22/08/2023 - Salif Cissé, Denis Podalydès and Aure Atika head the cast of the French director’s new film, produced by Le Bureau and sold by The Bureau Sales

Actors Salif Cissé (© Eloïse Monmirel) and Denis Podalydès (© Georges Biard) and actress Aure Atika (© Georges Biard)

The first clapperboard will slam tomorrow, Wednesday 23 August on Le répondeur, the 6th feature film by Fabienne Godet after Burnt Out [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2005 San Sebastian New Directors), My Greatest Escape [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2009 Berlinale Forum and nominated for the 2010 Best Documentary César award), A Place on Earth [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (for which Benoît Poelvoorde won the 2014 Best Actor Magritte award), Our Wonderful Lives [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fabienne Godet
film profile] (2019 Rotterdam Voices) and What If Tomorrow [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2021).

Standing out in the cast are Salif Cissé (revealed in All Hands on Deck [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guillaume Brac
film profile] and in French cinema on 6 March 2024 in La vie de ma mère), Denis Podalydès (appreciated recently in The Great Magic [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and All Your Faces [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], and soon in Venice in Making of), Aure Atika (nominated for the 2010 César award for Best Supporting Actress, currently in cinemas i Paint It Gold), and Clara Bretheau (revealed in Forever Young [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
film profile]).

Written by Fabienne Godet and Claire Barré (A Bigger World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fabienne Berthaud
film profile]), the script centres on Baptiste, a talented impersonator who can’t make a living off his art. One day, he is approached by Pierre Chozène, a famous but secretive novelist, bothered by troublesome people, canvassers, socialites and bores. Pierre needs some calm to finish his most ambitious and intimate manuscript. He therefore asks Baptiste to become his voice on the phone, and this is how Baptiste becomes his answering machine, with all the risks that entails...

Produced by Bertrand Faivre for Le Bureau, Le répondeur is co-produced by France 3 cinéma. Pre-bought by OCS and France 3, the feature film also benefits from the support of the Cineventure and Cofimage Soficas. The six weeks of filming will unfold until 4 October, with Eric Blanckaert as director of photography. French distribution will be handled by Tandem and international sales by The Bureau Sales.

For the record, Le Bureau is currently behind the documentaries Striptease integral by Jean Libon, Yves Hinant and five other directors (in co-production with Belgium’s Artémis Productions) and Une famille by Christine Angot (in co-production with Rectangle Productions) in post-production. The Paris-based company is also a partner on three films shooting this summer: with Artémis for De l’art ou du Machond ? by Stefan Liberski, with Germany’s Heimatfilm for the documentary The Mad Dog of Europe by British director Rubika Shah, and via Tessalit Productions for Papamobile by Sylvain Estibal (When Pigs Have Wings [+see also:
trailer
film profile]).

(Translated from French)