21-08-2012

FNE at Venice IFF 2012: Czech coproduction starring Gerard Depardieu gets Venice slot

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    PRAGUE: The Man Who Laughs which was shot entirely in the Czech Republic has nabbed a Venice IFF Out of Competition slot.  Directed by Jena-Pierre Ameris and starring Gerard Depardieu and Emmanuelle Seigner the film is produced by In Incognita Films (France) and Okko Production (www.okko.cz).

    The film is the only title with a CEE production credit in the main lineup in a year that will see very few titles from the region making the trek to the Lido.   Okko Film based at Barrandov Studios is one of the top Czech studios for French producers.  Okko has  provided services or coproduced a steady stream of French productions over the past few years.

    Améris shot the entire film in the Czech Republic over 49 shooting days, spending almost half of the CZK 105.3 m CZK budget in the country..

    A French team of 16 was assisted by a Czech crew of over 100 film professionals during the shoot.  Czech crews built a castle interior set on Barrandov sound stages where interiors were shot.  The film shot on location in Chotěšov, Milovice, Mimoň and Prague.