Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2017: #24. Bruno Dumont’s Jeannette

Jeannette

Director: Bruno Dumont
Writer: Bruno Dumont

French director Bruno Dumont has weaned himself off naturalism and will now focus on comedy, where he claims one can take more risks. Following his 2016 Cannes competing Slack Bay, Dumont moved into a musical production on Joan of Arc called Jeannette and adapted from the play The Mystery of the Charity of Joan of Arc by Charles Peguy. To contemporize the play, Dumont tapped Gautier Serre to compose a rock and techno score, and Philippe Decoufle of ‘New Order – Substance’ to create choreography. The film charts the childhood of Joan from ages 8 to 12.

Cast: Not available.

Production Co./Producer(s): 3B Productions

U.S. Distributor: Rights available.

Release Date: Having competed three times in competition at Cannes (Humanite, 1999, Flanders, 2006; Slack Bay, 2016), this seems to be the auteur’s preferred platform—while his 2003 title Twentynine Palms won the Golden Lion at Venice, 2011’s Outside Satan opened in Un Certain Regard, and L’il Quinquin premiered in Directors’ Fortnight in 2014. While Dumont has announced impending plans for a sequel to L’il Quinquin, his musical Jeannette may flex at the Croisette depending on how many French titles are vying for a competition slot.