The Exterminating Angels

The Exterminating Angels (French: Les Anges exterminateurs) is a 2006 French erotic drama film written and directed by Jean-Claude Brisseau. It was screened at the Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2006 and received a limited release in the United States on 7 March 2007. The film is about a director named François who embarks on a film project about female eroticism. He meets three struggling actresses who perform sexual acts in front of him. What François does not realise is that there is a lot more going on in the girls' heads than other parts and this leads to tragic consequences.

The Exterminating Angels
Theatrical release poster
FrenchLes Anges exterminateurs
Directed byJean-Claude Brisseau
Written byJean-Claude Brisseau
Produced by
  • Milena Poylo
  • Gilles Sacuto
Starring
CinematographyWilfrid Sempé
Edited byMaría Luisa García
Music byJean Musy
Production
companies
  • La Sorcière Rouge
  • TS Productions
Distributed byRézo Films
Release dates
  • 20 May 2006 (2006-05-20) (Cannes)
  • 13 September 2006 (2006-09-13) (France)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Box office$154,210[1]

The film is semi-autobiographical; in 2002, director Brisseau had been arrested on charges of harassment, fined and given a suspended one-year prison sentence. The plaintiffs were three women who had performed sexual acts in front of him during their audition.[2]

The soundtrack for the film was composed by Jean Musy.

Cast

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  • Frédéric van den Driessche as François
  • Maroussia Dubreuil as Charlotte
  • Lise Bellynck as Julie
  • Marie Allan as Stéphanie
  • Raphaële Godin as Apparition 1 / Rebecca
  • Margaret Zenou as Apparition 2
  • Sophie Bonnet as Nathalie
  • Jeanne Cellard as the grandmother
  • Virginie Legeay as Virginie
  • Estelle Galarme as Olivia
  • Marine Danaux as Agnès
  • Apolline Louis as Céline
  • François Négret as Stéphanie's friend

Production

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On 31 October 2007, two actresses, one of whom stars in The Exterminating Angels, accused Brisseau of rape, sexual assault and harassment for a period from August 2005 to September 2007. Marie Allan, then aged 29, accused the director of having abused her during erotic "castings", carried out face to face and without a camera, in public places or at Brisseau's home. According to her, Brisseau would have promised a leading role in one of his films and asked for that to work these intimate scenes. The same accusations came from another actress, then aged 21, who said she suffered a "digital" rape by the filmmaker. Brisseau only admitted to having had a consensual sexual relationship with the first actress. A judicial investigation was opened, the man was heard as an assisted witness, but the procedure was abandoned for lack of evidence to establish "non-consent".[3]

References

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  1. ^ "The Exterminating Angels (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  2. ^ Burr, Ty (16 March 2007). "As eroticism, 'Angels' doesn't fly". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  3. ^ Agence France-Presse. "Jean-Claude Brisseau, soupçonné de viols, a été entendu comme "témoin assisté"". Libération (in French). Retrieved 13 February 2022.
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