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Sage femme

The Midwife | Ein Kuss von Béatrice
Competition (out of competition) 2017
© Michael Crotto
Claire is a single mother with a grown-up son. She’s a dedicated midwife who is completely wrapped up in her job. Although the maternity ward where she works is to be closed, she turns down a job offer from a larger clinic because she cannot reconcile their methods with her own ideas about midwifery. In the midst of all this upheaval she receives a phone call that rekindles memories of her youth. Béatrice, her late father’s former mistress, asks to meet her. Béatrice is a true bohemian – loud, colourful, egocentric and completely different to the focussed, helpful Claire. The younger woman asks herself why, after all these years of silence, Béatrice has suddenly decided to approach her for help, and is at first less than enthusiastic.
Martin Provost has made a name for himself with powerful portraits of women (Séraphine, Violette). Sage Femme revolves around the encounter between two headstrong women, perfectly cast with two of French cinema’s grandes dames. A dramatic comedy about the need for change, and the question of whether steak, pommes frites and red wine is really what one would call a healthy lunch.
by Martin Provost (Written and Directed by)
with Catherine Frot, Catherine Deneuve, Olivier Gourmet, Quentin Dolmaire, Mylène Demongeot France / Belgium 2017 French 117' Colour

With

  • Catherine Frot (Claire)
  • Catherine Deneuve (Béatrice)
  • Olivier Gourmet (Paul)
  • Quentin Dolmaire (Simon)
  • Mylène Demongeot (Rolande)

Crew

Written and Directed by Martin Provost
Cinematography Yves Cape
Editing Albertine Lastera
Music Grégoire Hetzel
Sound Design Ingrid Ralet
Sound Brigitte Taillandier
Production Design Thierry François
Costumes Bethsabée Dreyfus
Assistant Director Juliette Maillard
Casting Brigitte Moidon
Production Manager Christophe Desenclos
Producer Olivier Delbosc
Executive Producer Emilien Bignon
Co-Producers Jacques-Henri Bronckart, Olivier Bronckart
Co-Production Versus Production Liège
France 3 Cinéma Paris

World Sales

Memento International

Memento Films International

Produced by

Curiosa Films

Photos

Press Conference

Red Carpet

Martin Provost

© Michael Crotto

Born in Brest, France in 1959, this director and writer began his career as a film and stage actor. He was a member of the Comédie-Française before devoting his career exclusively to writing and directing. He published several novels and made two short films before presenting his debut feature as a director with Tortilla y cinema. He gained international renown with Séraphine which won seven Césars.

Filmography

1990 J'ai peur du noir; short film, writer and director 1992 Cocon; short film, writer and director 1997 Tortilla y cinema; writer and director 2003 Le ventre de Juliette; co-writer and director 2008 Séraphine; co-writer and director 2011 Où va la nuit (The Long Falling); co-writer and director 2013 Violette; co-writer and director 2017 Sage femme

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2017