Hard Shell Soft Shell
A FILM BY EMMA BENESTAN
Romantic comedy – France – 2021 – 100 minutes
Color | French | English subtitles | 2:35 | 5.1
SYNOPSIS
Az, an oyster worker in Sète has just been dumped by his girlfriend, Jessica, a starlet from the local court series when he had just proposed to her. For Az, it’s the end of the world. On the thirty-sixth floor, he follows the advice of his childhood friend Lila.
CAST
Yasin Houicha, Oulaya Amamra, Raphaël Quenard, Bilel Chegrani, Diong-Kéba Tacu, Tiphaine Daviot, Holy Fatma, Guillermo Guiz, Samira Sedira
CREW
DIRECTOR : Emma Benestan
WRITER : Emma Benestan & Nour Ben Salem
PRODUCER : Caroline Nataf (Unité)
CINEMATOGRAPHY : Aurélien Marra
PRODUCTION DESIGN : Eliane Lorthiois
SOUND DESIGN : Anne Dupuis
EDITING : Perrine Bekaert
MUSIC : Julie Roué
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHIE
Emma Benestan is a French-Algerian director, screenwriter and editor.
After graduating from La Fémis, she directed several short films : “Un monde sans bête” (Clermont Ferrand 2018), “Goût bacon”(70 festival selections and shortlisted for the French Academy Awards) and “Belle Gueule” (60 festival selections, winner of the CNC quality award).
In her first feature film “Fragile”, she hijacks the traditional codes of comedy with a joyfully feminist take on contemporary masculinity. The film was released in theatres in 2021 and received critical acclaim.
Emma Benestan has also worked as an editor on feature films, such as “Mektoub my love” by Abdellatif Kechiche (Venice 2017). She has also been involved on numerous projects as screenwriter, including “The Right Words” which premiered in Competition at Cannes Film Festival 2021.
FILMOGRAPHY
HARD SHELL SOFT SHELL I 2021
UN MONDE SANS BÊTE I 2018
GOÛT BACON I 2016
BELLE GUEULE I 2014
TOUCHER L’HORIZON I 2011
FESTIVALS & AWARDS
Zlin International Film Festival
Stony Brooks Film Festival
Sedona International Film Festival
Screenwave International Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
Rhode Island International Film Festival
Rendez-Vous du Nouveau Cinéma de Rome
Port Townsend Film Festival
Naples International Film Festival
Heartland international Film Festival
Fayetteville Film Festival
Cucalorus Film Festival
Cinefest Subdury
Cambria Film Festival