Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2018: #85. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s Les Estivants

Les Estivants

Highly decorated French-Italian actress Valeria Bruni Tedeschi has enjoyed a broadening reputation as a director in her own right over the past decade, premiering her third feature A Castle in Italy in the 2013 Cannes main competition (where she was the only woman director). After starring in a pair of Paolo Virzi titles and appearing in Bruno Dumont’s Slack Bay and Claire Denis’ Let the Sunshine In, Tedeschi began her fourth feature Les Estivants (aka The Summer Holidaymakers) where she stars alongside a trio of noted actresses, including Noemie Lvovsky, Valeria Golino, and Yolande Moreau. Once again, Tedeschi’s narrative revolves around a tucked away palatial idyll where she will play a filmmaker mourning the loss of her relationship as she deals with friends, family, and the creation of her next film.

Release Date/Prediction: Tedeschi’s sophomore film Actresses (2007) premiered in Un Certain Regard (where it won a Special Jury Prize) and then went directly to the main comp with 2013’s A Castle in Italy. Filming on The Summer Holidaymakers began last August, so it’s safe to assume she’ll return to the Croisette. However, stiff competition from Italian and French language colleagues may ultimately determine where Tedeschi will land.