A rare flagship indie producer left on the French market, Bruno Nahon’s Paris-based company Unité is preparing to conquer international audiences with “Rematch,” a period psychological thriller chronicling the historical battle between world chess champion Garry Kasparov, and Ibm’s supercomputer Deep Blue in 1997.
The sprawling show, directed by Yan England (“The Red Band Society”) and co-created with Nahon and André Gulluni (“Sam”), was commissioned by Arte in France and has already been sold by Federation Studios to major outlets around the world, including HBO Europe for Spain, Portugal, the Nordics, Iceland, Baltics, Central Europe, Greece and the Netherlands. Disney+ has bought first-window rights for the U.K. and will air the show in France after the Arte broadcast.
Nahon, who created Unité a decade ago, has been making bold shows and movies exploring social, religious and political aspects of societies, and has often captured the zeitgeist in the process.
The sprawling show, directed by Yan England (“The Red Band Society”) and co-created with Nahon and André Gulluni (“Sam”), was commissioned by Arte in France and has already been sold by Federation Studios to major outlets around the world, including HBO Europe for Spain, Portugal, the Nordics, Iceland, Baltics, Central Europe, Greece and the Netherlands. Disney+ has bought first-window rights for the U.K. and will air the show in France after the Arte broadcast.
Nahon, who created Unité a decade ago, has been making bold shows and movies exploring social, religious and political aspects of societies, and has often captured the zeitgeist in the process.
- 2/28/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Previously, in Class Act Episode 6, Dominique and Tapie faced a growing rift as Tapie’s political ambitions clashed with Dominique’s. After a decade of togetherness, Dominique decided to leave Tapie’s side. Meanwhile, Tapie’s risky plan to fix a football match involved a deal with Glassmann and Robert from the opposing club. Despite warnings from the general manager, Tapie proceeded with the scheme. However, Glassmann’s integrity led him to confess to the referee, which posed a significant threat to Tapie’s career and reputation. However, Tapie and Dominique eventually reunited and decided to marry each other. The final episode of Class Act promises a dramatic conclusion to Tapie’s tumultuous life, seasoned with some surprising revelations.
Spoilers Ahead
Did Dominique and Tapie get married?
In Class Act Episode 7, the story took an exciting turn as Tapie’s team, Olympique de Marseille, secured victory in the European Cup.
Spoilers Ahead
Did Dominique and Tapie get married?
In Class Act Episode 7, the story took an exciting turn as Tapie’s team, Olympique de Marseille, secured victory in the European Cup.
- 9/15/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Previously, in Class Act Episode 3, Bernard Tapie had immense success with the Diguet-Deny factory. Tapie briefly considered a slaughterhouse venture but shifted his focus to buying a battery company named Wonder. Despite financial challenges, Tapie pursued buying Wonder but faced competition from his wife’s friend, Alexis. Tapie devised a clever scheme and gained control of Wonder. However, he found Wonder in debt and was compelled to choose between saving his workers in Diguet-Deny and securing Wonder’s success.
Spoilers Ahead
What Were The Workers From Wonder Striking For?
In Class Act Episode 4, things took an intense turn when a massive strike was organized at the Wonder factory, led by the union representative, Mrs. Leduc, to fight the layoff. Frustrated and desperate, the workers wanted to confront Tapie about his unfulfilled promises. However, much to their disappointment, Tapie was nowhere to be found. Instead, they had to deal with Nicole,...
Spoilers Ahead
What Were The Workers From Wonder Striking For?
In Class Act Episode 4, things took an intense turn when a massive strike was organized at the Wonder factory, led by the union representative, Mrs. Leduc, to fight the layoff. Frustrated and desperate, the workers wanted to confront Tapie about his unfulfilled promises. However, much to their disappointment, Tapie was nowhere to be found. Instead, they had to deal with Nicole,...
- 9/14/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Previously, in the second episode of Class Act, Bernard Tapie faced legal trouble from his business partner, Marcel Loiseau, which led to a court verdict that banned Tapie from owning any business in the future. Tapie’s personal life also suffered from family and marital issues. Tapie started working on a project that turned out to be a new business called Heart Assistance, an emergency health service for heart patients. Dr. Nahon joined him, but things went downhill when the service turned out to be unreliable. However, moving on from the failure, Tapie’s next venture was to acquire a dormant brochure factory, and to get it off the ground, he convinced a banker to invest in it. He also proposed marriage to Dominique, and she agreed. The fate of this new business venture is uncertain, leaving us curious about what will happen next.
In episode 3, we saw Bernard Tapie...
In episode 3, we saw Bernard Tapie...
- 9/14/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Previously, in Class Act Episode 1, we were introduced to the life of Bernard Tapie, a multifaceted individual who went on an ambitious journey, spanning business, sports, and politics. In Tapie’s initial days, he wanted to start an electronic store called the “Tapie Store,” where customers could join a special subscription to get big discounts on electronic products. Initially, he found it hard to convince people to invest in his venture. However, things changed when he met a wealthy businessman named Marcel Loiseau. They decided to open the store together, but Loiseau would own most of it. This led to complications because Tapie and Dominique, who worked for Loiseau, developed feelings for each other even though Tapie was already married. So, their business partnership faced its share of challenges, affecting both their professional and personal lives.
Spoilers Ahead
What is heart assistance?
Class Act Episode 2, Bernard Tapie found himself in a dire situation.
Spoilers Ahead
What is heart assistance?
Class Act Episode 2, Bernard Tapie found himself in a dire situation.
- 9/13/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Class Act has finally arrived on Netflix screens, and it’s ready to take you on an exciting journey through the life of Bernard Tapie. This seven-part series offers a front-row seat to the incredible story of a man who has experienced the highs and lows of a multifaceted career involving business, sports, and politics. Let’s get ready to uncover the history of Bernard Tapie, from his early days to his achievements and the challenges he faced along the way.
Spoilers Ahead
What Was Tapie’s Business Strategy?
In Class Act Episode 1, we witness a prison cell where Tapie is being locked up by a jailer. The story then takes us back to Tapie’s early days, showing him as an optimistic singer with plenty of self-confidence. His family, including his wife, Michelle, and mother, believed in his talents, but his father had doubts about his choice to become a singer.
Spoilers Ahead
What Was Tapie’s Business Strategy?
In Class Act Episode 1, we witness a prison cell where Tapie is being locked up by a jailer. The story then takes us back to Tapie’s early days, showing him as an optimistic singer with plenty of self-confidence. His family, including his wife, Michelle, and mother, believed in his talents, but his father had doubts about his choice to become a singer.
- 9/13/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Netflix has established itself as a powerhouse of biographical series that spotlight the lives of prominent figures for a worldwide audience. Notable examples include The Crown, a detailed exploration of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign that takes the viewers to the historical era to help us get insight into British royalty’s history, power dynamics, and human drama.
Narcos takes us on a gripping journey through the rise and fall of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, uncovering his connection with the drug trade and law enforcement. The People vs. O.J. Simpson revisits the iconic trial, offering gripping insights into American legal history. Selena: The Series beautifully tells stories of Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla’s evolution from a budding musician to a global icon while paying homage to her musical journey and legacy. Furthermore, in recent times as well, we have relished a few intriguing biographical dramas, such as Freud,...
Narcos takes us on a gripping journey through the rise and fall of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, uncovering his connection with the drug trade and law enforcement. The People vs. O.J. Simpson revisits the iconic trial, offering gripping insights into American legal history. Selena: The Series beautifully tells stories of Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla’s evolution from a budding musician to a global icon while paying homage to her musical journey and legacy. Furthermore, in recent times as well, we have relished a few intriguing biographical dramas, such as Freud,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
"You forgot one thing. I'm indestructible." Netflix has revealed the trailer for the French streaming series Class Act, which is the offical English name. The original French title is Tapie, which is the name of the person this biopic series is about, but he might not be that well recognized outside of France. A relentlessly ambitious working-class man becomes one of France's most controversial public figures in this fictionalized biopic about Bernard Tapie, starring César nominee Laurent Lafitte. "It revisits the origins of the Tapie phenomenon, who didn’t start off quite so well, between a career in music cut short, small business issues, meeting Dominique, and his difficult relationship with his parents... In all this, his relentless determination, carried by a completely possessed performance by Lafitte." The cast includes Joséphine Japy, Ophélia Kolb, Ivan Murphy, Antoine Reinartz, Hakim Jemili, Camille Chamoux, and Fabrice Luchini. Looks like France's version of the businessman's rise & fall story.
- 7/10/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A flamboyant man who was once a sales clerk, singer, actor, sports impresario, business mogul and government minister, Bernard Tapie led a rollercoaster life wilder than most fictional characters depicted in pop culture, even those created by Martin Scorsese.
No wonder that it took a decade for Tristan Seguela (“A Good Doctor”) and Olivier Demangel (“November”) to create and pen “Tapie,” a Netflix original series charting the swaggering man’s epic rise, from his blue-collar origins to his glorious days as a wealthy businessman and president of one of France’s biggest soccer clubs, Olympique de Marseille. The limited series tells intimate parts of his life, including his relationship with loved ones and business partners, as well as some of his setbacks and legal problems. Tapie died in 2021.
The first two episodes of “Tapie” world premiered at Canneseries TV festival and were warmly received with a standing ovation. Based on...
No wonder that it took a decade for Tristan Seguela (“A Good Doctor”) and Olivier Demangel (“November”) to create and pen “Tapie,” a Netflix original series charting the swaggering man’s epic rise, from his blue-collar origins to his glorious days as a wealthy businessman and president of one of France’s biggest soccer clubs, Olympique de Marseille. The limited series tells intimate parts of his life, including his relationship with loved ones and business partners, as well as some of his setbacks and legal problems. Tapie died in 2021.
The first two episodes of “Tapie” world premiered at Canneseries TV festival and were warmly received with a standing ovation. Based on...
- 4/19/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Big presence from US streamers at festival’s 6th edition.
Canneseries has lined up world premieres of series such as Silo, Dead Ringers, Fatal Attraction and Tapie for its sixth edition which runs parallel with MipTV from April 14-19.
Artistic director Albin Lewi highlighted the “massive presence of American series world premiering this year” including festival opener Silo produced for Apple TV+ by AMC Studios.
Stars Rebecca Ferguson, Morten Tyldum and Graham Yost will be at Canneseries for the world premiere of Silo, a dystopian tale that follows the last 10,000 people on earth.
The festival closes with episodes from the...
Canneseries has lined up world premieres of series such as Silo, Dead Ringers, Fatal Attraction and Tapie for its sixth edition which runs parallel with MipTV from April 14-19.
Artistic director Albin Lewi highlighted the “massive presence of American series world premiering this year” including festival opener Silo produced for Apple TV+ by AMC Studios.
Stars Rebecca Ferguson, Morten Tyldum and Graham Yost will be at Canneseries for the world premiere of Silo, a dystopian tale that follows the last 10,000 people on earth.
The festival closes with episodes from the...
- 3/28/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
VFX powerhouse MacGuff is using its proprietary tools Face Engine and the new Face Creative Engine, in conjunction with traditional CGI, on a slew of French and international projects for streamers and French broadcasters.
France is one of the world’s biggest VFX hubs, leveraged by its Trip scheme, that enables foreign shoots to tap into a 40 cash rebate on all eligible expenses – including expenses for live action that are not VFX related – for international projects whose VFX expenses surpass €2 million (2.16 million) spent in France.
Philippe Sonrier, MacGuff’s co-founder and joint director, says that the studio is seeing rising demand from streamers. The studio has 70 staff, but plans to grow to around 120 in 2023, due to rising demand.
For Netflix, MacGuff is providing VFX work on three series, including Season 3 of “Lupin,” having worked on Seasons 1 and 2. “Wonderman” is about the life of French empresario Bernard Tapie, in which the studio uses de-ageing tools.
France is one of the world’s biggest VFX hubs, leveraged by its Trip scheme, that enables foreign shoots to tap into a 40 cash rebate on all eligible expenses – including expenses for live action that are not VFX related – for international projects whose VFX expenses surpass €2 million (2.16 million) spent in France.
Philippe Sonrier, MacGuff’s co-founder and joint director, says that the studio is seeing rising demand from streamers. The studio has 70 staff, but plans to grow to around 120 in 2023, due to rising demand.
For Netflix, MacGuff is providing VFX work on three series, including Season 3 of “Lupin,” having worked on Seasons 1 and 2. “Wonderman” is about the life of French empresario Bernard Tapie, in which the studio uses de-ageing tools.
- 1/16/2023
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix today provided a taste of its slate of original French productions coming up in 2022, which includes 25 new titles for launch this year and 20 projects currently in production. The slate, selected and developed by the Netflix France creative team, reps a total investment of more than 200M euros ($221M) across 2022. The streamer recently signed a deal with the French industry in which it committed to producing at least 10 local films per year, investing about 40M euros ($45M).
Among the projects highlighted during a presentation in Paris today was Romain Gavras’ formerly untitled feature, which is now called Athena. An immersive and modern tragedy, it stars Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon and is co-written with Oscar nominee Ladj Ly (Les Misérables) and Elias Belkeddar. The logline reads: In the space of a few hours following the tragic death of their younger brother in troubling circumstances, the men’s lives will tip over into chaos.
Among the projects highlighted during a presentation in Paris today was Romain Gavras’ formerly untitled feature, which is now called Athena. An immersive and modern tragedy, it stars Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon and is co-written with Oscar nominee Ladj Ly (Les Misérables) and Elias Belkeddar. The logline reads: In the space of a few hours following the tragic death of their younger brother in troubling circumstances, the men’s lives will tip over into chaos.
- 3/10/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Arsenal came away with a very good win against Didier Deschamps’ group leaders Marseille at the Stade Velodrome in the Champion’s league. A last minute winner from Aaron Ramsey gave Arsene Wenger’s side the three points after a solid performance which turned to near domination in a quiet second half. The French side started brightly but all but fizzled out after half time, allowing Arsenal to finally break the deadlock.
Arsene Wenger is no stranger to French football, but the Marseille he knew back in his days of Ligue 1 management were relegated for bribery and match fixing. Their chairman Bernard Tapie was thrown in jail, and Wenger, manager of Monaco at the time, left the league and continued his management career in Japan. Tonight saw his return to the Stade Velodrome though, this time at the helm of Arsenal and the Marseille he faced, now managed by Didier Deschamps,...
Arsene Wenger is no stranger to French football, but the Marseille he knew back in his days of Ligue 1 management were relegated for bribery and match fixing. Their chairman Bernard Tapie was thrown in jail, and Wenger, manager of Monaco at the time, left the league and continued his management career in Japan. Tonight saw his return to the Stade Velodrome though, this time at the helm of Arsenal and the Marseille he faced, now managed by Didier Deschamps,...
- 10/19/2011
- by Alex Moore
- Obsessed with Film
Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily » Indie Filmmaking: 35 Tips From Experts
With comments by Sydney
Some of them are obvious or secret or genius or lame. But they came out of the mouths of the experts at last weekend's 'Produced By' Conference during panels devoted to the financing, production, and distribution of independent films and documentaries. Here are the 35 tips compiled by a Dhd stringer with comments by Sydney.
1. Change the title of your indie film to begin with an “A” or a number to get higher placement on iTunes. Cheap shot, but Ok try it. Better to have relevant keywords so people find something which interests them.
2. “Experiment and try new ways of getting your indie film out there.” Absolutely. If you don't know how to begin, find an expert to help you in self distribution, exclusivities vis a vis internet platforms.
3. Clark Hallren, Managing Director of the Entertainment...
With comments by Sydney
Some of them are obvious or secret or genius or lame. But they came out of the mouths of the experts at last weekend's 'Produced By' Conference during panels devoted to the financing, production, and distribution of independent films and documentaries. Here are the 35 tips compiled by a Dhd stringer with comments by Sydney.
1. Change the title of your indie film to begin with an “A” or a number to get higher placement on iTunes. Cheap shot, but Ok try it. Better to have relevant keywords so people find something which interests them.
2. “Experiment and try new ways of getting your indie film out there.” Absolutely. If you don't know how to begin, find an expert to help you in self distribution, exclusivities vis a vis internet platforms.
3. Clark Hallren, Managing Director of the Entertainment...
- 6/14/2009
- by Sydney@SydneysBuzz.com (Sydney)
- Sydney's Buzz
The fourth film in the series that began with his Oscar-winning "A Man and a Woman", Claude Lelouch's "Men, Women: User's Manual" is the veteran filmmaker's most satisfying installment since the 1966 prototype.
Presented as part of "City of Lights, City of Angels: A Week of New French Films," Lelouch's 35th feature is a richly constructed, end-of-the-millennium primer on love and life.
Both gently humorous and poetic, the picture made some waves in France due to the director's casting of controversial mogul Bernard Tapie in one of the lead roles. The charismatic Tapie proves to be quite a natural in the part of womanizing successful businessman Benoit Blanc, who fatefully crosses paths with Fabio Lini (Fabrice Luchini), a neurotic actor-turned-cop in a doctor's office waiting room where both men are experiencing stomach pains.
As it turns out, the doctor's colleague (Alessandra Martines) was one of Blanc's spurned girlfriends, and she orchestrates very unorthodox therapy as a way of vengeance. Once the two men's test results are back from the lab, she decides to put a theory of Professor Lerner's (Pierre Arditi) involving the healing abilities of the reassured mind into practice. She informs the positively testing Lini that he has tested negatively for cancer, while informing the negatively testing Blanc that he requires immediate treatment if he is to have any chance of conquering the disease.
Of course, her actions prove to have far-reaching effects on not just the two patients involved but on all the characters that make up the filmmaker's intricate, intriguing universe.
While Lelouch has essentially made a "Man/Woman" picture around the middle of each of the past four decades, the closing out of the 20th century appears to have invigorated him. This lyrical rumination on the powers of love, work and health is filled with clever touches and great visuals, not to mention hope for the next millennium.
His entire cast, also including Lelouch regular Anouk Aimee as a gold-digging "widow" who hangs out at cemeteries, shines uniformly brightly. Francis Lai, meanwhile -- who also took home an Oscar for his original "A Man and a Woman" themes -- delivers a fittingly reflexive score featuring some truly existential vocals from male soprano Patrick Husson, who sort of looks like an angelic Dudley Moore.
MEN, WOMEN: USER'S MANUAL
Films 13/TF1 Films
with the participation of Canal Plus
Director:Claude Lelouch
Screenwriters:Claude Lelouch, Rene Bonnell
Producer:Claude Lelouch
Director of photography:Philippe Pavans
Music:Francis Lai
Color/stereo
Cast:
Fabio Lini:Fabrice Luchini
Benoit Blanc:Bernard Tapie
Doctor:Alessandra Martines
Widow:Anouk Aimee
Professor Lerner:Pierre Arditi
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Presented as part of "City of Lights, City of Angels: A Week of New French Films," Lelouch's 35th feature is a richly constructed, end-of-the-millennium primer on love and life.
Both gently humorous and poetic, the picture made some waves in France due to the director's casting of controversial mogul Bernard Tapie in one of the lead roles. The charismatic Tapie proves to be quite a natural in the part of womanizing successful businessman Benoit Blanc, who fatefully crosses paths with Fabio Lini (Fabrice Luchini), a neurotic actor-turned-cop in a doctor's office waiting room where both men are experiencing stomach pains.
As it turns out, the doctor's colleague (Alessandra Martines) was one of Blanc's spurned girlfriends, and she orchestrates very unorthodox therapy as a way of vengeance. Once the two men's test results are back from the lab, she decides to put a theory of Professor Lerner's (Pierre Arditi) involving the healing abilities of the reassured mind into practice. She informs the positively testing Lini that he has tested negatively for cancer, while informing the negatively testing Blanc that he requires immediate treatment if he is to have any chance of conquering the disease.
Of course, her actions prove to have far-reaching effects on not just the two patients involved but on all the characters that make up the filmmaker's intricate, intriguing universe.
While Lelouch has essentially made a "Man/Woman" picture around the middle of each of the past four decades, the closing out of the 20th century appears to have invigorated him. This lyrical rumination on the powers of love, work and health is filled with clever touches and great visuals, not to mention hope for the next millennium.
His entire cast, also including Lelouch regular Anouk Aimee as a gold-digging "widow" who hangs out at cemeteries, shines uniformly brightly. Francis Lai, meanwhile -- who also took home an Oscar for his original "A Man and a Woman" themes -- delivers a fittingly reflexive score featuring some truly existential vocals from male soprano Patrick Husson, who sort of looks like an angelic Dudley Moore.
MEN, WOMEN: USER'S MANUAL
Films 13/TF1 Films
with the participation of Canal Plus
Director:Claude Lelouch
Screenwriters:Claude Lelouch, Rene Bonnell
Producer:Claude Lelouch
Director of photography:Philippe Pavans
Music:Francis Lai
Color/stereo
Cast:
Fabio Lini:Fabrice Luchini
Benoit Blanc:Bernard Tapie
Doctor:Alessandra Martines
Widow:Anouk Aimee
Professor Lerner:Pierre Arditi
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 4/14/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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