

Bestia Nel Cuore is the third Cattleya picturecurrently on TF1 International's sales slate. The other two are Marco TullioGiordana's Once You Were Born (Quando Sei Nato Non Puoi Piu Nasconderti)and Michele Placido's Romanzo Criminale, which is backed by Warner BrosItalia. Both films are in post-production.

RomanzoCriminale is one ofthree projects which Warner Bros Italia is lining up with Cattleya: the others areL'Uomo Perfetto, a romantic comedy co-produced with the UK's Perfect ManFilms, which is currently in post; and a new film from Passato Prossimodirector Maria Sole Tognazzi.

Meanwhile,Cattleya has just bought movie rights to Israeli author Abraham Yehoshua'slatest novel, Shlichutò shel hamemune al mashbei enosh, published inItaly by Einaudi under the title Il Responsabile delle Risorse Umane (TheHuman Resources director). Cattleya's Riccardo Tozzi says he acquired therights for around Euros 100,000. No director is currently attached.

Cattleya'supcoming slate also includes Angela director Roberta Torre's new film, TheDark Sea, a drama about erotic obsession which starts shooting at the endof the month; and Gianni Amelio's La Stella Che Non C'e', an Euros 8mdrama about the dismantlement of an Italian iron plant that is sold to theChinese government. The film is being set up as an international co-productionand will shoot in China in May.

Rounding outCattleya's new slate is Adelmo, Torna Da Me, a debut from Carlo Virziadapted from Teresa Ciabatti's novel about a 15-year-old girl's summerholidays; and Edoardo Winspeare's WWII drama La Guerra Privata del TenenteGuillet, about the life of Italian Lawrence of Arabia, Amedeo Guillet.Stefano Rulli is currently writing the script, and the film is expected toshoot in September 2005.