Director Kino Lorber has acquired the North American rights to Arnaud Desplechin’s emotional melodrama Two Pianos, starring François Civil (The Beat Hearts), Nadia Tereszkiewicz (The Crime is Mine) and Charlotte Rampling.
“Two Pianos” will have its world premiere in Toronto and its U.S. premiere on March 5th at Rendezvous with French Cinema, with Desplechin in attendance. Kino Lorber plans to release it in theaters this spring, followed by digital, educational and home video releases.
Citizen star Matthias Vogler returns to France after years of self-imposed exile and is reunited with his former teacher Elena (Rampling), who invites him to a series of piano concerts at the Lyon Auditorium. “Once a talented concert pianist and Elena’s star pupil, Mathias has not performed publicly in years, squandering his childhood promise and returning to Lyon at Lyon’s request. “A chance encounter with a child who looks just like Min leaves Matthias confused and threatens to drag him back to his first love Claude (Nadia Teleskiewicz),” the synopsis reads.
“I am deeply grateful to director Kino Lorber for bringing “Two Pianos” to American audiences,” said esteemed French author Desplechin. Desplechins has had most of his films in competition at Cannes (including his previous film, “Brother & Sister”) and frequently works with some of the country’s most prominent talents. .
Desplechins said, “I’ve dreamed of filming an impossible love story for years, and here we are! ‘Two Pianos’ is an intimate story of regret, music, and homecoming. Yes, life can be tough! And we can deal with it. But music is our greatest solace.” He added, “America has always been a place where cinema is passionately embraced, and I’m thrilled to be able to share this film with American audiences.”
The Two Pianos deal was negotiated by Kino Lorber, Vice President of Acquisitions, and Goodfellas’ Karolina Dwyer and Eva Diederichs.
“We are thrilled to partner with the great director Arnaud Desplechins to bring ‘Two Pianos’ to American audiences,” said Director Dwyer. “Anchored by music by Chopin, Bartók and Bruch, and a magnificent score by Grégoire Hetzel, Two Pianos is a sensual and impressively staged romantic drama set in the world of classical music, with memorable performances by François Civil, Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Charlotte Rampling, and brought to life by acclaimed cinematographer Paul Guillaume.”
“‘Two Pianos’ is a beautifully made and deeply moving film, and I am thrilled that Kino Lorber will be bringing Arnaud Desplechin’s work to American audiences,” Diederichs added.
Two Pianos was produced by Pascal Costeau of Why Not Productions and co-produced by Arte France Cinéma, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma and Alaz Film.
