Aaltra. A Film by Benoît Delépine, Gustave de Kervern. Belgium, Running Time: 92 minutes

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1 Aaltra A Film by Benoît Delépine, Gustave de Kervern Belgium, Running Time: 92 minutes Distributor Contact: Josh Levin Film Movement Series 109 W. 27 th St., Suite 9B, New York, NY Tel: ext. 213 Fax: josh@filmmovement.com

2 AALTRA Synopsis In this irreverent road movie, comedians Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern, who wrote, directed, and co-star, show a distinct flair for understated physical comedy and defiantly non-pc humor. Two rural neighbors who hate each other come to blows one day on a farm and get tangled up in an agricultural tractor, leaving them both paralyzed, wheelchair-bound, and simmering with spite. But rather than feel sorry for themselves, the embittered paraplegics decide to seek revenge against the tractor s manufacturer. They take to the road, redirecting their frustrations with their plights towards the people they meet on the way to Helsinki. Captured in sharp black-and-white Cinemascope photography that complements its exquisite Tati-like sight gags, AALTRA undermines conventional attitudes toward the disabled with its dry wit and acerbic, vengeful characters. Look for some recognizable cameos, including famous Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki. About AALTRA At first, AALTRA shows the ordinary hatred between two men. Two neighbours. So far so good! So far so bad! They are observed from a distance slowly destroying each other out of boredom and pettiness. All of a sudden, due to their injuries, they are drawn to one another. This is where the strength of the film lies. However, it takes a while to realise what is really going on. The strength of this road-movie deploys itself slyly through the ambiguous nature of these weak heroes for whom viewers surprisingly feel no empathy. AALTRA is no ordinary film. Each sequence denies viewers entry into a compassionate comfort zone. In fact, the compassion normally dispensed so charitably to the disabled is thrown straight back at the viewers, making them feel stupid. In this film, the disabled protagonists are simply normal, at times a bit stupid, a bit nasty, often funny; in other words human - period! Similar to Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, their search is pathetic yet heroic though hardly endearing. 2

3 Cast & Crew Benoît Delépine... L'employé Gustave K/Vern¹... L'ouvrier agricole Michel de Gavre... Le paysan Gérard Condejean... Le Chinois Isabelle Delépine... L'épouse Pierre Ghenassia... Le patron Fred Martin... Le collègue Jan Bucquoy... L'amant Pierre Carles... Le medicine Written & Directed by Produced by Original Music by Cinematography by Film Editing by Costume & Production Design by Sound Department Benoit Delepine Gustave de Kervern Guillaume Malandrin, Vincent Tavier Les Wampas Hugues Poulain Anne-Laure Guegan Isabelle Girard Laurent Cercleux Guillaume Le Bras The Writers / Directors Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern cut their teeth during 15 years writing and acting on TV as stand-up comedians. One of them worked for Guignols de l info and Groland (both access prime time spoof shows on Canal+ pay TV), while the other was performing in Le Plein de Super (rock music programme). They met each other 5 years ago on the set of Grolandsat, a totally independent show shot on DV. They used this as a testing ground to develop new narrative solutions, while writing small features that became increasingly elaborate. Whilst working on Toc, toc, toc (a comic series), they had a chance to meet with highly acclaimed French cult feature director, Maurice Pialat, who talked them into making films. Thus, their first attempt: Don Quixote and the Revolution a road movie featuring an anarchist biker and a pizza delivery boy on a moped. In Aaltra, their first feature film as Directors, they wanted to capture a dash of life they feel is often lacking in contemporary productions. They achieved this by mingling actors and nonprofessionals, hidden camera and staged shots as well as written and improvised dialogues. During the filmmaking, they managed to incorporate the unexpected locations and encounters that crossed their path into the overall story. 3

4 Their encounter with Aki Kaurismäki will remain for them the highlight of their life. The Producers LA PARTI PRODUCTION Man Bites Dog epitomises Vincent Tavier s founding inspiration and represents the general context in which La Parti Production was established. The collective effort with which this cultmovie was made has given its authors an acclaimed position in the Belgian and international film panorama. Since, La Parti Production has remained true to this legacy by deliberately choosing to produce, in an unconventional way, projects characterised by an unusual and original subject matter often displaying an alternative sense of humour. Several shorts by in house directors ( Raconte by Guillaume & Stéphane Malandrin, Pâques au tison by Martine Doyen, ), a few music video clips (Dyonisos, Françoiz Breut, Arno, ) and the production of Panique au village directed by Pic Pic André animation studios have confirmed La Parti s trademark: fiercely independent films made with no regard for trends and fashion, demonstrating a strong team effort. Current feature film projects include: Calvaire by Fabrice du Welz (selected at Cannes Film Festival 2004), Où est la main de l homme sans tête by Guillaume Malandrin (co-production with OF2B), Petites Elucubrations Héroïques (co-production with OF2B), Nuages by Jérôme Boulbes (co-production with Lardux Films). Contact: LA PARTI PRODUCTION 15 rue A. Cluysenaar B 1060 Bruxelles info@laparti.com OF2B PRODUCTIONS OF2B Production was founded in 2001 by Isabelle Filleul de Brohy and Jean-Luc Ormières. OF2B develops and produces a slate of feature films including: Black Spartacus by Euzhan Palcy and Robin Forever by Emmanuel Oberg, 1600 Bellies by Joëlle Bentolila.OF2B also works on projects by young talents such as Martine Doyen s Petites Elucubrations Héroïques, Augustine written by Alice Winocour and a project in development with Egoli-Tossell in Berlin. As a French co-producer, OF2B has collaborated on the films Aaltra by Gustave Kervern and Benoît Delépine and Où est la main de l homme sans tête by Guillaume Malandrin, produced by La Parti Production in Brussels and Belhorizon by Inès Rabadan produced by Need Production in Brussels. 4

5 OF2B is also currently preparing a documentary recounting the odyssey of the early resistants from the French West Indies, The Dissidence, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Euzhan Palcy ( Sugar Cane Alley, A Dry and White Season ). Together with the above listed productions, OF2B is busy setting up a DVD publishing branch and has acquired shares into the company Le Meilleur du Cinéma Français, a company which holds the Video-On-Demand licences of four hundred and fifty independent films. Jean-Luc Premieres shares his activities between his production company and Moonstone Int l Screen Labs, where he has been appointed Artistic Director. His credits include some acclaimed award-winning films and directors. Contact: OF2B Productions 6, Cité Paradis F Paris info@of2b.com MOVIESTREAM MovieStream is an investment company aiming primarily at financing, developing, producing, acquiring and distributing feature film, video and television products. Creative content will derive from a broad base of sources including integrated film production companies, joint ventures, talent deals, libraries and acquisitions of distribution rights. MovieStream will leverage its access to these sources of theatrical and television material through its European production and distribution organisation. MovieStream's investment philosophy is based on a portfolio approach and financing of films with international appeal. Contact: MOVIESTREAM Affix Corporate Finance 40 rue des drapiers B 1050 Bruxelles

6 Festival Awards & History Joseph Plateau Awards 2005 Won, Joseph Plateau Award Best Belgian Actor (Beste Belgische Acteur) Benoît Poelvoorde Also for Podium. Nominated, Joseph Plateau Award Best Belgian Film (Beste Belgische Film) London Film Festival 2004 Won, FIPRESCI Prize Benoît Delépine, Gustave de Kervern Copenhagen International Film Festival 2004 Nominated, Golden Swan Benoît Delépine Rotterdam International Film Festival 2004 Nominated, Tiger Award Benoît Delépine, Gustave de Kervern ABOUT FILM MOVEMENT Film Movement is a distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films. Film Movement releases films both through traditional windows and simultaneously via a first-of-itskind subscription service called the Film Movement Series. Film Movement Series members receive an award-winning feature film direct from the world s top festivals, along with a bonus short film, on DVD to own every month, selected by our distinguished board of curators. For more information, please visit 6