Torpedo, produced by K2, is Matthieu Donck’s first feature film, starring François Damiens as the lead. The actor invested himself in co-writing this French-Belgian bittersweet road-movie, full of misunderstandings and unlikely meetings. If you are looking for the common denominator between a furniture store chain, the fake kidnapping of a turbulent child, a camping car trip to Brittany, a real kidnapping of a disdainful salesman and … Eddy Merckx, please be patient. It looks like we won’t be disappointed with the answer!
One of the characteristics of this mixed session was that 40% of the bids were in Dutch. One of those, Team Mario (working title), a fantastic uppercut dealt by Flanders’ most charming celebrity, Nic Balthazar, made the cut. After a very well made Ben X, Nic is now taking a closer look at the struggle to legalise euthanasia, through the bias of the deeply moving story and fight of Mario Verstaeten, a young Fleming with a charming sense of humour. A dark film? Not at all, a terrific ode to life! Yet, still be prepared to cry, because the emotion shining through the screenplay is irresistible.
After a majority co-production, a minority but national one, we then find an international minority co-production in our offer. J’enrage de son absence is the first fiction film Sandrine Bonnaire will direct. The part autobiographic story has been told with the restraint and modesty so typical for her, and the French actress has asked an improbable yet magnificent casting: Alexandra Lamy against William Hurt. Those who have been avid readers of people magazines will understand why the American star has accepted the role of a tortured character, locked up in a cellar in France. We are impatient to watch this confrontation.
The diversity of these projects is already attractive on its own, but the last selected project is definitely another notch in their belt for Wallimage/Bruxellimage, even for Wallimage. Indeed, the fund decided to support a Belgian series, À tort ou à Raison. Created by Marc Uyttendaele, it stars four friends who hold key positions related to the justice system and are confronted with a series of cases based on real and recent stories. The first episode, broadcast in two parts in 2010, was a real success. To finish the first season three episodes of 2×50 mins each will be made. The casting remains the same: Marianne Basler, Alexandra Vandernoot, Olivier Minne and Bernard Yerles come back to try and solve critical cases in Brussels or Charleroi.
And this is how the 2010 season ends for Wallimage, Wallimage Animation and Wallimage/Bruxellimage. The 2011 season, with ten investment rounds, will kick off in January with the mixed line (now is the time to start finishing up the submissions!). After that, we will have our usual bimonthly alternation (see full calendar HERE ).
