IFC Films, who has been filling up their coffers with subtitled fair as of late, has acquired the US distribution rights to Abdellatif Kechiche‘s French
drama La Graine et le
mulet (The
Secret of the Grain). Arianna Bocco grabbed the drama from Mike
Runagall at Pathe International.
The film tells the story of sixty year old dock worker in
the port of Sete, Slimane Beiji (Habib
Boufares), who aspires to open his own restaurant in order to make something of
his useless life. A divorced father, he tries his best to stay close to his
family despite obvious tensions. Unable to realistically achieve his dreams on
his own, his family slowly rallies around him and in the process reconnect.
With over 800,000 admissions at the French box office and
four Cesar awards (along with wins at Étoiles d’Or, Prix Louis Delluc, and the
Lumiere Awards), the film has proven a great domestic success. It also made a
splash at the 2007 Venice Film Festival winning the FIPRESCI award.
Based out of France,
the Tunisian-born actor turned writer/director Kechiche is best known to
Western audiences as the taxi driving star of 2005’s Sorry, Haters with Robin
Wright Penn.
Despite his widespread acclaim as a filmmaker, this is only his third
directorial effort (New Yorker showcased his Games of
Love and Chance (L’Esquive) in 05′).
IFC will release the film simultaneously in theatres and on
VOD through its IFC First Take label. A release date has not been announced, but
the picture will be screening at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 28.
