Internationally renowned regular art-house actresses Diane Kruger (upcoming Inglourious Basterds) and Ludivine Sagnier (A Girl Cut in Two) are being paired together to portray sisters with very different life expectations and experiences in Pieds Nus sur les Limaces (“Bare Feet on Slugs”). Fabienne Berthaud’s sophomore feature begins lensing on August 17 until end of September. According to Cineuropa, Brigitte Catillon and Jean-Pierre Martins also fill out the cast and the pic will be produced by Le Bureau’s Bertrand Faivre.
We recently witnessed how Euro fair that specifically address this family dynamic could be all encompassing and yet simple, strength of sister-dramas with I’ve Love You So Long, but this reminds me of one of the characters that as featured in Duane Hopkins’ Better Things – where the notion of protecting one’s self from the outside world is explored. Co-written by Berthaud and Pascal Arnold, this is based on Berthaud’s eponymous novel, and centres on Clara (Kruger), who is happily married to a promising lawyer and lives in Paris. After the sudden death of their mother, Clara has to assume responsibility for her younger sister, Lily (Sagnier), whose extreme sensitivity makes her vulnerable to the outside world and prevents her from being autonomous. Living in the family home in the countryside, Lily has created her own unique world, which she finds difficult to leave, as it gives her a certain stability. But she needs protection. Clara, whose life has taken shape away from her sister, has to make some choices and learns that normality is purely subjective.
Kruger appeared in Berthaud’s debut film Frankie, where she plays a tired, emotionally drained model and the trailer for the film could easily be confused for a behind the scenes documentary. Here’s hoping that the filmmaker considers same aesthetic for her book to film adaptation.
