Famous producers: “Le Gaumont et compagnie “, “Pathé“, “UGC“, and “AMLF“
There are basically four famous film producers in France, “Le Gaumont et compagnie “, “Pathé”, “UGC”, and “AMLF”. Among these producers, the previous two are well known amid Chinese audiences. For instance, the films produced by “Pathé” are “Les Choristes” (放牛班的春天), “Océans”, “Microcosmos: Le peuple de l’herbe”(微观世界), etc. But in terms of the representative of French film, it should be “Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain“. It was produced by “UGC” and left a good impression on Chinese audiences. It tells the story of a shy waitress, played by Audrey Tautou, a girl decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation. Besides, French films are also outstanding in the documentary area, some classic films such as “Océans“, “Microcosmos: Le peuple de l’herbe” all won good fame among Chinese audiences.
French Stars: Sophie Marceau, Jacques Perrin
When it comes to French film stars, the first one comes into Chinese mind is Sophie Marceau, As a teenager, Marceau achieved popularity with her debut films La boum (1980) and La boum 2 (1982), receiving a “César Award for Most Promising Actress”. She became a film star in Europe with a string of successful films, including L’étudiante (1988), Pacific Palisades (1990), and Fanfan (1993). In the 1990s, Marceau became an international film star with her performances in Braveheart (1995), Firelight (1997). She ever endorsed CHAUMET and Dior and built good image in audiences’ eyes. Another super star is Jacques Perrin, one of the most famous documentary director. He directed “Microcosmos: Le peuple de l’herbe”, “Océans”, “imalaya”and “Le Peuple Migrateur”, and achieved huge success.
French Films: “La proie”, “Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis”, “Intouchables”
Three French films, “La proie”, “Largo Winch”, and “Derrière les murs” were released in Chinese cinemas during February to March 2012, as a good beginning for French films to enter into China market. “La proie” was compared with American series and was called French “Prison Break”. But owing to the fierce competition in China film market, the three films didn’t get good results. According to the statistics, the box office of the three films is total over 3 million. This is because the market is mainly occupied by American and local films. However, French films still got good response from audiences even though audiences didn’t pay much to get into cinemas. In addition, “Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis” and the new film released in 2011 “Intouchables” can always be talked among Chinese audiences.
Edited by Amy Wang, a Chinese consultant from Daxue Consulting
