Sex, Passion and Intrigue arrive on Sky Arts with two acclaimed dramas Maison Close and Hard
MAISON CLOSE starts 15th July 10pm Sky Arts 2 HD & Sky Go
HARD – will start early 2013 on Sky Arts & Sky Go
Sky Arts today adds to its acclaimed foreign drama strand by acquiring two esteemed French dramas. The provocative period drama Maison Close and dark romantic comedy HARD will receive their UK television premieres on the Sky Arts channels during 2012 and 2013.
The two controversial dramas, which originally aired on the French subscription service Canal Plus, both examine themes of sex and power in wildly different ways. Maison Close received huge critical acclaim when it aired, with Cinema-France pronouncing it ‘breathtaking’ with ‘a rare quality’ and by L’Express as ‘dark, twisted, sleek and sensual.’ Described by Le Monde as ‘a delicious comedy with great moments of black offbeat humour,’ HARD won writer-director Cathy Verney the Roma Fiction Festival Best Director Award in 2008.
MAISON CLOSE
Harsh and realistic, Maison Close is a costume drama with a contemporary twist set in the uncompromising world of a brothel in late nineteenth century Paris. The story follows the lives of three women working the mysterious and opulent whorehouse Paradise which is renowned for entertaining Parisian barons and aristocrats. Youthful Rose arrives at Paradise searching for her mother but naively gets trapped into servitude to pay off her debt; Vera is reaching her mid-thirties and longs for escape and patroness Hortense fights for control against the thugs and gangsters that frequent her home.
Maison Close combines a hard-hitting emotional story and the cold graphic realities of nineteenth century France with modern production techniques and a rock‘n’roll soundtrack. The eight-part drama, in French with English subtitles, was conceived by Jacques Ouaniche and directed by Mabrouk el Mechri. The series starts on Sunday 15 July 10pm on Sky Arts 2.
HARD
Written and directed by actress Cathy Verney, HARD is a comedy drama which follows the misfortunes of Sophie, a middle-class housewife from a French Catholic bourgeois upbringing. Following the sudden death of her husband, Sophie uncovers a dark secret about his life. Not only does she have to cope with the emotional strain of loss and impending financial ruin, she also learns that her husband has been running a secret porn business which she now has to manage.
Forced to take the helm as director of the porn studio to pay her way, Sophie is thrust into the world of adult erotica as she attempts to re-build a very different life for her family. The series addresses the reality of the porn industry in a naturally funny story that questions social and professional taboos as well as the complexity of family life, relationships and love.
Broadcast in French with English subtitles, HARD was produced by Gilles Galud. The series will air on Sky Arts in early 2013.
“Sky’s aim is to bring the best quality drama to its customers and both these acclaimed French Canal Plus dramas offer something unique for viewers.” comments James Hunt, Director Sky Arts. “Maison Close and HARD don’t shy away from taboo, but the exemplary writing, direction and performances put them at the vanguard of creative storytelling. We are delighted to be able to bring them to the UK for the first time exclusively on Sky Arts.”
Sky Arts has recently broadcast critically acclaimed foreign language dramas from Italy and Israel including the first series of Romanzo Criminale, In Treatment (BeTipul) and the original Homeland, Prisoners of War (Hatufim).
The commitment to foreign drama reflects Sky’s promise to deliver high-quality, exclusive content to customers, supported by a commitment to increase investment in programming to £600 million by 2014, an increase of more than 50% over three years.
Maison Close starts Sunday 15th July 10.00pm Sky Arts 2 HD and Sky Go
HARD will air early 2013 on Sky Arts and Sky Go
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Katherine Solomon PR Manager, Sky Press Office
T: 0207 032 0599
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Dominic Collett Sky Arts Publicist, Sky Press Office
T: 0207 032 4892
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NOTES TO EDITOR
About Sky Arts
Sky is the only broadcaster in the UK and Ireland with channels dedicated solely to the arts, with 48 hours of the best arts content from around the world across Sky Arts 1 and Sky Arts 2 daily. Recent highlights include the latest season of the Met Opera, Chekhov Comedy Shorts, a season of brand new plays starring the cream of British comedic talent, Tim Marlow on Sculpture 3D and The South Bank Sky Arts Awards.
Sky Arts also seeks to connect with culture on the ground; creating and collaborating with the best of the arts in the UK and Ireland to bring new experiences to life. The flagship show, The Book Show, now goes to four literary festivals including Hay and Cheltenham. Sky Arts Creative Wish is part of Sky Arts Ignition Series which launched in in 2011 to invest in the arts landscape of the UK. The Series will seek to collaborate with six arts organisations over the next three years in the creation of brand new works; Sky Arts Ignition Series: Futures Fund will support five young artists with a bursary of £30,000 each, enabling Sky Arts to back the creation of new works of art as well as nurture emerging talent. Sky Arts also encourages new formats and methods for accessing opera; beaming the world’s first live opera in 3D to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from ENO.
