Valiant Hearts (French: Cœurs vaillants) is a 2021 World War IIdrama film written and directed by Mona Achache from a screenplay she co-wrote with Christophe Offenstein, Jean Cottin, Anne Berest, and Valérie Zenatti, starring Camille Cottin.[6] The film is a co-production between France and Belgium and it is based on the real-life story of Achache's grandmother, Suzanne Achache–Wiznitzer, who was a Jewish child placed in foster care during World War II to escape the Holocaust. The film made its world premiere at the War On Screen Film Festival on 1 October 2021. It was released theatrically in France by BAC Films on 11 May 2022.
The film is based on the real-life story of director Mona Achache's paternal grandmother, Suzanne Achache–Wiznitzer,[7] who was a Jewish child placed in foster care during World War II to escape the Holocaust.[8][9][10]
The original title, Cœurs vaillants, refers to the French Catholic magazine for children that the hidden children discover in the film.[9]
The character Rose, portrayed by Camille Cottin, was inspired by Rose Valand, a conservator at Paris's Jeu de Paume Museum and a member of the French Resistance who spied and documented artworks stolen by Nazi officers.[11]
The film is a co-production between France's Les Films du Cap and Orson Films, and Belgium's Scope Pictures[11][3] It was pre-purchased by the French pay-per-view television channels Canal+ and Ciné+ in 2020.[11]Bac Films purchased the film for theatrical release in France.[11] International sales were handled by Other Angle Pictures.[11]
Filming was postponed by a few weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] Principal photography began on 29 July 2020 and wrapped on 15 September 2020.[11] Filming took place in the commune of Chambord, Loir-et-Cher in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France,[13] and at the Chambord Castle.[14] The shooting followed a strict COVID-19 safety protocol monitored by a COVID reference nurse, and everyone except the actors were using masks on set.[13] The regulations required the children 26 days of filming for them to complete their back-to-school week, so the crew took a week's break.[12]
After shooting at the Chambord Castle for 9 days, the cast and crew then moved to a forest near the Butte de Vienne where filming took place for 18 days.[12] The film's production built a cabin in the forest that should be preserved by Chambord.[12]
On 2 May 2022, Cocotte & Les Films du Cap released the album with the film's official soundtrack composed by Benoit Rault for HiTnRuN.[15][unreliable source?]
Cœurs Vaillants un film de Mona Achache (Bande originale du film)
The film made its world premiere at the War On Screen Film Festival in Mourmelon-le-Grand, France on 1 October 2021.[2] It was released theatrically in France by BAC Films on 11 May 2022.[3]
Film
