Les Films de la Boissière

An old psychiatrist finds out that he is likely to suffer a second and probably fatal heart attack in the near future. As a consequence he becomes determined to seduce Odile, a young woman he first encounters in a railway compartment.

This is the TV adaptation of a novel by Francis Walder. The scene happens in 1570, during the religions wars between catholics and protestants in France. Both sides are decided for a truth, to enable peaceful negociations of a settlement, which will become the peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the same year. The negociation, lead by Henri de Malassise (Jean Rochefort), and the Earl of Biron for the Catholic side, and Mr. d'Ublé and M. de Mélynes for the protestants side.

This film, loosely inspired by Anton Chekov's The Seagull, weaves a story about sex, family and the business of making films. When the young and overly sensitive filmmaker Julien screens his new DV art-film starring his girlfriend Lili (Swimming Pool's Ludivine Sagnier) --a sexy young local girl--to his famous actress mother Mado, and her lover Brice, an accomplished film director, an unraveling of the delicate peace in their house begins. The graceful beauty Lili, who dreams of becoming a famous actress like Mado, is immediately fascinated by Brice, who gladly falls prey to her charms.

27 years after 1962, Antoine returns to Algiers...

His name is Nicolas, but she calls him “Calino”. She is Nejma, he calls her “Nej’, ma neige”. She just wants to be herself, but he wants her for himself. In him we see a combination of the desire to fit into society and the need for love. But they’re walking on thin ice, and despite all his efforts, his love becomes all-consuming and neither Nej nor reality can yield to his desires.

A 35-year-old woman develops a strange passion for a 16-year-old homeless boy. A strong relationship develops between them, like mother and child, woman and man, single person and lonely soul.

A schoolboy Nicholas always worries about something. When he goes on a school skiing trip, all his visions and nightmares take him over.

"We are both in mourning. We decided to film three brothers, funeral directors, for whom death is part of everyday life."

The theme of death is heavily interwoven in Smolder’s surreal salute to Belgian painter Antoine Wiertz, a Hieronymus Bosch-type artist whose work centered on humans in various stages in torment, as depicted in expansive canvases with gore galore. Smolders has basically taken a standard documentary and chopped it up, using quotes from the long-dead artist, and periodic statements by a historian (Smolders) filling in a few bits of Wiertz’ life.

Two lesbians are victims of a break-in. Together with their clan of friends, they undertake a wild investigation, with suspense and rigour, to arrive at the truth. Sensitivities are aroused around life choices, and political choices. Questions of morality comically embellished with words of abuse falling into drunkenness.