“Forsaken,” Vincent Garenq’s drama inspired by the harrowing true story of French teacher Samuel Paty, has sold in major markets around of the world following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Represented internationally by TF1 Studio, the movie has also been having a healthy run at the local box office, selling over 500,000 admissions since its May 13 theatrical release through UGC Distribution.
The film, produced by Outside Films and Les Films du Kiosque, follows a dedicated teacher, Samuel Paty, who leads a classroom discussion on free speech in in a suburban Paris school, a few years after the Charlie Hebdo attacks. What begins as an ordinary lesson spirals into tragedy after a false accusation sparks a viral online campaign fueled by outrage, misinformation and radicalization.
“As tensions escalate and silence spreads, an ordinary lesson turns into a fatal spiral,” reads the synopsis. “In the aftermath, conflicting voices confront a devastating truth: how rumor, a click, and collective inaction can lead to the irreparable.”
Rolling off the movie’s bow out of competition at Cannes, TF1 Studio has closed deals on “Forsaken” for Italy (Satine Film), Spain (A Contracorriente), Austria (Panda Films), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Cinemart), Israel (New Cinema), Canada (Axia Films), Brazil (Ipecine), Indonesia (PT Falcon), Greece (Rosebud) and Bulgaria (Beta). The film has also been released in Benelux and Switzerland. Negotiations are ongoing in Germany, Japan and India.
Directed by Garenq (“The Clearstream Affair”), “Forsaken” stars Antoine Reinartz (“BPM (Beats Per Minute),” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Love Me Tender,” “The Perfect Nanny”), Emmanuelle Bercot (“Standing Tall,” “My King,” “150 Milligrams,” “Peaceful”), Nedjim Bouizzoul, Emma Boumali and Azize Kabouche.
“’Forsaken’ resonates far beyond France through both the strength of its storytelling and the universal questions it raises,” said Alice Damiani, EVP International Film Sales at Studio TF1. “The breadth of these sales across Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia reflects the strong interest from distributors and audiences in films that engage with the defining issues of our time.”
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