France tv distribution is proud to announce its acquisition of Belle. The international sales have been launched at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Directed by Benoît Jacquot (Farewell My Queen, Diary of a Chambermaid, Casanova Last Love) and produced by Macassar Productions (Eva, In the Fade, My Night) and Ciné-@ (Maigret, Presidents, Coco Before Chanel), this feature film stars Guillaume Canet (Asterix & Obelix: the Middle Kingdom, Sink or swim, La belle époque, Non-fiction) and Charlotte Gainsbourg (Melancholia, The passengers of the night, Promise at Dawn). 

The story is based on the work "La mort de Belle" (The Death of Belle) by Georges Simenon, author of the bestseller "Maigret". Georges Simenon is the most read Belgian author in the world with 550 million copies sold worldwide and the most translated Belgian author in the world (3,500 translations in 47 languages).

Synopsis

Pierre and his wife Cléa lead a peaceful existence in a small provincial town. He is a teacher and she runs an optician’s. They are lodging Belle, the daughter of a friend. 

Their whole life is turned upside when Belle is found dead in their house.

Since he was the only one at home, Pierre is the sole suspect.

He is subject to police questioning humiliation, his colleagues’ ostracism and hostility from the residents of this small town, where everything is known.

For the same question is on everyone’s lips: who killed Belle?

Catherine Bernard (Deputy General Manager at France tv distribution) :

"Georges Simenon’s writing quality is timeless. With such a stellar cast and director (Benoît Jacquot’s talent in this area has been proven time and again), this film adaptation can’t help but be a hit!"

Marie-Jeanne Pascal (Producer at Macassar Productions) and Philippe Carcassonne (Producer at Ciné-@): 

"This movie is particularly topical, tackling such matters as the presumption of innocence, trial by media, popular judgment, and how an extraordinary event is capable of transforming an ordinary man. It also mirrors Georges Simenon’s two-pronged approach: exposition of a social environment and exploration of the blindness of the human soul."

Let's meet in Cannes!

France TV booth at Pantiero

Cannes Film Festival

May 16 to 27, 2023

BELLE

Original Title: Belle

Directed by Benoît Jacquot

Based on the work « La mort de Belle » by Georges Simenon

Cast: Guillaume Canet and Charlotte Gainsbourg

Production: Macassar Productions and Ciné-@

Photo credits: 

Guillaume Canet: ©Arno Lam/Charlette Studio 

Charlotte Gainsbourg : ©Sharif Hamza

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About France tv distribution

France tv distribution works with producers and licensors to maximise revenues from their programmes accross all media platforms encompassing video, VOD and music publishing, merchandising, magazine and book publishing, plus French and international distribution and fund-raising.

Since January 2017, France tv distribution has gone hand in hand with distribution films abroad. As a major player on the distribution of rights in France and in foreign markets, this new activity of trading feature films is added to its savoir-faire.