Monika Bacardi’s wild nights return to the Gulf of Saint-Tropez this summer. This week, the Italian-Monegasque film producer returned to her summer soirées. A gigantic Jungle party in Ramatuelle with its share of jet-set personalities and celebrities. After a short hiatus, the friendship evenings organised on the Tropez peninsula by Lady Monika Bacardi, a Monegasque philanthropist and businesswoman associated with the famous rums, were back under the best of auspices. To recapture the splendour of yesteryear, the woman who has also launched her own film production business has chosen a ‘Jungle’ theme. No Tarzan remake, but a hundred or so celebrities and jet-set guests, all too happy to show off their latest leopard-print outfit under the bamboo and driftwood of La Sauvageonne, an unusual restaurant in Ramatell that any modern-day Robinson could turn into his new hot spot.
Laurent Amalric took a moment to interview Lady Monika Bacardi regarding “Ferrari” soon to be in competition in Venice:
Monika Bacardi, head of Ilbe Entertainment, will soon be making waves at the Venice Film Festival with one of her co-productions.
So what is this project that’s already got the Italian festival buzzing?
It’s the film Ferrari, co-produced with American director Michael Mann, which has been announced for the competition. An ambitious €80 million project starring Adam Driver in the role of Enzo Ferrari. Penelope Cruz, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Dempsey and Shailene Woodley complete the cast. I wasn’t able to see the film, which is still in post-production, but an entire era has been recreated with reproductions of Ferraris from the 50s!
This is not your first ‘car’ biopic…
Yes, we previously produced Lamborghini, the man behind the legend, which has been available on streaming since this year, starring Frank Grillo, Mira Sorvino and Gabriel Byrne. Our business model is to bring Italy to the world and the world to Italy, with Anglo-Saxon actors bringing Italian productions to the world.
What other posters are you working on?
The current writers’ strike is holding us back, but we should be starting shooting Skincare with Elizabeth Banks in the autumn. Also coming up are Paradox Effect with Harvey Keitel and Olga Kurylenko, Kill’Em All 2 (The Mark of Vengeance) with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Restitution with Dustin Hoffman. Plenty of food for thought!
