‘Anatomy of a Fall’ Producer Marie-Ange Luciani Sets Next Projects by Alain Guiraudie, Monia Chokri, Hélène Rosselet-Ruiz, Jean-Gabriel Periot (EXCLUSIVE)

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Despite the numerous accolades received for “Anatomy of a Fall,” including an Oscar, Palme d’Or, and six Cesar awards under Justine Triet’s direction, French producer Marie-Ange Luciani continues to seek out new opportunities. Based in Paris and managing Les Films de Pierre, she remains committed to supporting up-and-coming filmmakers like Laura Wandel, whose second film “Adam’s Sake” was well-received at this year’s Cannes Critics Week. Additionally, Luciani has developed partnerships with established directors such as Robin Campillo, who won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2017 with “BPM (Beats Per Minute)” and launched Directors’ Fortnight this year with “Enzo,” a film he completed following the untimely death of his close friend Laurent Cantet, director of the Palme d’Or-winning “The Class.

Apart from working on the sequel to “Anatomy of a Fall,” which will be filmed in English and features prominent actors, Luciani has a packed schedule for 2026.

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Luciani is not only creating the follow-up to “Anatomy of a Fall” (a film to be shot in English with notable stars) but also expects a bustling 2026.

For the first time, she will collaborate with Alain Guiraudie, a director renowned for his provocative thriller “Stranger by the Lake,” which won prizes at Cannes. Guiraudie is currently adapting Robert Merle’s novel “L’Ile,” an adventure story based on the tragic tale of the HMS Bounty mutineers in 1789.

Luciani mentioned that this book, published in the 1970s, was quite popular back then. It’s a fictional portrayal of the real events involving the Bounty mutineers in Polynesia. She expressed her intention to film it next year right in Polynesia itself,” she added.

According to Luciani, the upcoming film is expected to be an adventurous production, marking Guiraudie’s most ambitious endeavor yet, with a blend of political commentary and a dash of quirkiness. She explained that the narrative revolves around land distribution and constructing democracy cooperatively, making it relevant to current times.

In 2024, Guiraudie’s latest movie, titled “Miséricorde,” had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and made it onto France’s Academy Awards shortlist.

Apart from working with Luciani, Canadian producer Nancy Grant is also collaborating on Monia Chokri’s upcoming movie. This will be Chokri’s debut as a director for a film set in France, featuring a local cast.

In 2024, Chokri’s seductive romantic comedy titled “The Nature of Love” was showcased in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and went on to win the prestigious Cesar Award for Best Foreign Film, surpassing Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”. Notably, Chokri is present at Cannes with two films where she takes the leading role. These are Alice Douard’s “Des preuves d’amour”, which is screening at Critics’ Week, and Anna Cazenave Cambert’s “Love Me Tender” in Un Certain Regard.

Besides fiction, Luciani has a keen interest in non-fiction as well. She’s collaborating with Envie de Tempête Prods. on a documentary titled “A Manifest Life,” directed by Jean-Gabriel Periot. This documentary is about the life of Michèle Firk, a renowned French journalist, film critic, and anti-colonial activist who gained significant recognition in the 60s and 70s.

According to Luciani, Firk aspired to be a filmmaker, but due to her gender, she was unable to pursue her dream at that time. Instead, she chose to join the military and later moved to South America where she became deeply politically engaged. This dedication led to her tragic suicide at the age of 30 as the police were about to arrest her, fearing torture for revealing information. The upcoming documentary, produced for Arte, will be based on Firk’s personal diary and will resemble Periot’s previous work “Fragments.” Two renowned French actors will narrate the story.

To conclude, Luciani is collaborating with Hélène Rosselet-Ruiz on her first feature film titled “The Golden Triangle,” which features Mallory Wanecque (“Beating Hearts”) in the cast. The story is inspired by Rosselet-Ruiz’s personal life and focuses on an unusual friendship that develops between a young cleaning woman and her Saudi employer, who resides in the wealthy 16th district of Paris.

Helene, the filmmaker, took on a cleaning job for a woman in Saudi Arabia to fund her education at La Fémis, as Luciani shared. This tale is moving because it highlights the female experience, depicting a young cleaner struggling with her precarious social status, contrasted with a wealthy Saudi woman who, despite her wealth, is limited by cultural constraints within her nation, thereby unable to fully enjoy freedom. The initiative has already attracted notable collaborators such as MK2 Films for international distribution and Ad Vitam for French distribution.

As a passionate cinephile, I find myself consistently drawn to the challenge of creating first-time features, despite the fact that securing financing for them is akin to running a marathon rather than a sprint. This arduous journey, however, is crucial because it allows me to support and nurture budding filmmakers, regardless of their gender. The unique insights they bring, offering a fresh perspective on our world, makes every struggle worthwhile.

Luciani aims to maintain a reasonable number of projects following the success of “Anatomy of a Fall,” as she strives to uphold a specific standard of quality.

Luciani expressed that he prefers immersing himself in the film-making process. He achieves this by maintaining close relationships with the directors he collaborates with, while also preserving some flexibility, as he believes that producing more films helps grow his company and maintain its operations, including his team.

She mentioned that Les Films de Pierre has significantly increased its production speed in the past three years, releasing two movies annually rather than just one. “But for next year, I’m aiming for three films,” she added.

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2025-05-18 16:17