Emily Atef Readies Shoot of ‘More Than Ever’ With Vicky Krieps, Gaspard Ulliel (EXCLUSIVE)

Emily Atef, whose latest film “3 Days in Quiberon” competed at the Berlinale in 2018, is getting ready to shoot “More Than Ever,” a melodrama headlined by Vicky Krieps (“Phantom Thread”) and Gaspard Ulliel (“It’s Only the End of the World”). Jesper Christensen (“Before the Frost”) and Liv Ullmann will also star.

The Match Factory is representing the project in international markets.

“More Than Ever” (formerly known as “Mister”) was penned by Atef and German scribe Lars Hubrich, whose screenwriting credits include Fatih Akin’s 2016 film “Goodbye Berlin.” The movie is produced by Xénia Maingot at Eaux Vives Productions, and co-produced by Nicole Gerhards at Niko Film, Jani Thiltges at Samsa Film and Maria Ekerhovd at Mer Film.

The film follows Hélène, a 33-year-old women who lives in Bordeaux, France, and is in a happy relationship. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she finds out that she suffers from a rare lung disease. After discovering Norway through a blog, Helene decides to leave everything behind and embarks on a trip across Europe all the way to Norway to find a new path.

A German-French-Iranian filmmaker, Atef will shoot “More Than Ever” mainly in French with some English and Norwegian dialogue. The helmer, whose previous movies include “3 Days in Quiberon,” “Kill Me” and “The Stranger In Me,” said she wanted “More Than Ever” to be “an emotional drama, existential, yet playing with surreal.”

“A strong theme that’s accessible to everyone. A story full of intensity. The light is one of its essential keys to capture the Norwegian beauty and unique atmosphere,” said Atef, who added that the film’s dialogues will boast some “Scandinavian humor.”

“More Than Ever” will start shooting in April for two months in Bordeaux, Luxembourg (in a studio) and in Norway. The movie will be released by Jour2fête in France, Pandora in Germany, and Mer Film in Norway.

The movie’s key crew includes Silke Fischer, the production designer of Netflix’s “Unorthodox,” “Toni Erdmann” and “3 Days In Quiberon,” and Dorothée Guiraud, the costume designer of Celine Sciamma’s Golden Globe nominated “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.”

The film was financially backed by Arte Grand Accord, Arte, the French National Film Board (CNC), and the French-Germany co-production treaty. Other backers include the Filmförderung Hamburg, Regional Fund Medienboard, DFFF, Pandora, Luxembourg Film Fund, Norwegian Film Fund and Zefyr Regional Fund Norway.