Films Boutique (“Charlatan,” “Dear Comrades!”) has boarded international sales rights to “Mi Iubita, Mon Amour,” the feature debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Noémie Merlant. The movie will world premiere in the Special Screenings section at Cannes.
Merlant, who gained critical acclaim with her performance in Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” will also be in Cannes, in competition, with Jacques Audiard’s anticipated “Paris, 13th District.”
“Mi Iubita, Mon Amour” stars Merlant as Jeanne, a young woman who is traveling to Romania to celebrate her bachelorette party with her friends when she meets Nino. She is 27, he is 17, and they are worlds away from one another, yet for the two of them it is the beginning of a passionate and timeless summer. Merlant stars opposite Gimi Covaci and Clara Lama-Schmit.
“We are particularly thrilled to accompany Noémie’s first feature film as a director and it is as big of an honor to be able to introduce her picture to the world as part of the Cannes Official Selection,” said Jean-Christophe Simon, Films Boutique CEO.
“Her performance as a filmmaker as well as in the lead role will give the audience a chance to discover a new angle of her unique creative skillset, greatly supported here by a fresh and talented troupe of actors.”
Merlant previously directed the short films, “Shakira” and “Je suis une biche.” Merlant is produced by Pierre Guyard at well-established Paris-based company Nord-Ouest Films.
“I am very proud to be part of this adventure, Noémie is the new voice of French cinema : feministic, bright, shinny, romantic!,” said Pierre Guyard, Nord-Ouest Films producer.
The movie will be released in France by Mathieu Robinet’s outfit Tandem. “After a year of gloomy virtual markets, it’ll be enthralling to discover on a big screen such a cinematic gem that celebrates the forces of love and youth,” said Robinet, the former head of Bac Distribution.
Films Boutique’s Cannes slate also includes Ildiko Enyedi’s “The Story of My Wife” with Lea Seydoux which is set to compete; and “Rehana” by Bangladeshi director Abdullah Mohammad Saad, slated for Un Certain Regard.