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Films

Souvenir

Director(s):	Bavo Defurne
Producer(s):	DEAL PRODUCTIONS Souvenir Films (BE), Frakas Productions (BE)
Script:	Bavo Defurne, Yves Verbraeken, Jacques Boon
Year:	2016
Form:	FICTION - Feature film
Genre:	Dramatic comedy
Original version:	French
Running time:	90'

Synopsis

Lilian, a forgotten Eurovision Song Contest singer falls in love with a young boxer and attempts her comeback.

Fifty-two year-old Lilian works at a meat factory putting laurel leaves onto liver pastries. Known as “Laura”, she once was a rising star in popular music. She even took part in the Eurovision Song Festival. Now forgotten she leads a secluded life in an apartment stuffed with relics from bygone days of glory.

But how will Jean and Lilian find a top-quality song? Will they be bussines-savvy enough to make a real come back? And will Lilian manage to tame her old demons, like Tony Jones, her former producer, who happens to be her ex-husband?

And then, one day, eighteen year-old Jean walks into her life. He suspects Lilian once was the famous singer known as Laura. At first she firmly denies, not wanting to be reminded of her past, but after a picture of hers pops up during a television quiz, she cannot but admit it. Jean asks her to sing at his boxing club’s annual champion’s ball. Lilian declines at first, but eventually gives a performance singing Souvenir, her greatest hit. The glitter dress, the heat of the spotlights and the applause liberate long suppressed emotions. She falls in love with Jean and does all she can to seduce him. Lilian and Jean grow closer and eventually they decide to live together despite the considerable age difference. Jean becomes Lilian’s ‘manager’.

He books performances at rest homes, barracks and bicycle race fancy fairs. Lilian, however, is disappointed. This is not the comeback she had imagined. Jean suggests she should enter pre-selections for Eurosong. She does it, for Jean’s sake.

Casting

Isabelle Huppert, Kevin Azais, Johan Leysen, Jan Hammenecker, Anne Brionne, Sophie Mousel, Colette Kieffer, Fanny Blanchard, Denis Jousselin, Joel Delsaut, Hervé Sogne, Norbert Rutilli, Mickey Hardt, Thorunn Egilsdottir, Frank Sassonoff, Max Thommes

Crew

Philippe Guilbert (Director of photography), Yves Bémelmans (Production sound mixer), André Fonsny (Production designer), Sophie Verkruysse (Film editor), Nicolas Tran Trong (Sound editor), Olivier Godaert/Gilbert Degrand (Gaffer), Florence Scholtès (Costume designer), Frédo Roeser (Key make-up artist), Pascal Charlier (Key grip), Jesus Gonzalez (Production manager), Kurt Verwaeren (1st assistant director), Carlo Thiel (Focus puller), Bruno SCHWEISGUTH (Perchman), Audrey Dhyvert (Set designer), Paul Maas (1st assitant editor), Jean-Yves Dupuis (Production administrator), Manu Poupard (Props master), Michel Schillings (Sound Mixer), Laurent Ernzer (Location manager), Ulrika Debatisse (Props buyer / Régisseuse d’extérieur), Elly Verduykt (Script Continuity), Ken Fitzke (Special effects), Fabrizio Maltese (Still photographer)

Nominations & Awards

2016: Angoulême Film Festival TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival, BFI London International Film Festival, Film Fest Gent, CInémania Montréal, Oostende Film Festival, Festival do Rio, Marrakech Film Festival

2017: Palm Springs International Film Festival

Poster