Teen pregnancy drama ‘Little Ones’ sells to Italy’s Satine Film

Italy’s Satine Film has adapted Julie Lerat-Gersant’s film festival title ‘Little Ones’ from Julie Lerat-Gersant about teenage pregnancy. diversity learned in Locarno. In the past, the company has also released titles like Beasts of the Southern Wild and Golden Bear-winning There Is No Evil.

“Our goal is to discover and showcase visionary and bold cinematographic voices from around the world,” said Claudia Bedogni, founder and CEO of Satine Film.

“The film impressed me with its gentle but secure storytelling and compelling, emotional performances. It’s one of those rare gems where you feel a tremendous amount of compassion for the characters, like you’re there with them, sharing the same concerns and dilemmas,” she added. The company hopes to encourage young viewers to watch the film. “We did the same with Stéphane Demoustier’s ‘The Girl with the Bracelet’, also acquired in Locarno, and it was a very rewarding experience.”

Little Ones, an Escazal Films production, was presented in the Filmmakers of the Present competition at the Schweizer Fest and was sold by Be For Films.

“As we wrapped up filming, a 60-year-old man told me he hadn’t been this moved in years. I thought, ‘That means it’s not just for women like me,'” Lerat-Gersant said.

“It’s easier to talk about your generation, but it’s a film about connections between people. About love that exists even if you don’t always like the cards you’re dealt.”

In Little Ones, pregnant Camille (Pili Groyne) is placed in a home for teenage mothers by a family judge. While rebelling against the decision, it allows her to experience life apart from her overbearing mother (Victoire Du Bois), who also had her boys.

“In the beginning, Camille is completely under the influence of her mother. She sees the world through her eyes. It’s about repeating the same patterns, doing the same things as our parents did. But Camille is trying to break that cycle.”

In Lerat-Gersant’s film, the father of Camille’s child is also present and offers her a support system.

“Her mother keeps saying, ‘We’re like sisters. We don’t need men.” But he arrives and becomes this symbol of something else. Her mother hates him because she feels he’s going to separate them and help cut that umbilical cord.”

After spending a lot of time researching in institutions similar to the one described in the story, the French director also wanted to pay tribute to the people who work there.

“Nadine [played by Romane Bohringer] represents them all. She’s really trying; She’s been doing it for 20 years – but then Camille shows up with this big belly on rollerblades,” she said, laughing.

“These places are often presented in a very bad light, especially on television. But there are so many people doing a wonderful job. They ask, ‘What is best for the child?’ And that’s a big question.”

She never wanted to put a label on her characters, she said.

“It would be easy to say, ‘She’s a bad mother and he’s a drunk.’ I wanted to look for their humanity instead. I said to Victoire: ‘When you look at your daughter, you love her. We’ll see your character’s flaws, her lack of attention, so just show her love.”

Lerat-Gersant, who opens the film with Camille’s unsuccessful attempt at an abortion, admitted that things “could be different” after events in the US

“We don’t have this problem in France, but it’s still important to talk about women’s rights,” she explained. She adds that in her next projects she will deal with family issues.

“In that first scene, when they are so close, I wanted to show Camille hiding in her mother’s shadow. But in the end she chooses the light.”