LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – If you’re a French production house looking to make the official announcement of your UK launch, who better to turn to than a couple of locals? Thanks to the incredible support of The Crown’s Tobias Menzies and Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington, Paris-based production house BIRTH found some of the best to break the ice. The “Fabulous New Roster of the Bloody French” introduces BIRTH UK, with a launch that marks an important step in the production company’s international expansion, as it also opens an office in Algiers, 2Horloges.
THE FILM
Self-deprecating and slightly absurd, “The Fabulous New Roster of the Bloody French” was created by executive producer Maëva Demurger and director Leo Bill, and came about thanks to a friendship they developed with Tobias working on another project. When the time came to announce the launch of BIRTH UK (which opened one year ago), the pair wanted to get just the right tone with a distinctly British feel. And how much more British can you get than one of the stars of a series featuring the royal family? The story grew from there.
“As Leo and I developed the idea, we then thought it would be good to have somebody else for Tobias to play off. A crazy notion came to mind: what if we could get Kit Harington? Amazingly, we managed to get in touch, told him about the concept, and to our delight, he loved the idea and was more than happy to come on board,” explained Maëva.
THE BIRTH FAMILY GETS BIGGER
Classically-trained actress turned producer, turned executive producer Maëva Demurger will lead the new office. Originally from Paris, Maëva has been working since the age of 6, when she got her first role in the French film “Je Veux Tout”. In addition to her new responsibilities, she is currently working on two short films and a dark psychedelic animated series with up-and-coming director Leo Bill, who directed the “Bloody French”. Also joining Maëva in the venture is film producer Lila Grafin. The pair are some of the most recent additions to the BIRTH family, which began with founder Hugo Legrand-Nathan in 2013. Together with associate partners Arthur Emorine, Yohan Ungar, Tristan Beraud, and Yacine Medkour, Hugo and BIRTH represent more than 40 producers, directors and photographers.
BIRTH, which works in the luxury, music, film, and advertising sectors, prides itself on building culture and building new careers, seeking out and nurturing young talent. BIRTH believes that each indivdiual is a story, a story to be shared. Recently the brand has worked with Hermès, Adidas, KFC and Armani, and released a music video for singer Meryem Aboulouafa. Among the big names BIRTH is proud to represent are Oscar winning director Marc Forster, Cannes award-winning directors Augusto Gimenez Zapiola , Rodrigo Valdes, and Hugues De La Brosse, as well as Temple Hidden, Christoper Anderson, Warren & Nick and a series of new talents Ugo Mangin, Valentin Guiod, Zhang+Knight, BRBR, among others.
“The Fabulous New Roster of the Bloody French” CREDITS:
DIRECTOR: LEO BILL
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: MAËVA DEMURGER
CEO: HUGO LEGRAND-NATHAN
PRODUCTION: BIRTH UK
DOP: MURREN TULLETT
FOCUS PULLER: ALEX PARKINSON
SOUND RECORDIST: ED SPEAR
HAIR & MAKE UP: CHARLOTTE YEOMANS
About the Author
Theda Braddock is an American who lives and works in Paris. She helps agencies develop their communication and promote creativity, and writes for several publications when she has time.
