Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired the North American rights to “Misericordia,” written and directed by Alain Guiraudie (“Stranger by the Lake”), the companies announced on Friday.
The film stars stars Félix Kysyl, Catherine Frot, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Jacques Develay and David Ayala. It was a selection of the Cannes Premiere section where it received rave reviews.
“Misericordia” is produced by Charles Gillibert of CG Cinema. Janus and Sideshow are planning a theatrical release for the film.
The film centers on Jérémie (Kysyl), who returns to his hometown for the funeral of his former boss, the village baker. He decides to stay for a few days with Martine, the man’s widow. A mysterious disappearance, a threatening neighbor and a priest with strange intentions make Jérémie’s short stay in the village take an unexpected turn.
Sideshow and Janus Films said in a statement: “Alain Guiraudie is in top form with ‘Misericordia.’ He’s crafted a sly thriller about the unexpected nature of desire that manages to be smart, playful and often quite funny. It is one of the standouts at the Cannes Film Festival this year. We are thrilled to be working with him, producer Charles Gillibert and the team of Les Films du Losange.”
Producer Gillibert added, “Alain Guiraudie and I, along with the entire team at Les Films du Losange and CG Cinéma, are thrilled and proud of this partnership with Sideshow and Janus Films. Our companies share the same artistic standards, the same dedication to supporting filmmakers and the same desire to bring ambitious cinema to a wide audience. Since the premiere in Cannes, the feedback on the film has been tremendous, and I cannot wait for North American to discover ‘Misericordia.’”
The deal was brokered by Alice Lesort for Les Films du Losange on behalf of the filmmakers with Sideshow and Janus Films. The film is a CG Cinéma, Scala Films, Arte France Cinéma, Andergraun Films and Rosa Filmes co-production with the participation of Arte France, OCS and Les Films du Losange.
