WWII-set romantic thriller White Friar will be the first offspring of the inaugural Franco-Irish co-production pact signed in December in Paris and was officialised in Cannes by the film’s producers France’s Valentina Films and Ireland’s Max Films on Friday (May 19).
White Friar stars Bafta winning-actress Anamaria Marinca who starred in Palme d’Or-winning 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days alongside veteran French actor Jean-Marc Barr, known for Luc Besson’s Big Blue and Cannes Jury Prize-winning film Europa.
The film was written and directed by first-time filmmaker Ivan Murphy and based on his great uncle Father Tom Murphy, an Irish Catholic priest and wing commander in the Royal Air Force and Eva Hofer, a Hungarian Jew in Vienna hiding in plain sight.
Xavier Castrano, known for his collaborations with Jean-Jacques Annaud on films like The Bear, Two Brothers and Wolf Totem, serves as executive producer. Also on board is Max Brady of Max Films known for Game Of Thrones and the upcoming The Problem With People.
Director of European and International Affairs at France’s CNC Jérémie Kessler called the co-production agreement “a landmark in a long-lasting friendship between both our countries and our creators” and called White Friar “the proof that our efforts and this friendship are already meaningful to allow our artists to share their experience, their craft, their storytelling.”
The film is set to kick off pre-production in the Fall and start shooting early next year between Paris, Dublin and Vienna.
Prior to Monday’s deal, co-productions between France and Ireland have been based on the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production that requires at least another European country to be involved in production. While it doesn’t offer additional tax rebates or financial incentives, the bilateral agreement is meant to catalyse more Franco-Irish co-productions and remove the need for third party countries.
Murphy, an Irishman based in France, told Screen: “It’s a great opportunity. The fact that we can co-produce with just two countries is advantageous and the CNC have been such a supportive driving force in this.”
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