Close Protection
Director: Alice Winocour // Writer: Alice Winocour
Premiering her 2012 debut Augustine at Cannes Critics’ Week, which went on to be nominated for Best Debut at the Cesars, Alice Winocour makes a surprising jump from period piece to thriller with her second film, Close Protection (originally titled Maryland). Starring notable names like Schoenaerts and Diane Kruger will surely position a healthy international interest. The story revolves around a former soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, who finds himself tasked with protecting the wife and child of a rich Lebanese businessman while he is away.
Cast:Â Matthias Schoenaerts, Diane Kruger
Producers: Dharamsala’s Isabelle Madelaine (IllĂ©gal) and Darius Films’ Emilie TisnĂ© (Augustine).
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Release Date: While Winocour may very well tempt Cannes again, this sounds like genre fare that might have more luck straying into a less competitive realm. With filming set for December, we’ll see if this gets unveiled there or at a later fest. Toronto would appear to be a strong contender for world premiere dibs.
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