An elderly woman wants to meet her son's murderer. A sixteen-year-old girl who has crossed paths with a young hoodlum needs an adult to accompany her to the prison visiting room. A young medical supplies delivery man is offered a deal to take the place of a gangster inmate so that the latter may escape. Two women, one man, three destinies that come together in the visiting room of a prison…

Zorah is an old Algerian woman. The day after her son's murder, she abandons everything to go to France to meet his killer in prison. How, though, will she get to meet the prisoner in the visiting room without his consent?
Laure, 15 years old, has fallen in love with a thug. As he is in prison, she has to find an adult to go with her so that she can get into the visiting room. She meets Antoine, a young, cynical, house surgeon, who gets his kicks from observing other people's troubles…
Stéphane, a penniless, young, blood delivery-man, is asked to swap places in a prison visiting room with a crook so that he can escape. The amount of money he is offered is tempting, but the man he is supposed to substitute himself for is of a completely different size…
Two women, one man, three journeys meet in the visiting room at Fleury- Mérogis prison.

Director : Léa Fehner

ACTORS
Zohra: Farida Rahouadj
Stéphane: Reda Kateb
Laure: Pauline Etienne
Pierre: Marc Barbé
Alexandre: Vincent Rottiers
Antoine: Julien Lucas
Elsa: Dinara Droukarova

Genre : Drama
Year : 2009
Length : 2h
Nationality : French

Producers: Jean-Michel Rey, Philippe Liégeois (Rezo Productions)
Screenplay: Léa Fehner, Catherine Paillé
Cinematography: Jean-Louis Vialard, AFC
Sound: Julien Sicart, Didier Cattin, Jean-Marc Schick
Music: Luc Meilland
Editor: Julien Chigot
Set Decorator: Pauline Bourdon
Costume Designer: Chantal Castelli
Line Producer: Jacques Reboud

INTENTION
While writing the short film "Sauf le silence", I went to research locations around the prison of Fleury-Merogis, and talked to an association that looks after the families waiting for the visiting room.
This film comes from these encounters with the close ones of prisoners. Not shut away inside, or free outside, I wanted to give voice to these men and women with silent destinies, to express the link that remains despite the wounded hearts and flesh.
I chose the form of a choral recital: three stories, three different relationships to prison, three characters who have arrived at a decisive moment in their life and each choosing to take their fate into their own hands in a singular manner; the strength of a story is, for me, the first defence against indifference made ordinary.
Léa Fehner

Production : Philippe LIÉGEOIS / REZO PRODUCTIONS

FILM SPECIFICATIONS
1er long métrage / 1st Feature Film
Lieux de tournage / Shooting place: Paris region, Fleury Merogis prison, Algiers
Langue de tournage / Shooting language: French
Date de tournage / Shooting date: September, 2nd 2008
Format de tournage / Shooting format: 35mm, colour
Durée de tournage / Shooting duration: 9 weeks
Durée du film / Film running time: 100 minutes
Acteurs / Cast: on-going casting which will probably use little known or unknown actors so that none of the stories will receive bigger focus than the two others
Budget prévisionnel / Estimated cost of the film: € 2.6 Million
Financements acquis / Financial arrangements already acquired: € 0.6 Million
Source: http://www.cannesinteractive.com/files/LivredesProjets2008.pdf

FESTIVALS / AWARDS
Venice Days 09 - World Premiere
Michel d'Ornano Prize 09, Emergence 07, Junior Prize for Best Screenplay 07