Bac Movies has scooped up Hélène Merlin’s function debut “Cassandre,” with the Gallic outfit set to launch worldwide gross sales at subsequent week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris.
Set in a rural idyll throughout the summer season of 1998, the coming-of-age drama casts rising star Billie Blain (“The Animal Kingdom”) reverse display stalwart Zabou Breitman (“The New Look”), following an adolescent lady as she forges a brand new sense of self post-puberty.
“Within the household’s small manor, her dad and mom and older brother discover that her physique has modified,” reads the outline. “Luckily, Cassandre is keen about horses, and he or she joins a small driving middle for the vacations, the place she’s embraced as an odd however endearing character. Right here, she discovers a special form of regular, one which progressively frees her from the household dynamic that threatens to engulf her…”
“We’re thrilled to have taken on Hélène Merlin’s debut,” says Bac Movies’ Vincent Llobell. “We have been captivated by the script proper from the beginning, and seeing the completed product solely confirmed our instinct. Engaged on a primary movie is at all times each a problem and a privilege – and this guess paid off. Given the outcomes, we hope to develop sturdy bonds with this filmmaker.”
This newest acquisition kicks off a interval of extra forceful exercise for the gross sales outfit, which had been specializing in 4 to 5 acquisitions a 12 months because the pandemic. Going ahead, Bac Movies now goals to just about double these numbers; they’ll launch two titles at subsequent month’s EFM in Berlin whereas trying to purchase two extra, and can attend Cannes with an identical remit.
“The corporate’s acquisition technique is shifting from a extra compact method to a extra aggressive one,” says Llobell, noting that Bac Movies is above all trying to purchase first or second options and to assist nascent auteurs break into the arthouse market.
“The target within the subsequent couple of years is to have seven to eight titles a 12 months, all whereas sticking to our credo of discovering new French and worldwide arthouse auteurs,” Llobell provides. “So we’re looking out for lots of initiatives, and particularly those who showcase new skills – actually, rather a lot like Hélène Merlin.”