Asghar Farhadi to helm 2nd French directorial starring Isabelle Huppert

Los Angeles, April 24 (IANS) Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi is set to return to Paris for his next film, ‘Parallel Tales’. The film, whose plot remains under wraps, brings together a powerful French cast, including Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney and Adam Bessa.

Iconic French actor Catherine Deneuve will also make an appearance in the film, reports ‘Variety’.

This marks Farhadi’s return to Paris after twelve years since he made his French-language directorial debut with ‘The Past’.

As per ‘Variety’, the film is produced by long-time collaborator Alexandre Mallet-Guy alongside Farhadi and David Levine, and will be launched by Charades and UTA Independent Film Group at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.

Charades will handle international sales, while UTA Independent Film Group will represent U.S. rights. Farhadi is set to begin production on ‘Parallel Tales’ in Paris this fall.

The Iranian director’s most recent film, ‘A Hero’, earned the Grand Prize at Cannes in 2021 and was nominated for a Golden Globe. ‘Parallel Tales’ marks Farhadi’s eagerly awaited follow up to “A Hero” which earned the Grand Prize at Cannes in 2021.

The helmer, who is attached to France through his friendship and collaboration with Mallet-Guy, previously struck a chord with ‘The Past’ which starred Tahar Rahim and Berenice Bejo.

The movie competed at Cannes in 2013 and won best actress for Bejo, and received five Cesar nominations and a Golden Globe nomination in 2014.

Besides ‘The Past’, Mallet-Guy’s Paris-based company Memento Production three more films by Farhadi, ‘The Salesman’, which won two awards at Cannes for its screenplay and lead actor in 2016, and the Oscar for best foreign language film the following year; ‘Everybody Knows’, Farhadi’s Spanish-language debut starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, which opened and competed at Cannes in 2018; and lastly ‘A Hero’.

On top of producing, Memento, which is one of France’s leading distribution companies, will handle the release ‘Parallel Tales’ in France.

--IANS

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