producers` biographies

.
LA VOIE LACTEE is a production company, located in Paris, created to gather synergies of European filmakers,
artists and technicians on common projects. It was created by three partners who have in common the
experience of independent filmaking and international coproductions : François Drouot, Nathalie Algazi, both
French, and Marie Sonne-Jensen, a Danish producer living in Paris. The success of its collaborations with Sweden,
Greece, Estonia, Spain and Norway, encourages LA VOIE LACTEE to go on with that same atypical ambition
among. After adding to its network Switzerland, Brazil, Croatia, England and Germany, LA VOIE LACTEE has now
started the writing of several feature films.
PRODUCERS’ BIOGRAPHIES
Marie Sonne-Jensen
Marie Sonne-Jensen is Danish and has been living in Paris for 14 years. After two years of experience, in the advertising industry, three years
collaborating as a production coordinator at Slot Machine (co-production company of Lars Von Trier movies), four years at Les films du
lendemain, and being a development coordinator for One World films, she now specializes as an expert on Media and Eurimages financing for
French and foreign companies. For La voie lactée, she produces shorts and features films for which she naturally applies European
coproduction strategies.
Nathalie Algazi
Nathalie Algazi has worked as a free-lance production and post-production coordinator for French companies such as Aeternam Films and
Bonne Pioche (March of the penguins). She practices scriptwriting from the inside during a year and a half of classes with Yves Lavandier (La
dramaturgie) and attends John Truby and Robert Mc Kee’s seminars.
She creates La voie lactée in 2005 along with her former ESRA classmate Marie Sonne-Jensen, and François Drouot, she met at Les Films de
la Croisade (Mondovino). She produces several shorts by either French or foreign directors, always trying to think of a European co-production
strategy for those films. She notably co-produces Yorgos Zois”s two shorts with Greek producer Maria Drandaki : “Casus Belli” (Venice 2010,
Rotterdam 2010) and “Titloi Telous” (Best European short film 2012).
In March 2011, she’s elected at the short film office of Syndicat des producteurs Indépendants (SPI) where she focuses on promoting
European short film co-productions.
Thus, La voie lactée has been part of panels on European co-productions issues at the following international markets :
- European Short Pitch 2009, Nisi Masa, Moulin d’Andé. Short film coproduction – Case studies »
- Cannes film festival 2011, Short Film Corner - « Short film co-productions »
- Norway Insustry Chamber - Paris 2011 - « French cinema industry »
- Winterthur International Short film festival 2011 - « Pro’s and Con’s of international short film co-productions »
- Alcine 2012, Madrid, Shortlatino, « coproduction opportunities »
François Drouot
Coming form the documentary industry, having notably worked with writer-producer Alain de Sédouy for three years, François Drouot has been
a production manager for 10 years and began his career with feature documentaries (« Mon Voyage d’hiver » by Vincent Dieutre,
« Mondovino » by Jonathan Nossiter (official selection Cannes 2004). He got to fiction films through his work on fiction-documentaries as « La
Forteresse assiégée » by Gérard Mordillat and « La résistance » by Christophe Nick (2 prime time films for France 2 et 4 documentaries for
France 5). He now mainly works on fiction feature films (« Poursuite » by Marina Déak, « Les fraises des bois » by Dominique Choisy) however
not abandoning his documentary career. He recently was production manager of a medieval fiction documentary « Le Défi des bâtisseurs : la
cathédrale de Strasbourg » shot in 3D, which will be broadcasted on Arte in december. He regularly works with Les Films de la Croisade and
31 Juin Films and has just been the line producer of Jonathan Zaccaï,’s first feature « JC comme Jésus Christ ». For La voie lactée, he’s in
charge of the line production of feature films and collaborates on the development and financing of films.
FILMS
•
« Am I My Brother’s Keeper? » by Frédéric Farucci
Written by Frédéric Farucci and Jérôme Ferrari (Prix Goncourt 2012)
Co-produced by Les Productions du Triton.
With the support of The Corsican Region (CTC), France Télévisions - France 3 and France 3 Corse/Via
Stella, CNC-Cosip, Procirep-Angoa
Joseph goes about his own business, slowly and simply. A gentle giant, the quietly spoken Corsican
watches over his goats on rocky slopes that plunge into the sea. In winter, he hunts with his friend Antoine,
the owner of the local bar. But as summer heats up and the crowds flock in on holidays, Antoine's bar
becomes a rather fashionable place. One night, a local show-off tries to confront Antoine and in order to
provoke him he makes fun of Joseph to please the mob. As events spiral out of control, the limits are crossed, the tragedy is formed and
bursts in the early hours.
Short film – 24’ - Drama - 2012
•
« The 7th pullet » by Elisabet Gustafsson
French-Swedish co-production : La voie lactée – Dfm Fiktion
With the support of Region Alsace, Urban community of Strasbourg, Swedish Film
Institute, CNC-Cosip, Adami, Procirep-Angoa and France Télévisions
« The absurd and tragic-comical story of Mr B, a bored and self-centered man, who
secretly dreams of being acknowledged by his everyday travel companions as an
extinguished and entertaining man.
• Pre-sale France 2. Sales : SVT (Sweden), TSR (Switzerland), TV5 (French speaking-countries).
• Festivals : Festival Européen du film Fantastique Strasbourg, Kinoma Paris, Brie Comte Robert.
• Distribution : La Luna
Short film – 18’ – absurd comedy - 2011
•
« Buttercup » by Boris Vial
With the support of Region Rhône-Alpes and Adami
« A fat 10 year old girl cannot bear anymore his father criticizing her features.
She wanders if an old boyfriend of her mum could not be her real father. »
• Festivals : Saint-Paul-les-Trois-Chateaux, Vaulx-en-Velin, Etel, Tourtour,
EUShorts (Hungary)
• Children prize at Vaulx-en-Velin, Audience Prize at Tourtour (Var)
• TV Sale : Cine + (France)
Short film – 23 ’ – children comedy - 2011
•
« Mending » by Julien Boustani and Cecilia Ramos.
French-Spanish co-production : La voie lactée - Jaibo Films
With the support of Departement Alpes-Maritimes, Region PACA, Procirep-Angoa,
Adami and Sacem-Alcimé.
« An amnesiac loner, elderly and somber, tirelessly repairs collectors’ dolls in his sinister workshop.
One day, he stumbles across a note that had been hidden inside a doll’s broken head. His
discovery triggers a stunning revelation as tragic childhood events spring back to his memory. »
• Music by David Reyes, Belgium composer (‘The fox and the child’ by Luc Jacquet)
• Festivals : Clermont-Ferrand 2011 (Adami selection), Festival fantastique de Porto (Portugal) ), Ebensee (Autriche), Rhode Island
Flickers (USA) and 10 autres festivals
• 4 prizes : Audience prizes (Carry-Le-Rouet & Courts du 18è), Courts d’ici prize (Nice), Silver Bear in Ebensee (Autriche).
Short film – 18’ – drama - 2010
•
« On the other side » by Samuel Jacquemin
French-Estonian coproduction : La Voie Lactée – Average monkey
With the support of Region Bourgogne, town of Dijon, and Estonian film Institute,
French Cultural Center in Tallin, Ministry of Culture of Estonia
« Victor, a man living under a totalitarian regime, sees his monotonous life disrupted by a strange
message from his girlfriend whom he thought had disappeared. Victor starts dreaming of a different
world. It will be the beginning of a journey filled with traps, in which any unusual action on his part can
lead to disaster. »
• Music by Danish band Efterklang (3 ‘music awards’ 2008 in Denmark)
• Festivals : Dijon 2008 ; Festival International des très courts, Chalon-sur-Saône
• Distribution : Shorts TV International, Distribution TallinnFilm
Medium-length film – 52’ – anticipation drama - 2008
•
« The great magician » by Elisabet Gustafsson
French-Swedish-Estonian coproduction: La Voie Lactée - Dfm fiction - Average
Monkey
With the support of Swedish film Institute – Broadcasted on France 3 in 2009
« The great magician' is an absurd and tragic-comical fairytale about the miserable life of a
poor and unknown magician. He lives in the guise of a pedantic life of a poor and
unknown magician. Even though ill-disposed people surround him, his servile attitude
towards virtue, moral and providence keeps him from using his powerful force to change
the situation. No body suspects him to be a fantastic magician maybe not even himself !. »
• Best short film prize - Fantasy Worldwide Int. Film Festival,Toronto 2007.
• Selections : Festival Int. de Brooklyn, Mecal, Festival Int. de Barcelone ; Hamptons Int. Film Festival ; Bunter Hund, Munich Int. Short
Film Festival ; Paris Tout Court 2008.
Short film – 14’ – poetical comedy - 2008
•
« Des maux à mots dire » by Neary Adeline Hay
Coproduction La Voie Lactée & Oc’Dara – With the support of Region Ile de France
« A love story coming to an end. Subtitles appear and reveal what the couple really thinks. »
Short film – 16’– passion - 2007
MINORITY FRENCH COPRODUCTIONS
•
« Out of frame – Titloi Telous » de Yorgos Zois
Greek-French coproduction : Squared Square film - 2:35 - Homemade films - La
voie lactée. With the support of Greek Film Center
« In Greece the advertisement in exterior billboards has been recently forbidden. As a result
there are hundreds of blank billboards that don’t show any messages. But the empty frames
are now the message. And Greece is out of frame. »
• Prize : Best European Short film, Venice Film Festival 2012 – Rencontres Internationales Paris-Berlin-Madrid 2012
Short film – 11’ – experimental – 2012
•
« Casus Belli » by Yorgos Zois.
Greek-French coproduction : Pan Entertainment – Squared Square film –
2:35 - Homemade films - La voie lactée
With the support of Greek film Center
« All kinds of people are waiting in seven different queues. The first of each queue
becomes the last of the next one, thus creating an enormous human line. But when we
reach the end of the line, it all begins backwards again...
• Selections : Euroconnection 2009, Venice Film Festival 2010, Rotterdam Film Festival 2011, Thessaloniki Film Festival, 2011,
Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival 2011, 30 other festivals and more than 10 prizes.
• Distribution in France : Agence du court-métrage (progamme Radi)
• Tv sales : Canal + (France), Arte (France), RTP (Portugal,) SBS (Australia), NBC (Italy),
Short film – 11’ – experimental - 2010
•
« The other ones » by Hisham Zaman.
Norwegian-French coproduction : Ape & Bjorn - La voie lactée
With the support of Norwegian Film Institute
« A doctor in his late thirties driving a on a snowing and foggy day hits a black man
on the road. He lives the scene in panic. Back home, he discovers a little African girl
on the backseat of his car. »
• Music by David Reyes, Belgium composer (‘The fox and the child’ by Luc Jacquet)
• Selections : Euroconnection 2009, Norwegian Short Film Festival 2009, Grimstad Nordisk Panorama 5 Cities Film festival 2009,
Reykjavik, Exile Film Festival 2009, Göteborg, Sweden, Tampere International Short Film Festival 2010, 2010 Encounters
International Film Festival, UK
Short film – 13’ – drama - 2010
LINE PRODUCTION
•
« Les amours perdues » by Samanou A. Salhstrom
Produced by Den Danske Filmskole -- Zentropa
With Emmanuel Béart and Denis Lavant
Short film – 29 ’ – 2011
DEVELOPMENT
•
« Ctrl Alt Del » by Luc Walpoth, written by Luc Walpoth and Klaus Pas
« A family drama telling the story of a loving mother forced to terminate her only daughter, a dysfunctional 13- year-old android. Deeply
affected by this emotional void, she loses track of the reality she lives in. Her husband desperately tries to comfort her but her craving for
motherhood pushes her to take in a wandering, flesh and bone gutter kid. When the husband finds out, a violent clash follows»
Medium-lenght film – 30’– Science-fiction – Swiss-French coproduction – With the support of Pro
Cinéma Berne and Office fédéral de la culture (OFC)
•
« Corn and Beans » by Daniella Saba
« The life of an Argentinian woman living in France changes when her father, who had abandoned her in childhood, comes back leaving a
disabled dog with her. A relationship of love and hate begins between the woman and the dog. »
Short film – 15’– Tragicomedy - franco-brazilian coproduction – With the support of Brazilian ministry of
Culture - With the support of CNC (rewriting support)
•
« Electrifying love » by Avgousta Zourelidi
« Electrifying Love tells the tragicomic musical love story of a male electric pylon from Siberia who is accidentally transported and installed in
the heart of the English suburbs. Although he tries his best he doesn’t manage to fit into the new cultural environment. Things get even
worse when he meets and falls in love with a female pylon. His attempts to win her heart fail miserably. All that he achieves is to annoy her
and create interference in radio and electricity transmissions. »
Short film – Animation Musical Comedy – 14 ’
European Short Pitch Awards 2012
•
« The chicken » by Una Gunjak
« 1993, Sarajevo. Six year old Selma receives a living chicken as a gift for her birthday, from her father away on the front. When she
realises the chicken is not a pet bu is meant to be eaten for the birthday party, she frees him. To catch up the chicken, the mother has to
go outside under the bullets of Sarajevo streets. The little girl realizes she’s responsible for her mother risking her life»
Short film – 15’– Drama - Franco-German-Croatian-English coproduction
European Short Pitch Awards 2012
•
« Stage Fright » by Yorgos Zois, written by Yorgos Zois and Vassilis Kyriakopoulos
Feature film – 90 ‘
Greek-French coproduction – CNC development award Sarajevo 2011 - Torino Film Lab 2012
WRITING
•
« Troc Mort » by Martin Darondeau and Julien Labigne
« Two morticians, have their coffin stolen after a bank robbery and find instead a bag full of money. The crooks behind it soon suggest a
trade.»
Short film – Comedy – 15 ’
•
« Joachim Andersen»
« Music trip on the steps of Joachim Andersen, along with Thomas Hjalmar Jensen and Kyle Dzapo. »
Documentary – 52’ – French-American-German-Danish coproduction
•
« Abracadabra » by Jules Thénier, written Julien Capron and Jues Thénier
« A magician has to face the opposition between a boss and his employees on strike ».
Short film 15’ – Comédie – With the support of Procirep-Angoa
•
« Sold up » by David Cangardel, written by David Cangardel and Julie Demay
« In a dozen years from now, a new from of credit has developed : human organ mortgage. »
Long feature film – social visionary drama - 90’
•
« Strip » by Frédéric Farrucci - written by Nicolas Journey and Frédéric Farrucci
Long feature film – Film noir – 90’
ADDITIONAL FILMOGRAPHIES OF THE PRODUCERS
NATHALIE ALGAZI
PRODUCTION / POST-PRODUCTION COORDINATOR 2002 – 2012
La voie lactée – Producer
• « Crédit coopératif » (Corporate film, 2012)
• « Out of frame » by Yorgos Zois (2012)
• « Buttercup » by Boris Vial (2011)
• « Mending » by Cecilia Ramos and Julien Boustani (2011)
• « Casus Belli » by Yorgos Zois (2010)
• « The other ones » by Hisham Zaman (2010)
• « Des maux à mots dire » by Neary Adeline Hay (2007)
Calzonne – Post-production manager
• « Talents Cannes Adami 2010 », 7 short films (Festival de Cannes, Directors’ fortnight, 2010)
Bonne Pioche – Post-production coordinator
• « Retour à l’école », documentary 110’ et plateau TV 30’, prime-time (France 2, 2012)
• « Nus et Culottés », documentary (France 5, 2011)
• « 2010 – Une année sur Terre », documentary (France 2, 2010)
• « les ados explorateurs », documentary series (Canal +, 2010)
• « les petits explorateurs », documentary series (Canal +, 2009)
• « les nouveaux explorateurs », documentary series (Canal +, 2008, 2009, 2012)
• « Lascaux, le ciel des premiers hommes », documentary, Stéphane Bégoin, Docu-fiction (Arte, 2007)
• « les superpouvoirs de la Taupe» Pierre Bressiant, Fiction documentary, (Arte 2007)
• « Paris 2011-la grande inondation » Bruno Victor-Pujebet, Fiction documentary, (Canal + 2006, Discovery HD Theater
2007)
Les films de la croisade
• « la forteresse assiégée » Gérard Mordillat, Fiction documentary, (Arte, 2006)
• « mondovino» Jonathan Nossiter (Official selection, Cannes 2004)
• « folle embellie» Dominique Cabrera, french-belgium-canadian coproduction (Berlinale Film Festival 2004 - Prix du jury
oecuménique )
• « mon voyage d’hiver » Vincent Dieutre, french-german-belgium coproduction (Berlin 2003, Rome 2003, Buenos Aires
2004)
Aeternam Films
• « extrano» Santiago Loza, french-argentinian coproduction (Tiger award à Rotterdam 2003; Prix de la presse
Rencontres internationales Paris 2004)
• « un goût de sel» Hélène Marini, tv film (Arte, 2004)
MARIE SONNE-JENSEN
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR / DEVELOPMENT 2002 – 2012
La voie lactée - Producer
• « suis-je le gardien de mon frère ? » Frédéric Farrucci
• « les amours perdues » Samuel Achèche
• « sur les traces de Joachim Andersen » Pierre-Jean Bouyer et Marie Sonne-Jensen
• « the 7th pullet » Elisabet Gustafsson
• « the great magician » Elisabet Gustafsson
• « on the other side » Samuel Jacquemin
• « va comprendre » Samuel Jacquemin
• « l’entretien » Samuel Jacquemin
One World Films
Head of development, 2012
Les films du lendemain
• « l’apollonide » Bertrand Bonello, Sélection officielle Festival de Cannes, 2011
• « Yves Saint Laurent – Pier re Bergé, l’amour fou » Pierre Thoretton
• « yuki et nina » Hippolyte Girardot et Nobuhiro Suwa
• « l'arbre et la forêt » Olivier Ducastel et Jacques Martineau
• « les regrets » Cédric Kahn
• « de la guer re» Bertrand Bonello,
• « american vertigo» Michko Netchak, French-belgium coproduction
Slot Machine
• « boss of it all» Lars von Trier, french-danish-swedish-islandic-italian-norwegiane-finish-german coproduction (Copenhagen
Int.Filmfestival, 2006)
• « hamaca paraguaya» Paz Encina, french-argentinian-paraguayan coproduction (Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2006)
• « gemeaux» Albertina Carri, french-argentinian coproduction (Directors’ fortnight, Cannes 2005)
• « dear wendy» Thomas Vinterberg, franco-british-german (Sundance 2005)
• « los muertos» Lisandro Alonso, french-argentinian coproduction (Directors’ fortnight, Cannes 2004)
• « dogville» Lars von Trier, french-danish-swedish-netherlands-british-german coproduction (Official selection, Cannes 2003)
Les films de la croisade
• « mondovino» Jonathan Nossiter (Official selection, Cannes 2004)
• « mon voyage d’hiver » Vincent Dieutre, French-german-belgium coproduction (Berlin 2003, Rome 2003, Buenos Aires
2004)
FRANCOIS DROUOT
LINE PRODUCER / PRODUCTION MANAGER 2002 – 2012
La Voie Lactée - Producer
Seppia
Les bâtisseurs de la cathédrale, Marc Jampolsky, fiction-documentary 3D, Arte, broadcast december 2012
Nexus Factory / Vicious
• « JC comme Jésus Christ » Jonathan Zaccaï, Feature film, release February 2012.
31 Juin
• « un nuage dans un ver re d’eau » Srinath Samarasinghe, Long-métrage (Prod. Avenue B)
• « poursuite » Marina Deak, Feature film. Release march 2011
• « les fraises des bois » Dominique Choisy, Feature film. Release 2011
Les films de la croisade
• « joseph l'insoumis » Caroline Glorion, TV film (Grand Prix Luchon, France 2, 2011)
• « la résistance » C. Nick, F. Olivier, P. Bodet, fiction-documentary (France 2, France 5, 2008)
• « la forteresse assiégée » Gérard Mordillat, fiction-documentary (Arte, 2006)
• « nos scientifiques sont des artistes » Virginie Linhart
• « mondovino» Jonathan Nossiter (Official selection, Cannes 2004)
• « bologna centrale » Vincent Dieutre
• « mon voyage d’hiver » Vincent Dieutre
Les Films du Bouloi / Sodaperaga / GMT Productions
• 15 documentaries as a production coordinator for writer-producer Alain de Sedouy