Always nuggets of great info when the CNC reveals what projects they are throwing their weight behind. Via Cineuropa we learn that Sofia Djama will embark on her sophomore project titles A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers and Teddy Lussi-Modeste will move onto his third feature film titled, Pas de vague. Jean-Christophe Meurisse and Olivier Meys complete the quartet of filmmakers who are setting up their next projects with CNC coin.
Book writer turned filmmaker Sofia Djama saw her debut film Les bienheureux premiere at the 2017 Venice Film Festival (Lyna Khoudri won the Best Actress Award in the Orizzonti section). This tells the story of three friends: a young pregnant woman who wants an abortion in a country where terminations are illegal, an Algerian-Russian citizen who’s nostalgic for the USSR, and a cabaret singer.
Lussi-Modeste launched with 2011’s Jimmy Rivière and followed that up with The Price of Success (2017 TIFF). He co-wrote this latest project with Audrey Diwan with Kazak Productions producing (Titane).
Jean-Christophe Meurisse’s Les pistolets en plastique is his third feature. He has been to Cannes with his previous pair of films – Apnée was in the Critics’ Week section in 2016 and Bloody Oranges (read review) was a special screening in 2021.
Belgium’s Olivier Meys moves into his sophomore project. Titled Life Ahead, this revolves around Jahia, a young Eritrean living in an asylum seekers’ centre in Belgium. With no prospects to speak of, Jahia’s fears for the future drive a wedge between her and the world and stop her from living her life. One day, she meets a young Moldavian woman called Nèta and is carried away by her crazy energy. Unfortunately, Nèta’s family are ordered to leave the country and Nèta falls victim to Resignation syndrome, suddenly drifting into a deep sleep.
We imagine we’ll be getting more update on all projects sometime this year or next.
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).
