Wild Side (2004)

Director:

Sébastien Lifshitz

Writers:

Stéphane Bouquet
Sébastien Lifshitz

Release Date:

14 April 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A transsexual who survives prostituting herself in Paris, returns - with her two male lovers in tow - to her family home in the countryside to look after her dying mother.

Plot Keywords:

Dying Mother | Countryside | Restaurant | Transsexual | Russian

Awards:

6 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Stéphanie Michelini	...	Stéphanie
Yasmine Belmadi	...	Djamel
Edouard Nikitine	...	Mikhail
Josiane Stoléru	...	La mère
Corentin Carinos	...	Le petit Pierre
Perrine Stevenard	...	Caroline
Benoît Verhaert	...	Le père de Pierre
Fabrice Rodriguez	...	Le client de la boîte
Amine Adjina	...	Le frère de Djamel
Christophe Sermet	...	Nicolas
Loïc Pichon	...	Le paysan
Veronika Pereverzeva	...	La mère de Mikhail
Antony Hegarty	...	Le chanteur du café
Gilles Forgeas	...	Premier client du bois
Pierre Nahori	...	Second client du bois
Ozgur Tosunoglu	...	Troisième client du bois
Réjane Kerdaffrec	...	La femme de la gare
Pierre-Arnaud Jolard	...	Le client de la gare
Hugo Sablic	...	L'asolescent de la gare
Giovanna	...	Fille de la pétanque
Stella	...	Fille de la pétanque
Mimouna Hedayati	...	La mère de Djamel
Olga Abrego	...	La matrone du squat
Tolsty	...	Le tenancier du squat
Vladislas Laskevich	...	Piotr
Sacha Yatchin	...	Ovguéni
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fatima Adoum	...	L'entraineuse
Florence Belame	...	Une prostituée
Paris Benjamin	...	Une prostituée
Emylou Brunet	...	L'enfant de Nicolas
Didier De Neck	...	Le médecin
Yann Delayaye	...	L'ouvrier
Lucas Di Girolamo	...	L'enfant du train
Luigi Di Girolamo	...	L'homme du train
Angelique Ducrocq	...	Le chauffeur du taxi
Aurélie Gibert	...	La voleuse des puces
Jean-Marie Groux	...	L'ambulancier
Aurélie Guichard	...	La bonne soeur
Jean-Claude Joerger	...	Le voyeur du bois
Ludovic Leplat	...	L'ambulancier
Liliane Nataf	...	L'infirmière
Michel Olivès	...	Le voisin
Christophe Provost	...	L'enfant de Nicolas
Valery Ribakov	...	Un russe du squat
Bernadette Seinvin	...	La voisine

Directed by
Sébastien Lifshitz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Stéphane Bouquet
Sébastien Lifshitz

Produced by
Chris Curling	....	co-producer
Phil Robertson	....	production executive producer
Gilles Sandoz	....	producer
Christian Tison	....	executive producer
Eric van Beuren	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Jocelyn Pook

Cinematography by
Agnès Godard

Film Editing by
Stéphanie Mahet

Casting by
Omri Ben Canaan

Production Design by
Véronique Melery
Roseanna Sacco		(as Roseanna Sacco-Colas)

Costume Design by
Elisabeth Mehu

Makeup Department
Anne Moralis	....	makeup department head (hair department head)

Production Management
Olivier Guerbois	....	production manager
Gaëtane Josse	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Florence Gatineau-Saillant	....	trainee assistant director
Philippe Thiollier	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Emilie Ferrenq	....	painter

Sound Department
Thaddée Bertrand	....	dialogue editor
Yolande Decarsin	....	sound
Cyril Holtz	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Tom Oversteijns	....	key grip
Antoine Struyf	....	second assistant camera

Editorial Department
Thaddée Bertrand	....	assistant editor
Jason Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Steve Parr	....	music mixer
Steve Parr	....	music recordist

Other crew
Christophe Besnard	....	assistant to producer
Tatiana Bouchain	....	assistant to producer
Sophie Onteniente	....	production assistant
Karen Waks	....	script supervisor
Mickey Cottrell	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Maïa Films
• YC Alligator Film
• Zephyr Films
• arte France Cinéma
• AB3
• Canal+ (participation)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)

Distributors

• Peccadillo Pictures (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Wellspring Media (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Xenix Filmdistribution (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• firstchoicefilms (2004) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Ad Vitam Distribution (France)
• Alberto Bitelli Intl. Films (2005) (Brazil) (all media)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Paris Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (all media)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

France:93 min | USA:93 min | Belgium:110 min

Country:

France | Belgium | UK

Language:

English | Russian | French

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:(Banned) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | UK:18 | Brazil:18

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Maïa Films

Three-cornered relationship of 3 social outcasts

Wild Side was one of the best movies at last year's Rotterdam Film Festival, and is a must see for the admirers of Lifshitz (Corps overt, Les). The title refers to Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed.

The story follows the lives of three social outcasts. Stéphanie is 32, transsexual, a prostitute and tired of life. She finds incidental moments of happiness by going out or hanging around with her girlfriends. Stéphanie lives with Jamel (Terres froides, Les), an young North African who also occasionally works as a prostitute. When Stéphanie meets the Russian Michail, a deserter and illegal immigrant in France, she can't choose between the two men and a triangular relationship ensues.

The 3 characters are by society considered as outcasts, but the unlikely friends have found comfort and passion in each other. Lifshitz managed to create a mirror of life and hope, which is reflected through the beautiful performance of his actors.

The director provides a realistic picture of the life of his characters, without glorifying or glamorising the fringes of society. A movie for those who appreciate life, love and friendship.

8/10