Swedish-based producers Brynhildur Þórarinsdóttir and Marta Dauliūtė (MDEMC, Sweden) discussed their new project A Face to be Loved, directed by Angelica Ruffier, ahead of the May 17 presentation at Cannes Docs.
The synopsis reads how, while emptying her childhood home after her estranged father’s death, Angelica recalls a fierce and solitary love she had for her history teacher, Miss S. As her list of duties never seems to diminish, an intense desire grows in Angelica: to meet Miss S. once more.
“The film’s reflective narrative about Angelica’s love for her high school teacher, a French woman in her forties, is both captivating and highly relatable,” says Þórarinsdóttir of the Cannes Docs project. “By combining documentary with staged scenes, and using herself as the film’s protagonist and narrator, Angelica brings memories to life, asserting a stand for autofiction within the realm of film. We are confident that this will result in an original and touching cinematic experience that encapsulates both life’s rawness and sweetness, with an aesthetic expression that resonates with the audience.”
Fellow producer Dauliūtė adds: “We predict that the themes of loneliness and longing for love, family, heritage and falling in love with one´s teacher has the possibility to attract a broad audience. It should be positioned as a must-see for the culturally/art-house interested – whether if it´s at the movies or on various streaming platforms, and we have a clear expectation that the film´s themes and visual language will help to create a strong word-of-mouth.”
Director Angelica Ruffier is a screenwriter, director, and documentary filmmaker. She has directed, edited, and produced the short films From Here and Back Again (2019), Stranger (2020), and People at the Recycling Market (2023). Since 2019, she has been developing the documentary The Strikers in collaboration with Helena Molin and Olga Ruin, as well as the documentary A Face to Be Loved, both under the aegis of production company MDEMC.
“We see Angelica Ruffier as one of the most intriguing debuting voices and a creative force to count on,” says Þórarinsdóttir. “With the project A Face To Be Loved we look forward to establishing her as a new talent and feature documentary film director to a wider international audience.”
“The film (80 mins) evokes strong emotions that we are sure will resonate deeply with the audiences. The project has already received support from the Swedish Film Institute and Film Stockholm. We are in Cannes to meet co-producers, distributors, world sales and festivals, and expect to deliver a rough cut this fall,” Dauliūtė confirms.
How do the producers describe Ruffier’s approach to the material? “A Face To Be Loved is a heartfelt and highly artistic drama about a woman navigating the journey from childhood to adulthood. With its courageous and personal presence, compelling visual language, and inspiring experimental spirit it aims to reflect on the underlying forces that build one’s identity and what emotions arise when life compels us to confront them. At its core, the film delves into desire as a potent force, encapsulating the essence of yearning and the existential solitude that accompanies it.”
The production has received development support from the Swedish Film Institute and regional fund Film Stockholm. The project has previously been pitched at the Nordic Talent pitch in 2023. “Our goal is to secure production support from the Swedish Film Institute in August in summer of 2024 and we will also have a rough cut in December and aim for a picture lock in February [2005].”
The film´s primary target audience will be “film lovers,” the producers say. “Those who appreciate arthouse, European cinema, and female directors.”
“We anticipate this group to be aged 25-50 and likely to attend festival screenings and theatres. We also seek to engage a broader audience that typically doesn’t gravitate towards this genre but may connect with the universal themes of family, heritage, and growing up. To achieve this, we plan to co-produce the documentary with Nordic and European public service channels, expanding its accessibility to a diverse range of viewers. While audience engagement towards this group will primarily occur during the film’s release, we´ll start building anticipation early on through print and digital media, emphasizing the project and the director,” Þórarinsdóttir signs off.
