Shooting in France, the film stars A Prophet breakout Tahar Rahim; Wild Bunch will have the script in Cannes.

Wild Bunch is reteaming with Lou Ye for the controversial Chinese director’s latest film, Love And Bruises. Shooting in France, the film stars A Prophet breakout Tahar Rahim along with Jalil Lespert, Corinne Yam and Sifan Shao in what Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maraval calls a sort of Last Tango In Paris à la Lou Ye.

With a screenplay by Liu Jie Falin, Catherine Paille and Lou, the film is produced by Dream Factory, Why Not Films, Les Films du Lendemain and ARTE France Cinema. Along with Why Not, which produced A Prophet, another of that film’s alumna is also involved in Love And Bruises: costume designer Virginie Montel. Chinese cinematographer Yu Likwai is director of photography.

The love story follows Hua, a young teacher from Beijing recently arrived in Paris who drifts between former lovers and recent French acquaintances until she meets Mathieu, a young worker who falls madly in love with her. But, possessed by an insatiable desire for her body, he treats Hua like a dog. As the intense love affair progresses, Hua decides to leave her lover only to discover the strength of her addiction, and the vital role he has come to play in her life.

Wild Bunch and Lou most recently worked together on Spring Fever which won the screenplay award at Cannes in 2009. The collaborators also worked on Lou’s previous film, Summer Palace, which ran in Cannes in 2006 – after which Lou was banned from shooting in China when the film screened despite protests from the Chinese censors. Although he did make Spring Fever under the radar in China, he now resides in France.

Wild Bunch will have a script available in Cannes.

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