Exceptional circumstances call for exceptional decisions : it was agreed to push the cursors to support as much as possible the producers who asked us and all the Walloon technicians, artists and service providers who currently live in fear of seeing their financial health crumble due to the lack of projects located in Wallonia.
On this basis, the Wallimage Board of Directors decided to co-finance 11 projects for a total of 1,670,000 euros, which is a new record in the history of the fund, but does not affect our reserves for the next three sessions, still scheduled in June, September and November. It should be noted that these are not ” gifts ” granted to minor files, but an unconditional support to projects that all deserved their place in our line-up.
Among the winners, we are pleased to point out two feature films initiated in Belgium.
Between life and death was presented to us by Frakas. The author of the script will also be the director. His name ? Giordano Gederlini, virtuoso co-writer of Duelles, Killers and also Les Misérables. Nice resume ! The story he’s about to put in pictures is captivating from the first to the last page and promises an action thriller quite unusual on our land with Antonio De la Torre (La Isla minima) and Marina Vacth in the lead. Plus a soundtrack composed by Laurent Garnier. Class ! Only three days of shooting are planned in Wallonia (the rest will take place mainly in Brussels) for a team of 19 people. In terms of Walloon expenses, we note the rental at Eye Lite, VFX at l’Autre Compagnie, sound effects at Genval and mastering at Charbon.
In a completely different register, L’Empire du Silence is an international documentary project, orchestrated by Thierry Michel and naturally produced by Les Films de la Passerelle. It is articulated, as is the good habit of this production house, on very Walloon bases. Particularity of this project : a transmedia budget is dedicated to the work of the Walloons of Hors Zone who will ensure its original promotion on social networks and will develop capsules intended to bring information completing what will have been seen in the film. Cetemi, Dame Blanche Genval, usual partners of La Passerelle are joined here by Aware, a new company from Liège founded by Benjamin Dontaine and Idris Gabel. One more good news !
The feature film is certainly the big winner of this 99th session with eight winners, making a strong comeback after a few months of television domination.
The genre film is of course part of the party, with two long films that are going to be intense.
Piove is a co-production between Italy, Argentina and the Walloons of Gapbusters. Presented last July at the Frontiers Market in Montreal, this feature film by Gustavo Hernandez plunges us into the Eternal City, suddenly invaded by strange effluvia that has a twisted effect on the Romans. All the Belgian part of the production will be Walloon with 17 days of shooting in the Keywall studios in Marcinelle, 26 people at work, notably for the set design, the SFX on the set (Lionel Lé) and the sound (Henri Morelle). For the rest, we will note the location, the VFX at Benuts and the original music entrusted to a well-known Walloon composer (his name is still under embargo).
More usual (for us), The Ten Steps is the fifth co-production between Benoit Roland (Wrong Men) and Irishman Conor Barry (Savage Productions) : proof of their economic efficiency, we have supported them all. This very classic horror film, but likely to capture the attention of a wide audience, will be signed by Brendan Muldhowney (Pilgrimage). It will be sold internationally by Epic, which is an obvious guarantee of quality. The filming will be done in Ireland with 13 Walloons making the trip, but all the post-production will be done in Wallonia : color grading and sound effects at Genval, all the VFX at Mikros, the sound editing at Dessine-moi un son and the mixing at L’Equipe Wallonie studio.
Harkis will take us to Algeria, thanks to Films du Fleuve, which is co-producing this historical and political drama by Philippe Faucon, with Vincent Rottiers and Benoit Magimel. We dive into the end of the Algerian war by following the journey of a “harka” (a group of Algerian auxiliaries), recruited by the French army, then demobilized and abandoned after the ceasefire. The shooting will take place mainly in Morocco and in the south of France. 28 Walloons will participate. The editing and sound mixing will be done at Bardaf at the Pôle Image in Liège, the VFX, color grading and mastering at Mikros and the sound effects at Dame Blanche in Genval.
From one war to another, The Hidden Child will take us to Vienna in 1937, when many Jewish children are sent to other countries to escape the coming disasters. It is in fact a film… within the film. Most of the action takes place in Brussels in the 1980s, where a young Chilean filmmaker is preparing his first feature film with the support of the owner of a Delicatessen whose story he tells. Adapted from a novel by Henri Roanne-Rosenblatt, The Hidden Child will be directed by producer Nicolas Steil(Iris) and will feature a strong cast composed of Simon Abkarian, Pascale Arbillot, André Jung and Michel Villemoz. Among others. 18 days of shooting will be located in Wallonia to figure… Vienna with an impressive Walloon team of 52 people. Equipment rented from Eye Lite, KGS and Location Consulting and Facilities, canteen by Max Cook, color grading by Mikros, and Walloon VFX complete the regional expenses of one of the excellent files of this session.
Also filmed in part in the studio, Vous n’aurez pas ma Haine(Frakas) is adapted from the book by journalist Antoine Leiris, who lost his wife during the Bataclan attacks. While all French producers hoped to acquire the rights, the author sold them to the German company Komplizen Film GmbH. He wanted the director Kilian Redhof, whose approach had seduced him, to take the lead. Pierre Deladonchamps will play the main character in this intimate and moving drama. TSF will technically equip the Cologne studio which will host the shooting of the interiors while Karaboutcha, Benuts, Bardaf, Cob Studio and Charbon will be the other Walloon companies involved in the project.
The last feature film selected during this session is an animated film produced by Movi3D and jointly directed by Ben Stassen and Benjamin Mousquet. While NWave is currently finishing the sequel to Big Foot junior, the studio has just started the production of Chickenhare. Imagine that Indiana Jones is a chicken dressed as a hare, flanked by a sarcastic turtle and a female skunk adept at martial arts, and you’ll have an idea of the delirium and stunt adventures awaiting the spectator in 2022. Wallimage’s support here mainly concerns the twenty or so Walloons who are working hard for two long years on this future blockbuster of animation cinema.
Two series are added to these eight films.
Produced in Norway by Cinenord and co-produced here by Scope (the duo that already brought us Atlantic Crossing), the second season of Wisting is still adapted from the excellent novels by Jørn Lier Horst. The cast is mainly Norwegian, but we find in the main roles the American Carrie-Ann Moss, known for her compositions in Matrix and Memento. 60 days of shooting out of 80 are planned in Wallonia with 36 Walloons on deck. The sound post-production will be done in Liege at Bardaf and the VFX at Benuts. In addition, Genval les Dames will work on the image post-prod, more than 100,000 euros will be spent on catering. And 120,000 for rent. Solid !
The other series is better known to Belgian viewers who were able to follow its first two seasons on France 2 (more than 4 million viewers for each evening). Still inspired by the universe of Jean-Christophe Grangé and articulated around a solid duo of actors composed of Olivier Marchal and the Belgian Erika Sainte, four episodes of season 3 of The crimson rivers will be filmed here, co-produced as usual by Umedia. The Walloon expenses are focused on 13 people, from rental at KGS, AVLM and Macadam Car and postproduction at Studio l’équipe Wallonie (sound editing, sound effects, sound mixing, color grading and mastering).
The last project selected during this session is a documentary series for television. But not only…
Some of us will compile 10 portraits of great sportsmen and women who have been victims of discrimination at some point in their lives. These 10-minute capsules, which will be based on interviews, archive images and animation, are also intended for the mobile web. Hors Zone produces the Belgian part (two episodes), taking care of all the phases of the production, except the animation. The sound sector will be entrusted to Cosounders (PIL).
Despite the difficult circumstances that everyone knows, the next session of Wallimage will be held in June. This will be the hundredth of the Walloon fund. A very strange anniversary that we hope to celebrate in more exciting conditions than the one that has just ended. Hearts up !
