Urban Sales Boards Cannes ACID Presents ‘Under A Bad Star’

Urban Sales Acquires International Rights to ‘Under A Bad Star’

Urban Sales has secured the international sales rights to Under A Bad Star (Mauvaise Étoile), which was recently announced as the opening film of Cannes’ parallel section, ACID.

The debut feature by French directors Lola Cambourieu and Yann Berlier unfolds over 24 hours in the life of a couple, highlighting the dysfunction at the core of their relationship as seen through the eyes of their young daughter.

Cambourieu and Berlier are recognized for their acclaimed short films, including the Oscar-nominated The Lost Children (Les Enfants Perdus) and Bachelorette Party (Enterrement de vie de jeune fille).

Their latest endeavor adopts a deeply personal filmmaking approach, employing a small crew and starring their daughter, Anouk Berlier-Cambourieu, alongside Noëmie Édé-Decugis and Hugo Carton.

The film is produced by Heure d’Été, marking their first venture into feature filmmaking after a successful run in short films, which have garnered multiple festival accolades and César nominations.

The production company emphasized the film’s raw portrayal of domestic violence, stating, “With their radical on-set writing method and unflinching intimacy, they portray domestic violence as it is truly lived: without moral judgment or easy redemption, in all its everyday banality and persistence."

Garance Targowla, Acquisition Manager at Urban Sales, remarked on the directors’ impact: “Lola Cambourieu and Yann Berlier dissect the anatomy of a toxic relationship with a precision and an exhausting intimacy that leaves no one untouched. This is the arrival of two major authors, and we are proud to stand behind them.”

The film is set to be released in France by Tandem.