AT WORK

(A pied d’oeuvre)

US Premiere | France | 2026 | Drama, Comedy | 92 min | In French with English subtitles |
Winner Best Screenplay 2025 Venice film festival
Directed by: Valérie Donzelli, 
Written by: Valérie Donzelli, Gilles Marchand
Based on the Book by: Franck Courtès
Produced by: Alain Goldman (Pitchipoï Productions), France 2 Cinéma
Cinematography: Irina Lubtchansky
Original Score: Jean-Michel Bernard
Film Editing: Pauline Gaillard
Cast: Bastien Bouillon (Paul Marquet), Virginie Ledoyen (Alice),  André Marcon (the father), Valérie Donzelli , Marie Rivière, Claude Perron, Philippe Katerine
International Sales: Kinology

 Synopsis

Paul used to make a decent living as a photographer, but has given that up to become a writer. “Remaining a writer,” he says, “was another story.” When his ex-wife and kids move to Montreal, Paul crashes in a borrowed basement hovel to focus on just that, doing menial odd jobs just to scrape by. Named Best Screenplay at this year’s Venice Film Festival, At Work recounts the workaday tale of a struggling artist – determined to find meaning in his work and desperately clutching his freedom with both hands – with elegance and touching simplicity. The film also offers a peek into the harsh reality of life in a gig economy.

 Director’s biography

Writer/director Valérie Donzelli launched her career as an actor in the title role of Sandrine Veysset’s Martha Martha (2001), which premiered at the Cannes Director’s Fortnight.  She has since appeared in more than 70 films, including Anne Fontaine’s In His Hands (COLCOA 2006) and the TV series Clara Sheller (2005).  She made her feature directorial debut with Queen of Hearts (2009), which was presented in Locarno. Her second feature, Declaration of War (2011), premiered in Cannes and went on to become a critical and box-office hit. That was followed by the TV series Nona and Her Daughters (COLCOA 2021), Just the Two of Us (TAFFF 2023), and the feature documentary Rue du Conservatoire (2024). At Work premiered in this year’s Venice Film Festival, where it garnered the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay and the Premio Fondazione Fai Persona Lavoro Ambiente Award for the Treatment of Work-related Issues.