Sex Doll: Hafsia Herzi to work with Sylvie Verheyde
- The shoot is about to kick off for a thriller about high-class prostitution, produced by Les Films du Veyrier and The Bureau, and set to be sold by Wild Bunch
On Wednesday 1 July, the first clapperboard will slam in England for Sex Doll [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the fifth fiction feature film by Sylvie Verheyde, following Brother (revealed in the Directors’ Fortnight in 1997), Princesses (2000), Stella [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Venice Days 2008) and Confession of a Child of the Century [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2012). Standing out among the cast of this thriller are Hafsia Herzi (winner of the César Award for Most Promising Actress in 2008 for The Secret of the Grain [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hafsia Herzi
film profile]; popular in such titles as House of Tolerance [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adèle Haenel
film profile], and set to appear on screens in October in Par accident), English actor Ashley Stymest (a well-known model who will be making his acting debut), Karole Rocher (nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2012 for Poliss [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maïwenn
film profile]; also turned heads in the TV series Braquo), Paul Hamy (nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actor in 2014 for Suzanne [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Katell Quillévéré
film profile], seen recently at Cannes in Disorder [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Winocour
film profile]), Lindsay Karamoh (Girlhood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Céline Sciamma
interview: Céline Sciamma
film profile]) and Ira Max.
Written by the director, the story is pitched as follows: “My name is Virginie. I’m young. I’m independent. I’m a whore. A high-class one – there’s no other way to put it. I know how to command respect. I earn a very good living. I met him. An Englishman. A disaster...”
Produced by Bruno Berthemy for Les Films du Veyrier (which partnered up with the director for her last three opuses), Sex Doll is executive-coproduced by London-based firm The Bureau (Soledad Gatti-Pascual and Bertrand Faivre). Having been pre-purchased by Canal+, the feature is also benefiting from an advance on receipts from the CNC and from backing by the Cofinova 12 Sofica. The shoot will take place until 7 August in and around London. Distribution in France will be handled by Rezo Films and international sales by Wild Bunch.
(Translated from French)
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