Cannes’ Opening Film ‘The Electric Kiss’ Boarded by Playtime

“The Electric Kiss,” the French movie that will world premiere on opening night at the Cannes Film Festival, has been boarded by Playtime for international sales.

Directed by Pierre Salvadori, the film is set in Paris in 1928 and follows Antoine Balestro (Pio Marmaï), a painter at the height of his fame who has been unable to work since the death of his wife, Irène (Vimala Pons), much to the despair of his gallery owner, Armand (Gilles Lellouche).

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“One drunken evening, Antoine attempts to contact Irène through a psychic. Unbeknownst to him, he is in fact speaking with Suzanne (Anaïs Demoustier), a humble carnival worker. A gifted fraudster, Suzanne — helped by Armand, who is desperate for his protégé to paint again — stages a series of fake séances. Gradually, Antoine regains his inspiration, but the deception grows increasingly complicated as Suzanne finds herself falling in love with the man she is deceiving,” reads the synopsis.

Salvadori co-wrote the screenplay with Benjamin Charbit and Benoît Graffin, based on an original idea by Rebecca Zlotowski (“A Private Life”) and Robin Campillo (“BPM”). The film is produced by Les Films Pelléas, the production company behind two Palmes d’Or winners at Cannes, Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” and Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident.” The company’s co-founders Philippe Martin and David Thion work serve as producer and as associate producer, respectively.

Co-producers include Sandrine Dumas for Pio & Co in Paris, Jacques-Henri Bronckart and Tatjana Kozar for Versus Production in Belgium, as well as Pierre Salvadori under his Tovo Films banner, with the participation of France 2 Cinéma. Distributor Diaphana will release the film theatrically in France simultaneously with its world premiere on 12 May.

“Whether they come from here or from elsewhere, films all carry for me a universal purpose,” said Pierre Salvadori. “This is what makes me so happy to present The Electric Kiss alongside films from around the world at the Cannes Film Festival. I hope my characters, in their humanity and in their sometimes contradictory impulses, will resonate with everyone and that each and every one will see a part of themselves in this love story.”

Playtime’s co-founder Sébastien Beffa said, “Great romantic comedies are few and far between. When one delivers on all its promises, with a great director at the helm and a strong production team behind it,
there’s no hesitation.”