Music Box Films has acquired U.S. rights to Emmanuel Finkiel’s “A Memoir of War” (“La Douleur”), an adaptation of Marguerite Duras’ semi-autobiographical novel “The War: A Memoir.”

Represented in international markets by TF1 Studio, the film stars Mélanie Thierry who plays a young Duras and delivers a breakthrough performance. Thierry stars opposite Benoît Magimel, Benjamin Biolay, and Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet.

“A Memoir of War” takes place in June 1944, when France was still under German occupation, and follows Marguerite, then a young writer, who agrees to a series of covert meetings with Nazi collaborator Rabier. In exchange, Marguerite receives information on the whereabouts of her husband Robert Antelme, a writer and major figure of the Resistance who has been detained and sent to Dachau concentration camp.

The film was released in France on Jan. 24 and has been critically lauded.

Music Box Films plans a theatrical rollout in summer 2018, followed by a release on home entertainment platforms.

“We are looking forward to bringing Emmanuel Finkiel’s powerful interpretation of
Marguerite Duras’ esteemed novel to U.S. audiences,” said Music Box Films’ president
William Schopf, who negotiated the deal with TF1 Studio’s sales manager’s Aurelia
Tahar.

“TF1 Studio is thrilled to work with Music Box in bringing Duras lovers this masterpiece
adaptation,” said Tahar. “We hope the film will appeal to US audiences as much as it is currently appealing the ones in France.”

Finkiel’s credits include “A Decent Man,””Voyages,””Madame Jacques on the Croisette.”

Music Box Films’s slate of upcoming releases include Cédric Klapisch’s family drama “Back to Burgundy,”
Xavier Beauvois’ WWI drama “The Guardians” and “Our Blood is Wine,” a documentary exploring the ancient process of Georgian winemaking.

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