Sylvie Pialat, Cristian Mungiu Team on Holocaust Drama (EXCLUSIVE)

By Elsa Keslassy

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – French producer Sylvie Pialat at Les Films du Worso is teaming up with Palme d’Or winning director Cristian Mungiu on “To the Edge of Sorrow,” a drama based on Holocaust survivor Aharon Appelfeld ‘s book.

“To the Edge of Sorrow” inspired by a true story, follows a intrepid Jewish teenager who managed to escape from the Nazis and found refuge in the mountains where he took part in an organized resistance movement along with other Jewish of diverse backgrounds and generations. The film will be directed by Michel Spinosa (“Enchanted Interlude”). The script of the film was written in collaboration with Valérie Zenatti, Appelfeld’s French translator.

Les Films du Losange, the banner behind Michael Haneke’s films, has taken French rights to the project and is handling international sales. The film is co-produced by Belgian coproducer Patrick Quinet (Artemis) and David Silber from Israeli company Metro Communication.

The film will star Cosmina Stratan who starred in Mungiu’s 2012 Cannes competition title “Beyond the Hills” and won the actress trophy for her performance.

“There have been many movies about the resistance during World War II, but ‘To the Edge of Sorrow’ is a story that has been rarely portrayed — the one of Jews who resisted the Nazis, and it will be a realistic and poetical film set against the cinematic backdrop of the mountains,” Pialat said.

Budgeted in the $5 million range, the film will start shooting in September.

Pialat’s shingle has three films at Cannes this year including Franco Lolli’s Critics’ Week opener “Litigante” and Corneliu Porumboiu’s competition title “La Gomera.”

Pialat is also re-teaming with Pathé on Xavier Beauvois’ “Un Petit Fils,” the actor-turned-director’s follow-up to “The Guardians.” “Un Petit Fils” will star Denis Menochet (“Custody”) as a cop from Normandy whose life collapses after he commits a crime.

Pialat, who is presenting Aude Léa Rapin’s feature debut “Heroes Don’t Die” at Cannes’ Critics Week, is set to produce “Tout le monde aime Jeanne,” the feature debut of filmmaker Céline Devaux, whose last short, “Gros chagrin,” won at Venice in 2017. Pialat is producing the film with Luis Urbano’s Portuguese banner O Som e a Fúria. The movie will star Vincent Macaigne and will include animated segments.