Philippe Bober’s Coproduction Office has sealed deals at Cannes on three titles: “Aurora,” “Tender Son — the Frankenstein Project,” and “Le quattro volte.”
The trio of pics have been licensed to Belgium (Lumiere), the Netherlands (Filmmuseum) and Portugal (Atalanta Films).
Playing in Un Certain Regard, “Aurora” is Romanian Cristi Puiu’s followup to his debut, “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu,” which won the Certain Regard prize in 2005 and launched what critics now call the New Romanian Cinema.
Inspired by Mary Shelley’s gothic novel, Cannes competition player “Son” is directed by Kornel Mundruczo. It marks his followup to “Delta,” a critical fave in 2008 Cannes competition, and won the Fipresci prize. “Son” has more narrative force than “Delta,” said Coproduction Office managing director Bober.
“Le quattro volte,” by Italy’s Michelangelo Frammartino, plays Directors’ Fortnight. It revolves around the unbroken traditions and cycles of life in the helmer’s native Calabria.
Coproduction Office has also taken international rights to Ruben Ostlund’s “Play.” The feature reworks Ostlund’s short, “Incident by a Bank,” which won a Golden Bear at the Berlin Festival this year. “Play” will be completed mid-2011.
A second pickup is “Meteora,” about the illicit relationship between a Greek Orthodox monk and a nun. “Meteora” is directed by Greek-Colombian Spiros Stathoulopoulos, helmer of “PVC-1,” which played Directors’ Fortnight in 2007.
Through its Paris or Berlin production houses — Parisienne de Production and Essential Films — Coproduction Office co-produced all three of its Cannes selections. It also enjoys longterm relationships with its stable of directors, Bober said at Cannes. “Son,” for example, is its fourth film with Mundruczo over 10 years, he added.
