Garai is Ozon’s English Angel


Fionnuala Halligan in Berlin 14 February 2006 04:00



Casting has been locked in on Francois Ozon’s English-language debut Angel, with Romola Garai to star alongside Berlinale Jury president and Ozon regular Charlotte Rampling. Celluloid Dreams is handling the film in Berlin.

Principal photography has started up around London and Bristol on the $17.8m (Euros 15m) story, set in 1910, about a woman who climbs the social ladder by becoming a famous novelist.

Lucy Russell, Michael Fassbender and Sam Neill round out the cast.

France’s Celluloid Dreams is handling international sales on the UK/France/Belgium co-production, being produced by Ozon’s producers Marc Missonier and Olivier Delbosc of Fidelite Films.

Christopher Granier-Deferre of Poisson Rouge Pictures and Genvieve Lemal of Scope Pictures are co-producers, with Tania Seghatchian (My Summer Of Love, the Harry Potter series) executive producing.

Financing comes from Fidelite, Celluloid, Canal +, France 2 and Philippe Godeau’s Pan-Europeenne.

UK-born Garai, who starred in I Capture The Castle and Dirty Dancing 2, plays the title role of Angel Deverell, described by Ozon as a ‘powerful woman’. ‘I have always felt an affinity for English culture and literature,’ said Ozon, adding that he was exhilarated by the prospect of shooting my first English-language feature.

Ozon’s last film, Time To Leave, was at Cannes last year; a short, Un Lever De Rideau, is currently in post-production. Angel marks the third collaboration between the director and Rampling after Under The Sand and Swimming Pool.