Petite fleur
Argentina’s Santiago Mitre moves forward on his third feature, Petite fleur (Little Flower), adapted from Pequena Flor by Iosi Havilio. The French co-pro, produced by Maneki Films, stars Daniel Hendler, Louis Garrel, Vimala Pons (Elle, 2016) and Sergi Lopez. The project was part of the 2019 Berlin co-production market. Mitre won the Critics Week Grand Prize in 2015 for his debut Paulina, and returned to Cannes two years later with the ensemble piece The Summit in Un Certain Regard.
Gist: Jose has recently settled in France from Argentina. One night, he befriends his neighbor, Jean-Claude. But Jose is triggered upon hearing Sidney Bichet’s “Little Flower,” and the night ends tragically. However, the next morning tells a different story.
Release Date/Prediction: Mitre is scheduled to begin principal photography on Petite fleur in January 2020, shooting in Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and in the Puy-de-Dome in Clermont-Ferrand. While Cannes has heretofore been his platform, his latest looks to be a Fall 2020 premiere, with either Venice or TIFF’s Platform likely to make a selection.