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Alexandre Mallet-Guy’s Memento Distribution has bought Harry Lighton‘s sexy romance “Pillion” which is world premiering in Un Certain Regard.
The Paris-based Memento Distribution, which is at Cannes with three movies in competition, will release the A24 movie in France. Speaking to Variety, Mallet Guy said, “It’s a gay BDSM rom-com, and it’s pretty wild.”
“Alexander Skarsgård plays the biker, and Harry Melling, who you might know from ‘Harry Potter,’ plays the submissive. The film is hilarious but also quite disturbing, simply because it’s a romantic comedy set in such a specific, unconventional world. But it really works — it’s surprisingly emotional, and there’s something incredible about seeing two stars take such bold risks,” he added.
Memento Distribution’s Cannes competition lineup includes Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” Jafar Panahi’s “A Simple Accident” and Tarik Saleh‘s “Eagles of the Republic,” as well as Laura Wandel’s “Adam’s Sake” which opened Critics Week.
Speaking of Wandel’s film, “Adam’s Sake,” Mallet-Guy said he had “a real shock” after he read the script which he describes as “a true page-turner.” “The story unfolds almost in real time: an hour and thirty minutes in a hospital, with about an hour and fifteen minutes actually filmed. You’re in total immersion as you follow the chief nurse and the mother of a young child who’s been hospitalized, and their confrontation is absolutely gripping,” he said.
Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” meanwhile, will appeal to fans of the Norwegian’s work, Mallet-Guy predicts. “It’s very melancholic, very beautiful, and above all, it’s a family story,” he said. The film follows a family across generations, with flashbacks, all centered around a single house. The house itself transforms depending on who’s living there, with each person’s memories attached to different rooms.
The producer-distributor also spoke about Panahi’s film and said it’s “deeply rooted in the current realities of Iranian society. “It’s a very politically engaged work, powerfully connected to its time.”
Mallet-Guy’s relationship with Panahi dates back to “Taxi Tehran” which was a major success in France where it sold 600,000 admissions. It marked the second-biggest success for Iranian cinema here after “A Separation,” which did 1 million tickets in theaters. Memento Distribution then handled “Three Faces,” which was also selected in competition at Cannes. This latest film, “A Simple Accident” is co-produced by the French company Les Films Pélléas, the production company behind “Anatomy of a Fall” and is co-produced by Bidibul Productions and Pio &Co.
“Eagles of the Republic,” which Memento co-produced, reteams Mallet-Guy with Saleh after “The Nile Hilton Incident” and “Boy From Heaven,” a pair of commercial and critical hits that traveled around the world. Mallet-Guy said “Eagles of the Republic” – once again set in Egypt — marks “without a doubt, Tark Saleh’s most ambitious film to date —not just in terms of budget, but also in its political engagement.”
“It begins with the tone of a black comedy and gradually shifts into a political thriller with elements of espionage. It’s a bold, exciting film.”
The movie is produced by Unlimited Stories, a major Swedish company, Tarik’s own Paraton, and Memento.
“This is actually the biggest budget we’ve ever had for an Arabic-language film. Funding films in Arabic is never easy, but thanks to the support of Canal + and Arte, we’ve managed to make it happen,” Mallet-Guy said.
Memento has been increasingly involved in production in the last few years. It recently announced the next film by two-time Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, “Parallel Tales,” which will shoot in Paris with a powerful cast, including including Isabelle Huppert (“Elle”), Virginie Efira (“Benedetta”), Vincent Cassel (“Black Swan”), Pierre Niney (“The Count of Monte Cristo”) and Adam Bessa (“Ghost Trail”).
“We’ve always produced one or two films a year, but lately, we’ve been putting more focus into it,” Mallet-Guy noted.
Memento is also backing several Asian filmmakers. The banner is working on the next film by Chinese director Diao Yinan, who won the Golden Bear for “Black Coal, Thin Ice” and then we made “The Wild Goose Lake,” which competed at Cannes, and is developing a new project with “Black Dog” director Guan Hu.
The company’s upcoming French distribution titles includes Marc Fitoussi’s latest film, currently shooting in Paris with Isabelle Huppert, who plays an extra and Sandrine Kiberlain, who plays herself as a French film star. It’s produced by Caroline Bonmarchand, and marks a new collaboration between Fitoussi and Huppert after “Copacabana.” Another title is Martin Provost’s new film, “Demain Je Tombe Amoureux,” featuring Fabrice Luchini in the lead, with Carole Bouquet, Emmanuelle Devos.
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