Séraphine (2008)

Director:

Martin Provost

Writers:

Martin Provost (writer)
Marc Abdelnour (written by)

Release Date:

1 October 2008 (France)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

Based on the life of French painter Séraphine de Senlis.

Plot Keywords:

Art | Artist | German | Painter | Painting

Awards:

17 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Yolande Moreau	...	Séraphine Louis, dite Séraphine de Senlis
Ulrich Tukur	...	Wilhelm Uhde
Anne Bennent	...	Anne-Marie Uhde
Geneviève Mnich	...	Mme Duphot
Adélaïde Leroux	...	Minouche
Nico Rogner	...	Helmut Kolle
Françoise Lebrun	...	La mère supérieure
Hélène Hardouin	...	La propriétaire
Serge Larivière	...	Duval
Léna Breban	...	Soeur Marguerite (as Léna Bréban)
Sandrine Bodenes	...	Marie-Louise - Wilhelm's cook (as Sandrine Bodènés)
Muriel Riou	...	Berthe - Wilhelm's maid
Dominique Pozzetto	...	Anatole Duphot
Josette Ménard	...	La bouchère
Xavier Pottier	...	Le boucher
Jean-Pascal Abribat	...	Francis Gouyet - Journalist
Anne Benoît	...	Madame Delonge (as Anne Benoit)
Corentin Lobet	...	L'interne
Serge Gaborieau	...	Le médecin
Rosine Favey	...	Une invitée de Mme Duphot
Marie-Noëlle Révérend	...	L'invitée 3
Joëlle Bobbio	...	L'ouvrière en chef
Sophie Raive	...	L'intendante
Michel Sailly	...	Le camionneur
Francis Lacloche	...	Le notaire
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christine Garrivet	...	Passante dans la rue (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Provost

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marc Abdelnour		written by
Martin Provost		writer

Produced by
Virginie Breydel de Groeninghe	....	assistant producer
Miléna Poylo	....	producer
Olivier Rausin	....	co-producer
Gilles Sacuto	....	producer
Arlette Zylberberg	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Michael Galasso

Cinematography by
Laurent Brunet

Film Editing by
Ludo Troch

Casting by
Brigitte Moidon

Production Design by
Thierry François

Set Decoration by
Catherine Jarrier-Prieur

Costume Design by
Madeline Fontaine

Makeup Department
Virginie Berland	....	facial hair maker
Evelyne Byot	....	key makeup artist
Lelia Delval	....	key hair stylist
Anne-Marie Demeur	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Julien Bouley	....	unit production manager
Nathalie Duran	....	production manager
Jeanne Tassy	....	assistant production manager
Jeanne Tassy	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christian Alzieu	....	second assistant director
Justine Bosco	....	third assistant director
Raphaëlle Piani	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Lionel Brison	....	painter
Loïc Chavanon	....	property master
Grégoire Darrasse	....	assistant decorator
François Delaire	....	assistant art director
Marc Olry	....	property master
Jean-Denis Riviere	....	assistant art director
Nathalie Rousseau	....	second assistant art director
Lisa Ternon	....	assistant set decorator
Daniel Parceaud	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Laure Arto	....	adr engineer
Laure Arto	....	sound recordist
Olivier Burgaud	....	boom operator
Emmanuel Croset	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ingrid Ralet	....	sound editor
Ingrid Simon	....	dialogue editor
Luc Thomas	....	foley mixer
Philippe van Leer	....	foley artist
Philippe Vandendriessche	....	sound

Special Effects by
Daniel Lenoir	....	special effects: snow

Visual Effects by
Johnny Alves	....	visual effects supervisor: PLUG EFFECTS
Nicolas Bonnell	....	visual effects producer: Plug Effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Alessio Anzalone	....	gaffer
Nicolas Cagniard	....	steadicam operator
Mathieu Carrere	....	electrician
Antonin Jacolot	....	third assistant camera
Guillaume Lemerle	....	electrician
Emilie Monier	....	second assistant camera
Laurent Pouchard	....	grip
Denoël Riché	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Franzo Curcio	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rachel Raoult	....	dresser (as Rachèle Raoult)

Editorial Department
Carole Borne	....	assistant editor
Gwenaëlle Hubert	....	assistant editor
Matthieu Pradeau	....	color timer

Transportation Department
Barbara Massaut	....	driver: Belgium

Other crew
Max Belmessieri	....	location manager
Virginie Breydel de Groeninghe	....	assistant producer
Marie De Ridder	....	production assistant
Florence Désile	....	production secretary
Laurence Granec	....	press attache
Amandine Lartigue	....	production accountant
Karine Menard	....	press attache
Christine Raffa-Catonné	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• TS Productions (presents)
• France 3 Cinéma (in co-production with)
• Climax Films (in co-production with)
• Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF) (in co-production with)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (with the participation of)
• Région Ile-de-France (with the support of)
• Canal+ (with the participation of)
• CinéCinéma (with the participation of)
• TV5 Monde (with the participation of)
• Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel et des Télédistributeurs Wallons (with the support of)
• Le Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral de Belgique (with the support of)
• Tax Shelter ING Invest de Tax Shelter Productions (with the support of)
• La Banque postale Image (in association with)
• Sociétés de Financement Pour le Cinéma et l'audiov (in association with)
• Soficinéma 3 (in association with)
• Procirep (with the support of)
• Angoa-Agicoa (with the support of)
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne (with the support of)

Distributors

• Diaphana Films (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2009) (Belgium) (all media)
• Arsenal Filmverleih (2009) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Alcine Terran (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Atalanta Filmes (2009) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• CDI Films (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmtrade (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Golden Screen Cinemas (200?) (Malaysia) (theatrical)
• Golem Distribución (200?) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Gutek Film (2009) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Les Films Séville (2009) (Canada) (theatrical) (English speaking region)
• Les Films Séville (200?) (Canada) (theatrical) (200?) (French speaking region)
• Metrodome Distribution (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Music Box Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Rialto Distribution (2009) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Rialto Distribution (2009) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Rialto Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Rialto Entertainment (2008) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• With Cinema (2009) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2009) (Finland) (all media)
• E1 Entertainment (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• EDKO Film (2009) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Orlando Films (2009) (Israel) (all media)
• TF1 Vidéo (2009) (France) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Twin Pics (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Plug Effects (visual effects by)

Other Companies

• Ad Hoc Sound Services  sound equipment provided by
• Le Vestiaire  costume rental

Also Known As:

Runtime:

125 min | Canada:121 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

France | Belgium

Language:

French | German | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | South Korea:12 | France:U | Canada:G (British Columbia) | New Zealand:M | USA:Unrated | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Ireland:PG | Australia:PG | Germany:6 (f) | Sweden:7 | Hong Kong:IIA | Argentina:13 | UK:12 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Cathédrale, Senlis, Oise, France

Company:

TS Productions

Trivia:

French visa # 117074 delivered on 27-7-2008.

Soundtrack:

La femme aux bijoux

Hard going, but intriguing

Seraphine Loius was an impoverished, self-taught French painter who claimed to be inspired directly by God. This film of her life depicts her partly in the obvious way (as an idiot-savant), but also as a woman utterly determined, with a keen sense of her own worth and an acute sensitivity to her absence of value in the eyes of others. This characterisation gives the film its interest; but it's opening portion, depicting her early life without explanation, is almost unbearably slow and painful. The second half, in which there is more of a plot (thanks to her discovery by an art collector), is more interesting, although one shouldn't expect a happy end. While it's not a jolly film, it's a serious attempt to engage with an intriguing, awkward character; that it makes you want to see her pictures is a mark of its success.