House of Tolerance
Encyclopedia
House of Tolerance is 2011 French drama film directed by Bertrand Bonello
, starring Hafsia Herzi
, Céline Sallette, Jasmine Trinca
, Adèle Haenel
, Alice Barnole, Iliana Zabeth and Noémie Lvovsky
. The story is set in a Parisian brothel in the early 20th century. The film premiered In Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
.
had been thinking of. About ten years earlier he had tried to make a film about modern brothels, but the project had been cancelled. After finishing De la guerre
from 2008, Bonello decided that he wanted his next film to be about dynamics within a group of females, and his partner suggested a film about prostitutes in a historical setting. The director then became interested in the aspect of a brothel as a closed world from the viewpoint of the prostitutes. The idea of a scar in the form of a smile came from the film The Man Who Laughs
, an adaptation of Victor Hugo
's novel with the same name
. Bonello says he dreamed about the film two nights in a row while he was writing House of Tolerance, and decided to include a female character with such a scar.
The film was a co-production between Les Films du Lendemain and the director's company My New Picture, in collaboration with Arte France Cinéma
. The production received 540,000 euro from the CNC and 416,000 euro from the Île-de-France region
, as well as pre-sales investment from Canal+
and CinéCinéma. The total budget was 3.8 million euro. Casting took almost nine months. Bonello wanted a mixed ensemble of both professionals and amateurs who above all worked well together as a group.
Filming started in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
on 31 May 2010 and lasted eight weeks. The film was recorded on one continuous set, which allowed the camera to move between each room without cuts. Bonello chose to focus the camera on the girls and almost never their clients. He explained: "it reinforces the impression that the prostitute is above the client. I told the actresses: 'Be careful, I want twelve intelligent girls.' It was really important for me: they're not being fooled, they are strong women."
where it will play In Competition on 16 May. It will be the fourth time a film by Bonello is screened at the festival, and the second time in the main competition, after Tiresia
from 2003. Haut et Court distributed the film in France, it was released on 21 September 2011.
Bertrand Bonello
Bertrand Bonello is a French film director. His background is in classical music, and he lives between Paris and Montreal.Le Pornographe won the FIPRESCI prize at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
, starring Hafsia Herzi
Hafsia Herzi
Hafsia Herzi is a French actress of Algerian and Tunisian descent. She is best known for her debut role in the award-winning Franco-Tunisian feature The Secret of the Grain for which she won the award for most promising actress at the César Awards 2008, and the Marcello Mastroianni award, for best...
, Céline Sallette, Jasmine Trinca
Jasmine Trinca
Jasmine Trinca is an Italian actress.She began her career in 2001, chosen by Nanni Moretti for his award-winning The Son's Room, receiving the Guglielmo Biraghi prize as best new talent of the year...
, Adèle Haenel
Adèle Haenel
Adèle Haenel is a French actress. She was nominated for a César Award in the Most Promising Actress category for her performance in the 2007 film, Water Lilies.-Filmography:-External links:...
, Alice Barnole, Iliana Zabeth and Noémie Lvovsky
Noémie Lvovsky
Noémie Lvovsky is a French film director, writer, and actress.She studied cinema at La Fémis in Paris, notably a contemporary of Arnaud Desplechin, with whom she often collaborates...
. The story is set in a Parisian brothel in the early 20th century. The film premiered In Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
.
Cast
- Hafsia HerziHafsia HerziHafsia Herzi is a French actress of Algerian and Tunisian descent. She is best known for her debut role in the award-winning Franco-Tunisian feature The Secret of the Grain for which she won the award for most promising actress at the César Awards 2008, and the Marcello Mastroianni award, for best...
as Samira - Céline Sallette as Clotilde
- Jasmine TrincaJasmine TrincaJasmine Trinca is an Italian actress.She began her career in 2001, chosen by Nanni Moretti for his award-winning The Son's Room, receiving the Guglielmo Biraghi prize as best new talent of the year...
as Julie - Adèle HaenelAdèle HaenelAdèle Haenel is a French actress. She was nominated for a César Award in the Most Promising Actress category for her performance in the 2007 film, Water Lilies.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Léa - Alice Barnole as Madeleine
- Iliana Zabeth as Pauline
- Noémie LvovskyNoémie LvovskyNoémie Lvovsky is a French film director, writer, and actress.She studied cinema at La Fémis in Paris, notably a contemporary of Arnaud Desplechin, with whom she often collaborates...
as Marie-France - Louis-Do de Lencquesaing
- Alice Barnole
- Iliana Zabeth
- Xavier BeauvoisXavier BeauvoisXavier Beauvois is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. His film Don't Forget You're Going to Die was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Jury Prize....
- Jacques NolotJacques NolotJacques Nolot , is a French actor, screenwriter and film director.- Life :Jacques Nolot was born on 31 August 1943, Marciac, Gers, a small village in Southwest France. A fragile child, Nolot was doted upon by his mother, a woman who had three children with three different fathers...
Production
The genesis of the project was a merge of two film ideas Bertrand BonelloBertrand Bonello
Bertrand Bonello is a French film director. His background is in classical music, and he lives between Paris and Montreal.Le Pornographe won the FIPRESCI prize at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
had been thinking of. About ten years earlier he had tried to make a film about modern brothels, but the project had been cancelled. After finishing De la guerre
De la guerre
De La Guerre is a 2008 film directed by Bertrand Bonello and starring Mathieu Amalric. The cast also includes Laurent Lucas, Guillaume Depardieu, Asia Argento and Michel Piccoli...
from 2008, Bonello decided that he wanted his next film to be about dynamics within a group of females, and his partner suggested a film about prostitutes in a historical setting. The director then became interested in the aspect of a brothel as a closed world from the viewpoint of the prostitutes. The idea of a scar in the form of a smile came from the film The Man Who Laughs
The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
The Man Who Laughs is an American silent film directed by the German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni. The film is an adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel of the same name and stars Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine and Mary Philbin as the blind Dea...
, an adaptation of Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
's novel with the same name
The Man Who Laughs
The Man Who Laughs is a novel by Victor Hugo, originally published in April 1869 under the French title L'Homme qui rit. Also published under the title By Order of the King...
. Bonello says he dreamed about the film two nights in a row while he was writing House of Tolerance, and decided to include a female character with such a scar.
The film was a co-production between Les Films du Lendemain and the director's company My New Picture, in collaboration with Arte France Cinéma
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
. The production received 540,000 euro from the CNC and 416,000 euro from the Île-de-France region
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, as well as pre-sales investment from Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
and CinéCinéma. The total budget was 3.8 million euro. Casting took almost nine months. Bonello wanted a mixed ensemble of both professionals and amateurs who above all worked well together as a group.
Filming started in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is the southernmost station and endpoint of the RER B line.-References:**...
on 31 May 2010 and lasted eight weeks. The film was recorded on one continuous set, which allowed the camera to move between each room without cuts. Bonello chose to focus the camera on the girls and almost never their clients. He explained: "it reinforces the impression that the prostitute is above the client. I told the actresses: 'Be careful, I want twelve intelligent girls.' It was really important for me: they're not being fooled, they are strong women."
Release
The film has its premiere at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
where it will play In Competition on 16 May. It will be the fourth time a film by Bonello is screened at the festival, and the second time in the main competition, after Tiresia
Tiresia
Tiresia is a 2003 French film directed by Bertrand Bonello and written by Bonello and Luca Fazzi.Based on the legend of Tiresias, it tells of a transsexual who is kidnapped by a man and left to die in the woods. She is then saved by a family and receives the gift of telling the future...
from 2003. Haut et Court distributed the film in France, it was released on 21 September 2011.