2 weeks Ago By Melanie Goodfellow
EXCLUSIVE: Amélie Bonnin’s romantic dramedy Leave One Day ( Partir un jour ) will make history at the Cannes Film Festival in May as the first debut feature to open the event across its 78 editions. Mystery swirled around the title when Cannes head Thierry Frémaux announced its prestigious slot earlier this month, but details are now emerging, and Deadline can unveil the subtitled French trailer, which gives a first taste of the film. Building on Bonnin’s 2023 César-winning short film of the same name, the romantic musical dramedy revolves around rising chef Cécile who is about to fulfil a life-long ambition of opening her own signature gourmet restaurant in Paris.
Cécile is forced to put the project on hold when her father suffers a heart attack, and she is called back to her small hometown. Exasperated at being cut off from her bustling life in Paris, she unexpectedly reconnects with teenage crush Raphaël. The meeting rekindles long-buried memories and leads Cécile to question past choices and the current direction of her life.
Watch on Deadline Steeped in French culture and a sense of nostalgia, the upbeat film tackles universal themes as Cécile learns to make peace with the past, to be able to move forward with her life. Related Stories Cannes Adds 16 New Titles To 2025 Selection Including Lynne Ramsay’s ‘Die, My Love’; Kristen Stewart’s ‘The Chronology Of Water’ & Ethan Coen’s ‘Honey Don’t!’ 5 Cannes Lineup Takeaways: A Distinctly Fresh Vibe But Also Plenty Of Star Power The feature stars Juliette Armanet ( Rosalie ) as Cécile and Cesar-winning actor Bastien Bouillon ( Mr Aznavour, The Count Of Monte-Cristo, The Night Of The 12th ) as Raphaël. One of France’s most popular contemporary singers, Armanet was introduced to international audiences last summer with her performance of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ in front of a burning piano on a barge on the Seine River during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics Games.
Co-written with Dimitri Lucas, Leave One Day weaves musical interludes into the characters’ dialogue, with an eclectic playlist revisiting classic chanson française tunes as well as contemporary hits by Stromae and Céline Dion among others. Shot in the Grand Est region of France, the film is produced by Topshot Films and Les Films du Worso, in co-production with Pathé and France 3 Cinéma. Broadcast partners include Canal+, Ciné+/OCS, and France Télévisions.
Pathé International is handling world sales and Pathé Films has French rights. In keeping with Cannes protocol, Pathé Films will release Leave One Day in France at the same time as it world premieres at the festival on May 13. Leave One Day joins Pathé’s eclectic slate championing French and European mainstream and auteur titles and follows in the wake of its five 2024 Cannes selections, which included The Count of Monte Cristo and Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope .
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