Memento sells Giannoli’s Marguerite worldwide

Memento Films International is reporting good sales on French director Xavier Giannoli’s upcoming Marguerite, starring Catherine Frot as an aspiring opera singer with a terrible voice.

The period drama – inspired by the real-life tale of the world’s worst soprano Florence Foster Jenkins – revolves around Marguerite Dumont, a wealthy 1920s chatelaine who believes she has a wonderful voice.

“Distributors were immediately impressed with the footage we showed, Catherine’s performance is outstanding and direction and photography are remarkably beautiful,” said Tanja Meissner, MFI’s head of international sales and acquisitions

In Europe, the film has sold to Benelux (Imagine), Switzerland and Lichtenstein (Praesens Films), Poland (Kino Swiat), Spain (A Contracorriente), Germany (Concorde), Portugal (Alambique) and Hungary and Romania (Ads Service).

In Asia, it has been picked for Hong Kong and Macau (Edko), Japan (Kino Films), Taiwan (Maison Motion) and Korea (Green Narea).

Other territories include Israel (Lev Cinema), Turkey (Mars Production), Brazil (Mares Filmes) and Australia (Transmission). Skeye Inflight has picked it up for airlines.

Frot was last seen on international screens in Haute Cuisine in which she played the private cook of late French president Francois Mitterrand.

French Fidélité Films is the lead producer on the film with support from co-producers Sirena Film in Prague, where the film was shot, and Belgium’s Scope Pictures.

Giannoli’s previous films include film Superstar which premiered in competition at Venice and Palme d’Or contenders Quand j’etais chanteur and In The Beginning.