To know more - Delphis Films

Technical information
Logline and synopsis
Press Quotes
Director’s bio and statement
Main Cast
David Grossman’s bio
Production companies and sales agent
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Presskit The Zigzag Kid
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Title
Genre
Year of Production
Duration
Language
Adapted from
Aspect Ratio
Deliverable in
The Zigzag Kid
Coming of Age
2012
95’
Dutch/English/French
David Grossman’s novel The Zigzag Kid
1:2,35 (CinemaScope)
DCP, HDCAM
Presskit The Zigzag Kid
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Logline & synopsis
Logline
His dad is the world’s greatest detective, but his mom is a mystery that Nono needs to solve
in a hurry…
Synopsis
A witty, spirited and action-­‐packed adventure about an almost-­‐thirteen-­‐year-­‐old boy
named Nono, his world of confusions, fears and fantasies…
Nono has been brought up by his workaholic single father, a famous police inspector. He
longs to be as good a detective as his dad but constantly gets himself into trouble. His free-­spirited
mother disappeared and died when he was little. Gaby, his father's secretary,
cherishes Nono and recognizes the anguish of a child with a missing part. Police mascot and
his father's would-­‐be disciple, Nono struggles with a wildness he can't identify. It comes
from his mother. Two days before his bar mitzvah, he is sent off to his uncle’s to be
straightened out. Once on the train, the over-­‐imaginative boy is given one last chance to
prove himself. Together with charming grifter Felix Glick, an old acquaintance of his
father’s, he travels to the French Riviera and enters a world of disguises, crazy pursuits,
chansons and Zohara, a mysterious woman whose secrets will forever change Nono’s life.
Based on the beloved novel by David Grossman, The Zigzag Kid uses wit and humor to
explore the most fundamental questions of good and evil and to speak directly to adults and
teenagers.
Presskit The Zigzag Kid
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“Fast-­‐paced, whimsical coming-­‐of-­‐ager… The Zigzag Kid’s pacey editing, colorful
production design and impressive widescreen lensing prove alert to quirks of character,
and serve to bring this audience-­‐pleasing romp off in style.” -­‐ Variety
“Lighthearted and deeply moving…” -­‐ Trouw *****
“An unexpected adventure…” -­‐ Troskompas *****
“Excellent film…” – Het Parool ******
Presskit The Zigzag Kid
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Born in Ghent in 1971, Flemish director Vincent Bal began his career as a child actor,
appearing in musicals, films and television from the age of six. After studying film at St-­‐
Lukas University of Applied Science in Brussels he made commercials and several shorts,
the best known of which is The Bloody Olive (1996), based on the comic strip by Lewis
Trondheim. He made his feature directing debut with Man of Steel in 1999, and followed
that two years later with Minoes, based on the award-­‐winning novel by legendary Dutch
writer Annie M.G. Schmidt. Ball wrote the screenplays for both films. Minoes became a
domestic hit and enjoyed wide success on the international circuit.
“When I first read the novel The Zigzag Kid by David Grossman, I was really surprised in
how many ways the book touched me.”
“The story is sort of a treasure hunt as Nono searches for the truth about his mother, and, in
the end, his own identity. What struck me is how Nono is taught not to trust his
imagination, and to rely solely on facts, but how in the end it is precisely this fantasy which
makes him discover the truth. His imagination is his strength.”
“I hope the magic and emotion that I saw in the book comes across when the audience sees
the film and that it makes them dream.”
“Stylewise, I wanted the film to be as diverse as the book. Quick and elusive like mercury,
yet more emotional. The Zigzag Kid was shot in Holland, Belgium, France and Spain with the
main cast from four European countries.”
Presskit The Zigzag Kid
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Isabella Rossellini (Lola)
Daughter of the illustrious film icons Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman, Isabella
Rossellini made her American film debut in White Nights starring opposite Mikhail
Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines and is probably best known for her role as a tortured
lounge singer in David Lynch’s haunting and controversial Blue Velvet. Her portrayal of a
Jewish mother in Left Luggage, directed by Jeroen Krabbé, earned her a special award at
the Berlin Film Festival in 1998. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the
television series Crime of the Century and she was nominated for an Emmy for her role in
the series Chicago Hope. Rossellini lives in New York City with her two children.
Burghart Klaussner (Felix)
Berlin-­‐born Burghart Klaussner studied acting at the Max Reinhardt School of Drama and
began his career playing on stages across Germany. After several roles in television, he
began reaching wider audiences in films such as Das Superweib (1996) and Rossini
(1997). In 2003 he starred in Wolfgang Becker’s international hit, Goodbye Lenin!, and in
2005 he won Best Supporting Actor at the German Film Awards for his role in The
Edukators. In 2009 he co-­‐starred with Kate Winslet in the Oscar-­‐nominated The Reader,
and the following year he again earned a German Film Award as Best Actor for his role as
the priest in Michael Haneke’s Oscar-­‐nominated and Golden Palm award-­‐winning film The
White Ribbon.
Fedja Van Huêt (Jacob)
Dutch film and theatre actor Fedja van Huêt was born in 1973 and studied acting in
Maastricht. He starred in Mike Van Diem’s Oscar-­‐winning film Character (1997) and won
Golden Calf awards for his performances in Amnesia (2001) and Nachtrit (2006). In 2008
he starred in the German film Buddenbrooks, and in 2010 headed the casts of the Dutch TV
series Penoza and the feature film, Loft.
Jessica Zeylmaker (Gaby)
Dutch actress Jessica Zeylmaker was born in 1982 and trained at the Arnhem Theatre
School. A member of the TG Sonja artistic company, she has appeared in numerous stage
productions and television series. This year she can be seen playing Sien van Hoornik in the
Dutch TV series, Van Gogh, and in the film adaptation of Carry Slee’s bestseller Sorry!
Presskit The Zigzag Kid
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Camille De Pazzis (Zohara)
French model-­‐actress Camille De Pazzis was discovered on a Paris street by Jean-­‐Paul
Gaultier and after signing a contract with French cosmetic brand Lancôme, she launched
her acting career as a lead character in the French teen television series La vie devant nous.
Ms. De Pazzis has since played in a plethora of French feature films, including The Singer,
Mr. Lonely and The First Day of the Rest of Your Life. She can currently be seen on
American television screens in the ABC series Last Resort.
Thomas Simon (Nono)
Thomas Simon, 15, is making his screen debut. Encouraged by a friend to audition for the
film, Thomas was surprised to win the role over 160 other candidates. A bit reluctant to
become an actor, Thomas finally enjoyed the experience so much that by the end of the
shoot he knew that this was what he wanted to do in life. Thomas lives in Amsterdam.
Presskit The Zigzag Kid
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David Grossman is one of Israel’s most famous writers. His books have won numerous
international prizes and have been translated into more than 30 languages. He first came to
international attention in 1990 with the publication of his critically acclaimed novel See
Under: Love. In addition to numerous essays, children’s books and a play, he has authored
eight novels, including Someone to Run With and The Book of Intimate Grammar. In 2008
Grossman published what some critics have called his masterpiece, To the End of the Land.
His latest work, Falling out of Time (2011), was also enthusiastically noticed. He has
received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Leuven and Florence and among his
recent awards is the prestigious German Geschwister-­‐Scholl-­‐Preis (2008), the Peace Prize
of the German Book Trade (2010) and the JQ Wingate Prize (2011) for To the End of the
Land.
The Zigzag Kid was written in 1994 and has been published in sixteen countries including
U.S.A., U.K., France, Spain, Italy, China, Russia, Turkey and Sweden.
Grossman has a cameo role in The Zigzag Kid playing one of the guests at the bar mitzvah
party at the end of the film.
“He seems to carry the world of a boy alive within him.” – The New Yorker
“He’s a strong and resolute man with childlike gentleness.” – Amos Oz
“Like Lewis Carroll's Alice, Mark Twain's Huck and Salinger's Holden Caulfield, [Nono] is a
journeyer whose picaresque travels are an anarchic interrogation of the world he is on the
verge of growing into.” – Los Angeles Times
Presskit The Zigzag Kid
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BosBros
The BosBros production company is a pioneer in the Netherlands in the field of high quality
children’s series and family movies. For over two decades, BosBros has produced films that
have been, at once, commercial successes at home and abroad and the recipients of
numerous honors, including several at the Berlin Film Festival and the Emmy Awards.
Generations of children and parents around the world have made such films as The
Penknife, Minoes and Winky’s Horse box office hits and critical favorites.
N279 Entertainment
Founded by producer Els Vandevorst and director Martin Koolhoven, N279 Entertainment
is known for such popular features as The South and Winter in Wartime. Vandervorst has
produced films (for Isabelle Films) by such internationally renowned directors as Lars von
Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Aleksandr Sokurov and Stijn Coninx.
Attraction Distribution
Attraction Distribution, formerly Delphis Films, is a leading international sales agent
specializing in quality family films. It has enjoyed a decade-­‐long relationship with BosBros.
Attraction Distribution
5455 De Gaspé Ave., Suite 803
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H2T 3B3
Tel.: 1-­‐514-­‐846-­‐1222
Fax: 1-­‐514-­‐846-­‐1227
www.attractiondistribution.ca
Email: info@attractiondistribution.ca
Presskit The Zigzag Kid
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