Films Boutique (“Embrace of the Serpent,””Charlatan”) has closed several key European territories on “Mi Iubita, Mon Amour,” the feature debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Noémie Merlant which is playing at San Sebastian in the Zabaltegi Tabakalera section.
“Mi Iubita, Mon Amour” world premiered at Cannes in Special Screenings. It 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.
The movie has been acquired by Triart in Sweden at San Sebastian. The deal was negotiated by Films Boutique’s head of sales Julien Razafindranaly and Matthias Nohrborg at Triart. “Mi Iubita, Mon Amour” has also been picked up by Barton Films in Spain and Agora Films in Switzerland.
Merlant, who gained critical acclaim with her performance in Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” last delivered a strong performance in Jacques Audiard’s Cannes competition title “Paris, 13th District.”
“Mi Iubita, Mon Amour” was produced by Pierre Guyard at well-established Paris-based company Nord-Ouest Films. Merlant previously directed the short films, “Shakira” and “Je suis une biche.”
The movie will be released in France by Mathieu Robinet’s outfit Tandem. Films Boutique is also at San Sebastian with Péter Kerekes’s “107 Mothers” which world premiered at Venice in the Horizons section. The company’s sales roster includes Lldiko Enyedi’s Cannes competition pic “The Story of My Wife” with Lea Seydoux.