Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral’s Paris-based Srab Films, which is heading to Toronto next month with Ladj Ly’s Les Indesirables, has unveiled a slew of projects including the next features from Ly and Alice Diop, whose Saint Omer the company produced last year.
Ly is in the writing stages of the third of what will be a trilogy of titles set against the same backdrop of his native Montfermeil neighbourhood following Les Miserables (also produced by Srab) and Les Indesirables.
“After Les Miserables, Ladj wanted to explore more things in the neighbourhood where he came from. Barral stated that Ly had always planned to make a trilogy of films based in his hometown. Ayadi added: “He wanted to make three very different films, that explore different themes.”
The film, which will be set in the 1990s, is being sold by Goodfellas.
Diop’s next feature is under wraps, but Srab confirms it will be another fictional film after her long career as a documentary filmmaker.
Ayadi and Barral’s lively development slate is presently headed by art heist-meets-social drama Les Regles De l’Art , the debut feature from Dominique Baumard, that will shoot in the next few months.
Les Regles De l’Art is based on the real-life 2010 theft of paintings from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the trio of thieves who stole EUR100m worth of art by Picasso, Matisse, and Modigliani. The film is based on the real-life theft of paintings from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the trio of thieves who stole EUR100m worth art by Picasso Ayadi described the film as a “social drama”. “It’s about three people who were unlikely collaborators and how they came together to pull off one of the most astounding art heists in history.”
Shooting for the film, based on real police files and archival footage, will kick off in November in the Paris region.
Also in active development is Vincent Mael Cardona’s ensemble drama Le Roi Soleil, an ensemble drama starring Pio Marmai and Fianso (Sofiane Zermani) that will shoot in January 2024. Srab is produces alongside Paris-based Easy Tiger.
Le Roi Soleil is the next feature from Cardona whose Srab-produced debut Magnetic Beats won the SACD prize in Cannes’ Directors Fortnight and the Cesar for best first film.
The film is written by Olivier Demangel, who notably penned the scripts for November, Father & Soldier and upcoming Netflix event series Tapie.
Coming up, Srab has produced the Netflix drama Street Flow (Les Banlieusards) directed by Leila Sy and Kery James and the sequel Street Flow 2 and Alain Gomis’ sixth feature Dao produced alongside Les Films du Worso, that wrapped filming in June.
“We follow auteurs”
Since founding Srab Films in 2015, the company has become synonymous with social justice dramas that go on to festival and awards glory at home and abroad and are known for finding future auteurs early on in their careers.
Ayadi and Barral started off as producers at Sylvie Pialat’s Les Films du Worso where they co-headed the company’s short films department, giving them a first look at the work of French rising stars on the independent production scene with whom they’ve gone on to collaborate on features. In addition to Ly, Diop and Cardona, the pair have worked with Julien Guetta (The Troubleshooter), Nagede Loiseau (A Bun in the Oven) and Hugo Sobelman (Soul Kids).
“We follow auteurs,” said Barral. “Our films, no matter what genre, always reflect society’s problems, and question the status-quo.” Barral said that they wanted us to continue doing what we have always done, which is to work hard and find new talent. Asacha owns several production companies in Europe, including Red Planet Pictures in the UK. Crossover collaborations are possible. “There are no concrete projects right now, but there will be,” Ayadi confirmed.
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Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
