Creme Caramel: Zeitgeist Films Adopt Civeyrac’s “My Friend Victoria”

Having just been had the chance to shine at Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Rendez-Vous with French Cinema last month, it may have flown under the radar and been passed over by the top tier film fests, but according to IndieWIRE, Zeitgeist Films’ extremely picky Emily Russo and Nancy Gerstman have chosen to adopt Jean-Paul Civeyrac’s My Friend Victoria. We briefly touched base with the project on last year’s Most Anticipated list; this is perhaps his longest time between features since he began making films and according to this interview, has been the most prosperous in term of box office back at home. My Friend Victoria will open in New York and Los Angeles in the early fall.

Gist: Adapted from a short story by Doris Lessing, this is about Victoria, a little black girl aged 8 who comes from a humble background, happens to spend the night with the bourgeois family of Thomas, one of her classmates. Years later, they see each other again and Marie is the fruit of their fleeting relationship. But Victoria decides not to tell Thomas and raises her child alone. When Marie turns seven, Victoria decides that her daughter must have a better future…

Worth Noting: We last visited with the helmer in Cannes with the Directors’ Fortnight selected Des filles en noir (Young Girls In Black) — starring Elise Lhomeau and Léa Tissier. Here is our video coverage.

Do We Care?: A timely piece from one of the better French filmmakers to employ non-actors, it is indeed a rare sight for Civeyrac to find a distribution deal stateside.