Francois Ozon, one of France’s most prestigious and prolific filmmakers, will next direct Isabelle Adjani and Denis Menochet (“Custody”) in “Petra Von Kant,” a film adaptation of Rainer Werner Fassbinder‘s cult play “The Bitter Tears.”
“Petra Von Kant” will star Menochet as Fassbinder, while Adjani will play the German director’s muse, according to Satellifax, which was first to report the news.
“The Bitter Tears” was previously adapted into a film by Fassbinder himself in 1972. Titled “The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant,” the film boasted an all-female cast with Margit Carstensen playing Petra von Kant, a prominent fashion designer with narcissistic tendencies.
Ozon previously adapted Fassbinder’s play “Water Drops on Burning Rocks” into a 2000 film with Ludivine Sagnier, which competed at the Berlinale.
“Petra Von Kant” will be produced by Ozon’s own production company, Foz Productions. The shoot is expected to kick off this week.
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Ozon has been busy during the pandemic. His coming-of-age romance “Summer 85” was part of Cannes 2020’s Official Selection, played at several festivals, including Toronto and San Sebastian, and earned 12 Cesar nominations. Over the past year, he also shot a new film, “Tout s’est bien passé” with Sophie Marceau. The movie, adapted from Emmanuèle Bernheim’s novel, was one of the first films to shoot when France came out of lockdown last spring.
