Parlons Cinema! TAFFF 2024 | Q&A with Producer Marie Masmonteil and Actor Melvil Poupaud for In The Shadows
Moderated by Producer Fred Cassidy
Directed by: Pierre Schoeller, Guillaume Senez
Created by: Pierre Schoeller
Written by: Pierre Schoeller, Lamara Leprêtre-Habib, Cédric Anger
Based on the Novel by: Edouard Philippe & Gilles Boyer
Produced by: Marie Masmonteil (Elzévir Films), Marie Dubas (Deuxième Ligne Films), France Télévisions
Cinematography: Jacques Girault
Film Editing: Laurent Rouan
Original Score: Julie Roué
Cast: Swann Arlaud (César Casalonga), Melvil Poupaud (Paul Francoeur), Karin Viard (Marie-France Trémeau), Evelyne Brochu (Marylin), Philippe Uchan (the major), Sofian Khammes (Texier), Baptiste Carrion-Weiss (Jérémie Caligny), Eric Paradisi (Démosthène)
International Sales: Newen Connect
Original Broadcast: France 2 (Date TBA)
Devoted apparatchik and political advisor César Casalonga is 100% behind his boss of 20 years, underdog Paul Francœur, in his campaign to become the next President of France. Their long-held dream is suddenly in sight when Paul unexpectedly snatches the party’s nomination from front runner Marie-France Trémeau. But their triumph is quickly dampened by an anonymous phone call declaring that the primary was rigged. Based on the novel Dans l’Ombre, by former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and his one-time advisor, Gilles Boyer, and boasting a stellar French cast, In the Shadows is a gripping contemporary political thriller, told from the point-of-view of genuine insiders. Weaving together the themes of loyalty, sacrifice and betrayal, the miniseries scrutinizes the lust for power and how far some people are willing to go to attain it.
Writer-director-showrunner Pierre Schoeller made his first short film in 1992, then went on to write scripts for numerous series and TV movies, as well as the feature films As a Man (2001), Quand tu descendras du ciel (2003), and Hotel Harabati (2006). He began to direct his scripts with the feature film Versailles (2008), which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, was nominated for the Best First Film César Award, and won the Étoiles d’Or Best First Film prize. His next film, The Minister (2011) also premiered in Cannes, won the César Award for Best Original Screenplay, was nominated for two more (Best Director and Best Film), and nabbed the Best Screenplay Lumière Award. Schoeller then wrote and directed two TV movies, Les Anonymes (2013) and The Lost Time (2014). His most recent feature, the historical drama One Nation, One King (2018) was nominated for two César Awards.
The American French Film Festival (TAFFF) is presented by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique partnership of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Pictures Association, the SACEM, and the Writers Guild of America West.
More info at www.tafff.org
