Totem Films has boarded “Emma Doucet,” a wistful romantic drama from “Sidonie in Japan” director Elise Girard.
Vicky Krieps will star as Emma, a single mother in her forties juggling work, volunteer commitments, parenting and a complicated emotional life. She unexpectedly falls for French Prime Minister Michel Villaverde, played by Alex Lutz, and despite the difficulties of their relationship, the two embark on a discreet epistolary affair. As Emma begins to reassess her choices, her son’s teenage existential crisis quietly mirrors her own.
Production is set to begin in spring 2026, led by France’s 10:15! Productions alongside Germany’s Lupa Film. Les Films du Losange and Piffl Medien will handle French and German distribution respectively, with additional support from Arte France Cinéma.
“Emma could have stepped out of a Jane Austen novel,” Girard said. “But above all, she is a woman like many others: hardworking, a mother, idealistic and romantic — unknowingly waiting for something, perhaps true love.”
“’Emma Doucet’ is a deeply romantic story that runs counter to a world where hope too often feels in short supply,” Totem Films’ Margot Hervée added. “It reminds us that life remains full of unexpected turns.”
Girard’s previous feature, “Sidonie in Japan,” premiered in Venice Days in 2023, and went on to secure more than 30 international sales and grossed over $1 million worldwide. Starring Isabelle Huppert alongside August Diehl and Tsuyoshi Ihara, the bittersweet drama followed a widowed French author who travels to Kyoto and confronts the lingering presence of her late husband as she attempts to begin anew.
Heading into this year’s Unifrance Rendezvous in Paris, Totem’s current slate includes Venice Lion of the Future winner “Short Summer” by Nastia Korkia; Locarno titles “Fantasy” by Kukla and “Donkey Days” by Rosanne Pel; Karlovy Vary best director winner “The Visitor” by Vytautas Katkus; and “Cotton Queen” by Suzannah Mirghani, which premiered in Venice Critics’ Week. The company is also heading to Berlinale with Anna Roller’s second feature “Allegro Pastell,” set to premiere in the Panorama section.