Les femmes de l'ombre (2008)

Director:

Jean-Paul Salomé

Writers:

Jean-Paul Salomé (writer)
Laurent Vachaud (writer)

Release Date:

5 March 2008 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Plot:

In May 1944, a group of French servicewomen and resistance fighters are enlisted into the British Special...

Plot Keywords:

Normandy | Rescue | D Day | Resistance | Commando

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Sophie Marceau	...	Louise Desfontaines
Julie Depardieu	...	Jeanne Faussier
Marie Gillain	...	Suzy Desprez
Déborah François	...	Gaëlle Lemenech
Moritz Bleibtreu	...	Karl Heindrich
Maya Sansa	...	Maria Luzzato
Julien Boisselier	...	Pierre Desfontaines
Vincent Rottiers	...	Eddy
Volker Bruch	...	Lieutenant Becker
Robin Renucci	...	Melchior
Xavier Beauvois	...	Claude Granville
Colin David Reese	...	Colonel Maurice Buckmaster
Jurgen Mash	...	Gerd Von Rundstedt
Conrad Cecil	...	Le géologue anglais
Alexandre Jazede	...	René Bourienne
David Capelle	...	Bernard Quesnot
Wolfgang Pissors	...	Médecin train
Chantal Garrigues	...	Mme Duchemin
James Gerard	...	Officier anglais 1
Edward Hamilton-Clark	...	Officier anglais 2
Marc Bertolini	...	Moustachu train
Rainer Sievert	...	Lieutenant hôpital Normandie
Ashley Wanninger	...	Soldat radio cour hôpital
Natasha Cashman	...	Secrétaire Buckmaster
Stanislas Kemper	...	Pilote Jeanne RAF
Simon Boyle	...	Dispatcher
Olivier De Wispelaere	...	Feld gendarme St Lazare
Johannes Oliver Hamm	...	Major SS train
David Van Severen	...	Caporal Pioche
Sarah Tullamort	...	Nurse hôpital anglais
Philippe Soutan	...	Poinçonneur Baratier
Yves Heck	...	Conducteur métro
Stéphane Foenkinos	...	Contrôleur train
Christophe Grofer	...	Sentinelle G2
Stefan Kollmuss	...	Officier Wehrmacht St Germain
Fabian Arning	...	Soldat Pierre
Olivier Beraud-Bedouin	...	Le milicien (as Olivier Beraud)
Alex Lutz	...	Soldat fourgon
Jan Oliver Schroeder	...	Garde entrée hôpital
Serge Boutleroff	...	Concierge hôtel Régent (as Serge Onteniente)
Antoine Salomé	...	Groom Régent
Andrew W. Wilson	...	Prêtre catholique aérodrome
Ida Techer	...	La surveillante couloir

Directed by
Jean-Paul Salomé

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Paul Salomé		writer
Laurent Vachaud		writer

Produced by
Tracey Cuesta	....	supervising producer: Dominican Republic
Éric Névé	....	producer

Original Music by
Bruno Coulais

Cinematography by
Pascal Ridao

Film Editing by
Marie-Pierre Renaud

Casting by
Stéphane Foenkinos

Production Design by
Françoise Dupertuis

Set Decoration by
Sébastien Monteux-Halleur

Costume Design by
Pierre-Jean Larroque

Makeup Department
Franck-Pascal Alquinet	....	additional hair stylist
Nurith Barkan	....	key makeup artist
Sabrina Bernard	....	additional makeup artist
Franck Berteau	....	additional hair stylist
Annouschka Berthézène	....	additional makeup artist
Pascale Bouquière	....	additional makeup artist
Gérard Carrissimoux	....	additional hair stylist
Fanny Casino	....	trainee makeup artist
Magali Ceyrat	....	additional makeup artist
Sidonie Constantin	....	additional hair stylist (as Sidonie Constantien)
Catherine Damiani	....	additional makeup artist (as Cathy Damiani)
Michèle Decanini	....	additional hair stylist (as Michel Decanini)
Michel Demonteix	....	hair stylist: extras
Joëlle Dominique	....	additional hair stylist
Florence Dupuis	....	additional makeup artist
Guy Espitallier	....	additional makeup artist
Françoise Fichet	....	additional hair stylist
Bernard Floch	....	additional makeup artist
Céline Fontenaud	....	additional makeup artist
Odile Fourquin	....	key makeup artist
Fabienne Gervais	....	makeup artist: extras
Sylvie Greco	....	makeup artist
Karina Gruais	....	additional makeup artist
Anouk Grégoire	....	additional hair stylist
Mathieu Gueracague	....	additional hair stylist (as Mathieu Gueraçague)
Marie-Anne Hum	....	additional makeup artist
Mathilde Humeau	....	additional makeup artist
Patrice Iva	....	hair stylist: extras
Brigitte Laurent	....	key hair stylist
Brigitte Le Goff	....	key hair stylist
Catherine Leblanc	....	additional hair stylist
Olivia Lequimener	....	additional hair stylist
Françoise Malet	....	additional makeup artist
Sylvie Mathevet	....	key hair stylist
Sophie Mollier	....	additional makeup artist
Christophe Morin	....	additional hair stylist
Emmanuel Pitois	....	special makeup effects artist
Patricia Planche	....	additional makeup artist
Miguel Santos	....	additional hair stylist
Christine Skourtis	....	additional hair stylist
Jacqueline Stuffel	....	additional hair stylist
Marie-France Thibault	....	additional hair stylist
Chloé Van Lierde	....	special makeup effects artist
Catherine Vrignaud	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Charles Besnard	....	assistant production
Christina Crassaris	....	post-production supervisor
Audrey Legendre	....	assistant unit manager
Nora Salhi	....	production manager
Alexandra Swenden	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Serge Boutleroff	....	first assistant director (as Serge Onteniente)
Marianne Capian	....	second assistant director
Clément Comet	....	second assistant director: second unit
Solène De Warren	....	second second assistant director
Aurélien Fauchet	....	second second assistant director
Christelle Lahaye	....	additional second second assistant director (as Christelle Lahay)

Art Department
Eric Baudrais	....	dressing props
Nicolas Brisset	....	second assistant decorator
Jean-Luc Cabaret	....	dressing props
Pascal Chevé	....	plasterer
Constant Clavier	....	assistant property master
Théophile de Montalivet	....	carpenter
Caroline Descubes	....	assistant set dresser
Hervé Dépagne	....	property coordinator
Frédéric Faye	....	head painter
Emmanuel Maintigneux	....	set designer
Xavier Marty	....	construction coordinator
Jacques Mizrahi	....	carpenter
Sébastien Monteux-Halleur	....	set dresser
Yvon Moreno	....	property master
Michel Paris	....	first assistant decorator
Patrick Pellegrin	....	dressing props
Xavier Vantaggi	....	painter
Virginie Verdeaux	....	assistant art director
Pauline Lefevere	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
François Boudet	....	sound assistant
Marilena Cavola	....	dialogue editor
Clément Chagot	....	assistant foley mixer
Pascal Chauvin	....	foley artist
Vincent Cosson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Aymeric Dupas	....	sound assistant
Matthieu Fichet	....	assistant sound editor
Marie Guesnier	....	sound recordist
Vincent Guillon	....	supervising sound editor
Dean Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Grégory Lacroix	....	boom operator
Gilles Missir	....	foley mixer
Laurent Poirier	....	sound
Loïc Prian	....	sound editor
Franck Tassel	....	assistant foley artist
Malo Thouément	....	assistant sound

Special Effects by
Noel Chainbaux	....	special effects assistant
Olivier Marais	....	special effects
Julien Poncet de la Grave	....	special effects
Romain Rosier	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Guillaume Bauer	....	digital compositor
Odile Beraud	....	scan and shoot
Fabien Coupez	....	flame artist
Sebastien Dupuis	....	visual effects artist
Sebastien Gombeaud-Saintonge	....	Flame artist: Mac Guff Ligne, Paris
Amélie Guyot	....	on-set matchmover
Peregrine McCafferty	....	matchmove artist
Patrick Siboni	....	digital compositor: Flame artist
Philippe Sonrier	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Laurent Alexandre	....	stunt coordinator (as Larry Alexandre)
Frédéric Alhinho	....	stunts
Gaëlle Cohen	....	stunt double: Sophie Marceau
Oumar Diaoure	....	stunt coordinator
Enrico Horn	....	stunt performer
Gregory Loffredo	....	stunts
Sébastien Peres	....	stunts
Gilbert Perez	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Bérard	....	gaffer
Mathieu Caudroy	....	Steadicam operator
Marie Celette	....	second assistant camera
Sarah Couvelaire	....	assistant camera
Adrien Debackere	....	additional focus puller
Benoit Dentan	....	aerial camera operator
Steven Desbrow	....	camera operator: helicopter
Odile Euriat	....	assistant to assistant camera
Jean-Yves Freess	....	key grip
Thibault Grabherr	....	still photographer
Colin Houben	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jean-Baptiste Jay	....	crane operator
Hans Krumenacker	....	electrician
Olivier Leblanc	....	crane operator
Agnès Letessier	....	camera operator: second unit (as Agnès Letessier-Selvon)
Loïc Limosin	....	electrician
Denis Paillieux	....	electrician
Nathalie Savale	....	first assistant camera
Nicolas Sommermeyer	....	grip
Maryline Touret	....	second assistant
Eric Vallée	....	camera operator: "c" and "d" camera

Casting Department
Geneviève Acien	....	extras casting
Sara Babin	....	extras casting assistant
Virginie Berrotte	....	extras casting assistant
Christelle de Héricourt	....	extras casting assistant (as Christel de Héricourt)
Elodie Demey	....	casting assistant
Catherine Deserbais	....	extras casting
Marion Pastor	....	extras casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Samantha Altun	....	wardrobe
Vincent Arenilla	....	costumer
Philippe Bazin	....	costumer
Gilles Bodu-Lemoine	....	key costumer (as Gilles Bodu-Le Moine)
Christine Brottes	....	wardrobe
Fatima Coulon	....	wardrobe
Christine Demétrau	....	costumer
Pui Laï Huam	....	key costumer
Lydie Lalaux	....	wardrobe
Isabelle Lebreton	....	wardrobe
Chimène Lerandy	....	wardrobe
Alicia Maistre	....	wardrobe
Brigitte Masson	....	costumer
Noémie Payen	....	wardrobe
Véronique Portebois	....	costumer
Véronique Pouzou	....	wardrobe
Maritza Reitzman	....	costumer
Germaine Ribel	....	costumer
Camille Saleh	....	wardrobe
Sophie Ton-Thi	....	wardrobe
Florie Vaslin	....	wardrobe (as Florie Dachaud-Vaslin)
Christophe Vialaret	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Denis Bedlow	....	first assistant editor
Anne-Sophie Bion	....	assistant editor
Brigitte Galea	....	post-production administrator
Isabelle Julien	....	color grader
Frederic Jupin	....	digital conformation
Philippe Reinaudo	....	digital intermediate technical director

Other crew
Marie Barré	....	location scout
Jean-Pierre Benamou	....	advisor: british army
André Blanc	....	advisor: railways
Aude Boedec	....	production secretary
Jimena Castaneda	....	production assistant
Christophe Chauveau	....	key location scout
Christian Daumas	....	singing coach
Corinne Devaux	....	choreographer
Remy Freess	....	location manager
Nathalie Gillot	....	extra production secretary
Cathy Kerbrat	....	extra production secretary
Jean-Claude Lecoq	....	armorer
Jean-Luc Leleu	....	advisor: german army
Laurence Lemaire-Bazi	....	script supervisor
Francois Litou	....	location assistant
Camille Ménager	....	documentalist
Wolfgang Pissors	....	german coach
Fabien Pondevaux	....	location scout
Luc Poullain	....	helicopter pilot: camera
Cécile Rodolakis	....	script assistant
Zohra Salhi	....	production administrator
Harmel Sbraire	....	coach: actors (as Armelle Sbraire)
Stéphanie Valet	....	assistant production administrator
Christine Velan	....	german coach
Louise Vincent	....	english coach
Olivier Wieviorka	....	history advisor

Production Companies

• Les Chauves-Souris (presented by)
• Banque Populaire Images 7 (in association with)
• Banque Populaire Images 8 (in association with)
• Canal+ (with the participation of)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (in association with)
• CinéCinéma (with the participation of)
• Cofimage 18 (in association with)
• Cofinova 4 (in association with)
• Poste Image (in association with)
• Restons Groupés Production (in co-production with)
• Région Ile-de-France (with the support of)
• Sofica Valor 7 (in association with)
• TF1 Films Production (in co-production with)
• TF1 International (in co-production with)

Distributors

• Cinéart (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• TFM Distribution (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• Vertice Cine (2009) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Koch Media (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• One Movie (2011) (Italy) (all media)
• Revolver Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Vendetta Films (2008) (New Zealand) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Mac Guff Ligne (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Aerial Camera Systems  helicopter gyrostabilized camera system

Also Known As:

"Female Agents" - International (English title), UK (imdb display title)
"Espías en la sombra" - Spain
"Female Agents" - Italy (imdb display title)
"Female Agents - Geheimkommando Phoenix" - Germany (DVD title)
"Hemlig agent" - Sweden
"I apostoli" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Kémnők" - Hungary
"Mulheres de Guerra" - Portugal
"Oi afaneis iroides" - Greece (festival title)
"Síla odvahy" - Czech Republic (imdb display title)
"Sila odwagi" - Poland (imdb display title)

Runtime:

Germany:117 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | German | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/12 | UK:15 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | France:U (with warning)

Company:

Les Chauves-Souris

Goofs:

Factual errors: Pubs in England are called by their descriptive name, example: The Nags Head, not 'The Nags Head Pub'.

Unusual and well told

Female Agents is one of the very few war films that concentrates on women as soldiers rather than wives waiting for returning men.

Based around the SOE operations towards the end of WWII this is a very well-made and well thought out offering.

Very well shot and lit, with good detailing in both set and costume, this is really a character piece as well as an action film; Sofie Marceau shines as the level-headed leader determined to carry out her mission and the rest of the cast are up to her standard.

It doesn't have a Hallmark moment in it, but chooses bleakness and some harrowing (But not horrific) scenes that mean it remains a good tense war film.

Recommended.