Focus on French Cinema - French Film Festival of Greenwich

2009

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	Genre: COMEDY
	Director: Pierre Jolivet
	Screenplay: Pierre Jolivet and Simon Michaël
	Director of photography:Pascal Ridao
	Cast: Roschdy Zem (Zak) Marie Gillain (Mélanie) Jean-Paul Rouve (Denis) Adrien Jolivet (Kevin)
	Running time: 1hr 42min Production: France, 2008 Distributor:Pathé International ›› OFFICIAL WEBSITE

La Très Très Grande Entreprise
The Very Very Big Company

Sponsored by The Raymond Debbane Family Foundation
Introduction by Michelle Stewart, Professor of Cinema Studies at Purchase College

In this comedy with a social conscience , Zaccharias, Mélanie, Denis and Kevin refuse to accept the pittance offered by a huge multinational agrochemical corporation after it pollutes the local water supply. In a David-Goliath matchup, the four main characters have just 30 days to infiltrate the massive skyscraper that houses the company and find new evidence to incriminate the polluters. Writer-Director Pierre Jolivet first witnessed the conflict between “regular people” and large corporations when he and his brother Marc put on plays in factories occupied by workers during the strikes of May ’68; his trademark as a director has been to integrate serious social commentary into popular movie genres such as the thriller (Fred, 1997) and comedy (My Little Business, 1999 and The very very big company).

Director's quote
That’s the point of this film, to inject lightness into a desperate situation; to make a film that confronts social issues, but one that uses laughter to make itself accessible. A militant film is noble and courageous, but it’s rarely seen by the audience it most directly addresses.

The film attacks multinational corporations, with their immeasurable profits and their insolent omnipotence; however, these charges would be nothing without the characters that animate the story, who make it breathe and give it charm. Zak, Melanie and the others are ordinary heroes, funny and credible... the actors bring out the best in these well written roles, playing otherworldly Zorros with evident jubilation. - Cécile Mury, Télérama

Pierre Jolivet, director
2008 La Très très grande enterprise | The Very Very Big Company
2007 Je crois que je l'aime (Could This Be Love?)
2005 Zim and Co.
1999 Ma petite entreprise (My Little Business)
1997 Fred
1989 Force majeure (Uncontrollable Circumstances)
1985 Strictement personnel

Roshdy Zem, actor :
Son of Moroccan immigrants, sold blue jeans in the outdoor markets before beginning his performing career in his mid-twenties. He has since received 4 Cesar nominations, and in 2006 shared, with the male ensemble of the film “Days of Glory,” the Best Actor award at Cannes. Last year he directed his first movie, “Mauvaise foi”, with Cecile de France. “The Very Very Big Company” is his fourth collaboration with Pierre Jolivet .

Marie Gillain, actress ›› Biography

Jean-Paul Rouve, actor
Jean Paul Rouve, created, in 1989, the renowned comedy troupe "Les Robins des Bois", with five fellow students at the Cours Florent, France's famous comedy school. After some theatre work, they became nationally famous on TV, first on the channel "Comedie," and then on Canal +. In 2001, they embarked on film careers, first jointly in the Alain Chabat movie "RRRrrrr, and then as individuals. Rouve began in supporting roles, winning the 2003 Cesar Award for Most Promising Actor in "Monsieur Batignole," and moved on to leading parts in such movies as "Podium," "Nos jours heureux (FFC '07), and La Vie en Rose (as Piaf's father). He made his directorial debut in 2007 with "Sans armes, ni haine, ni violence". "The Very Very Big Company" is his first collaboration with Pierre Jolivet.