Gérard Depardieu and Déborah Lukumuena are finishing filming Robuste

by Fabien Lemercier

07/12/2020 - The duo lead the cast of Constance Meyer’s first feature film, a Dharamsala production set to be sold worldwide by Indie Sales, which is soon to wrap filming

Gérard Depardieu and Déborah Lukumuena are finishing filming Robuste

Actors Gérard Depardieu and Déborah Lukumuena

Filming has entered the home straight for Robust [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Constance Meyer
film profile], the first full-length work by Constance Meyer who turned heads with her short films Frank-Étienne vers la béatitude (selected for Venice’s Orizzonti line-up in 2012), Rhapsody (battling it out in Clermont-Ferrand’s national competition and Locarno’s international competition in 2016) and La belle affaire (screening Out of Competition in Locarno 2018).

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At the head of the cast we find Gérard Depardieu (nominated for the Best Actor Oscar in 1991, for Cannes’ Best Actor accolade in 1990 and for Venice’s equivalent in 1985, nominated for the Best Actor César 17 times – most notably in 2016 for Valley of Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – and walking away with the trophy twice; recently well-received in Fahim [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and touring French cinemas from 6 January in Home Front [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lucas Belvaux
film profile] and, later in 2021, in Lost Illusions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile]) in the company of Déborah Lukumuena (the winner of the Best New Hope César and Lumières Revelation award in 2017 for Divines [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Houda Benyamina
film profile], who was especially impressive in Invisibles [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Liza Benguigui
film profile] and whom we’ll be seeing next year in Entre les vagues).

Written by the director, the story (a finalist for the 2020 Screenplay Award) revolves around aging film star Georges. When his right-arm man and sole companion takes a leave of absence for several weeks, a replacement is organised in the form of Aïssa. Between this young security officer and our disenchanted actor, a special bond begins to take root…

Produced by Isabelle Madelaine on behalf of Dharamsala, Robust is co-produced by France 2 Cinéma and Belgian group Scope Pictures. Pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+, the feature film also enjoys the support of the Île-de-France region and the SOFICA companies Cinémage, Indéfilms and Cofimage. Having kicked off on 26 October, shooting is set to wrap on 15 December with Simon Beaufils (My Donkey, My Lover and I [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Knife + Heart [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicolas Maury
interview: Yann Gonzalez
film profile]) helming photography. The film will be distributed in French cinemas by Diaphana and sold worldwide by Indie Sales.