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Nathalie Baye Starrer ‘La Volante’ Headlines Bac’s Unifrance RDV Slate

PARIS — Bac Films will turn the spotlight on a pair of French movies, “La Volante,” a thriller toplining Nathalie Baye, and Marie Belhomme’s “Musical Chairs,” a romantic dramedy, at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous mini-mart that kicks off Jan. 15.

Produced by Tom Dercourt’s Cinema Defacto and Luxembourg-based Tarantula,”La Volante” is directed by Christophe Ali and Nicolas Bonilauri — the duo behind “The Rat,” a San Sebastian player, and “Wild Camp,” which screened at Berlin.

Pic, now in post-production, stars Baye as a grieving mother who lost her son in a car accident and purposely becomes the assistant to the man (Malik Zidi) who killed him and ran away.

“‘La Volante’ boasts three major selling points: it’s a suspenseful thriller, it’s made in France and it stars Nathalie Baye, who remains a well-known French actress,” said Gilles Sousa, head of international sales at Bac Films.

Script was penned by Jacques Sotty, Philippe Blasband and the two helmers, Ali and Bonilauri.

Co-written by Cesar-winning Michel Leclerc (“The Names of Love”) and Belhomme, “Musical Chairs” stars popular actress Isabelle Carre as a clumsy and endearing 35-year-old woman who makes ends meet by dressing up in ridiculously weird outfits at events. Her life gets turned upside down when she accidentally knocks down a man, propelling him into a coma. Caring for him every day, the woman gradually falls in love with him.

Now in post, “Musical Chairs” is produced by Agnès Vallée and Emmanuel Barraux at 31 Juin Films, whose credits include Cannes Critics’ Week player “Hippocrate.”

Bac will distribute both “La Volante” and “Musical Chairs” in France.

Bac Films’ Unifrance RDV lineup also includes “Extraordinary Tales,” an arthouse animated omnibus feature based on Edgar Allan Poe’s novel, and Nicolas Saada’s “Taj Mahal,” a high-concept thriller starring Stacy Martin (“Nymphomaniac”) and set against the backdrop of the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

“Taj Mahal,” one of France’s most anticipated films, is currently in post. “Extraordinary Tales” is completed. Bac will host the toon movie’s first market screening at Berlin.

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