Made In France movie withdrawn after Paris terror attacks
Date November 15, 2015 - 5:26AM
Philippa Hawker
A poster for the film, Made In France. Photo: Philippa Hawker
Paris: On Thursday afternoon I took a photograph of a poster in the Paris Metro for Made In France, a thriller that was due to open next week. It's a provocative image: a picture of the Eiffel Tower made in part out of an AK-47 assault rifle.
Events have overtaken the film since then. After the co-ordinated terror attacks in Paris on Friday night, the film's release has been delayed and the poster is being taken down.
The promotional schedule for Natalie Portman's new film, Jane Got A Gun, has been changed following the Paris terrorist attacks.
Made In France is directed and co-written by the French filmmaker Nicolas Boukhrief, a former journalist and producer who has written and directed more than half a dozen thrillers, including Le Convoyeur and Cortex.
According to the film's synopsis, it's the story of a Muslim journalist, Sam (Malik Zidi), who goes undercover to infiltrate fundamentalist groups in the Parisian suburbs. He gets close to a group of four young men who are planning to create havoc in the heart of the French capital.
Made In France already ran into trouble earlier this year, when its release was delayed in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January.
The original distributor pulled out, and a company called Pretty Pictures took it on.
Pretty Pictures stated on its Twitter account overnight that the November 18 release would again be delayed, and the promotional campaign withdrawn.
The website Allocine reports that other films have also been affected by Friday night's events. Interviews and a November 15 preview for Steven Spielberg's Cold War thriller, Bridge Of Spies, have been cancelled.
Natalie Portman has a new film, a Western called Jane Got A Gun, and she was to attend previews and giving interviews on November 15 and 16. These have now been cancelled. Portman is a Paris resident; her husband, Benjamin Millepied, is director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet
Many French cinemas remained closed on Saturday, along with all public buildings, museums and galleries across the capital.
