20-10-2011

PRODUCTION: Une Estonienne à Paris (Veel üks croissant) in Postproduction

By Martin Aadamsoo

    TALLINN: Estonian director Ilmar Raag takes on French cinema classics by casting Jeanne Moreau in the lead role of his upcoming feature Une Estonienne à Paris (Veel üks croissant), currently in postproduction. The film is a co-production between TS Production (France), Amrion (Estonia, www.amrion.ee) and La Parti Production (Belgium) and budgeted at a reported 1.9 million EUR.

    The film tells the story of two elderly Estonian ladies in Paris, the poor one, played by Laine Mägi, looking after her suicidal and wealthy expat compatriot, played by Moreau. Raag, who also co-scripted the story with Agnès Feuvre and Lise Macheboeuf, started developing the projects over five years ago, prompted by his own mother's story. He was chosen to participate in the Cannes Cinefondation project market l'Atelier in 2008 with the script and subseqently received development money from both MEDIA and the Estonian Film Foundation.

    The film is co-produced by Riinas Sildos, Miléna Poylo, Gilles Sacuto and Philippe Kauffmann

    The film is financed by three Estonian funds (Estonian Film Foundation, Estonian Cultural Endowment, and the Estonian Ministry of Culture) for a total of 536,000 EUR, or a quarter of the budget. French financing, notably from Canal+ and CNC, and funds from Belgium, make up the remaining three quarters of the budget, approximately 1.4 million EUR.

    The film was shot in Paris and Estonia with mostly French crew and cast, with some postproduction done in Brussels, Belgium. The film has yet to land a festival slot, with Berlin and Cannes being the two primary targets. It will be released in 2012.

    Credits:

    Original title: Une Estonienne à Paris / Veel üks croissant

    Director: Ilmar Raag

    Script: Ilmar Raag, Agnès Feuvre, Lise Macheboeuf

    Cinematography: Laurent Brunet

    Editor: Anne-Laure Guegan

    Producers: Riinas Sildos, Miléna Poylo, Gilles Sacuto, Philippe Kauffmann

    Production companies: TS Production, Amrion, La Parti Production

    Supported by: Estonian Film Foundation, Estonian Cultural Endowment, Estonian Ministry of Culture, MEDIA, CNC, Canal +, CineCinema, Uni Etoile 8, Cofimage, Communaute Francais de Belgique, RTBF

    Principal cast:

    Jeanne Moreau, Laine Mägi, Patrick Pineau, Ita Ever, Piret Kalda, Ago Anderson, Roland Laos, Liis Lass, Tõnu Mikiver, Helle Kuningas, Helene Vannari

    Length: 95 min

    Genre: drama
    Format: HD

    Language: French / Estonian