Le Pacte

Le Pacte is a French motion picture company headquartered in Paris. It specializes in film distribution, co-productions and international sales. It was founded by Jean Labadie in November 2007, shortly after he was forced out of his previous company, BAC Films.^[3][4][5] Since its creation, it has become one of the largest independent French distribution companies.^[6][7] It had a record number of admissions in 2019 with more than 6.5 million cumulative admissions.^[8]

Le Pacte

Company type	SAS[1]
Industry	Film
Founded	19 November 2007 (2007-11-19)[1]
Founder	Jean Labadie
Headquarters	5 rue Darcet, 75017 Paris[2]
Services	Film distribution Film production
Website	le-pacte.com

History

When Labadie launched Le Pacte, the company's first releases included Hana Makhmalbaf's Buddha Collapsed out of Shame, Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir, Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah, Christophe Honoré's The Beautiful Person, François Ozon's Ricky and Jim Jarmusch's The Limits of Control.^[9][10]

In total, Le Pacte has distributed more than 200 films. Le Pacte has distributed films by many established filmmakers including Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake, Sorry We Missed You), Arnaud Desplechin (My Golden Days, Oh Mercy!), Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters, The Truth), Todd Haynes (Dark Waters), Rodrigo Sorogoyen (The Realm, Mother) Jim Jarmusch (Only Lovers Left Alive, Paterson), Nanni Moretti (We Have a Pope, Mia Madre), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), Agnès Varda (Faces Places), Thomas Vinterberg )The Commune), Matteo Garrone (Dogman, Tale of Tales) and Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer). The company has also supported up-and-coming filmmakers such as Ladj Ly (Les Misérables), Sean Baker (The Florida Project), Samir Guesmi (Ibrahim), Carlos Reygadas (Post Tenebras Lux), David Robert Mitchell (Under the Silver Lake), Arthur Harari (Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle), Kornél Mundruczó (Delta), the D'Innocenzo brothers (Bad Tales), and Justine Triet (In Bed with Victoria, Sibyl, Anatomy of a Fall).^[11]

The company has also been involved restoration and distribution of home video, including many classic films such as those by Federico Fellini (Il bidone, I clowns, Orchestra Rehearsal),^[12] Luigi Comencini (The Adventures of Pinocchio)^[13] and Jean-François Stévenin (Mischka, Double messieurs, Passe montagne).^[14]

Le Pacte is a member of the Syndicat des Distributeurs indépendants réunis européens (DIRE) alongside fourteen other distribution companies, including Ad Vitam, BAC Films, Capricci, Diaphana, Haut et Court, Les Films du Losange, Memento Distribution, Pyramide Distribution, Rezo Films, SBS Distribution, The Jokers, UFO Distribution, Wild Bunch Distribution and Zinc.^[15]

Awards received by films distributed by Le Pacte

Academy Awards

• Faces Places by Agnès Varda and JR: nomination for Best Documentary Feature Film (2017)^[16]
• The Florida Project by Sean Baker: nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Willem Dafoe (2017)^[17]
• On Body and Soul by Ildiko Enyedi: nomination for Best International Feature Film (2017)^[18]
• The Breadwinner by Nora Twomey: nomination for Best Animated Feature (2017)^[19]
• Shoplifters by Hirokazu Kore-eda: nomination for Best International Feature Film (2018)^[20]
• Les Misérables by Ladj Ly: nomination for Best International Feature Film (2019)^[21]
• Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet: Best Original Screenplay, plus nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Film Editing (2023)^[22]

The cast of the film Les Misérables on the red carpet of the 92nd Academy Awards.

Cannes Film Festival

• Timbuktu by Abderrahmane Sissako: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (2014) and François Chalais Prize (2014)^[23]
• Mia Madre by Nanni Moretti: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (2015)^[24]
• The Aquatic Effect by Sólveig Anspach: Directors' Fortnight SACD Award (2016)^[25]
• I, Daniel Blake by Ken Loach: Palme d'Or (2016)^[26]
• Graduation by Cristian Mungiu: Best Director (2016)^[27]
• Dogman by Matteo Garrone: Best Actor for Marcello Fonte (2018)^[28]
• Shoplifters by Hirokazu Kore-eda: Palme d'Or (2018)^[29]
• Les Misérables by Ladj Ly: Jury Prize (2019)^[30]
• It Must Be Heaven by Elia Suleiman: Jury Special Mention (2019)^[31]
• Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet: Palme d'Or (2023)^[32]

Director Abderrahmane Sissako with the 7 Césars for the film Timbuktu.

César Awards

• Timbuktu by Abderrahmane Sissako: Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Music, Best Sound, Best Editing (2015)^[33]
• Valley of Love by Guillaume Nicloux: Best Cinematography (2015)^[34]
• The Aquatic Effect by Sólveig Anspach: Best Original Screenplay (2017)^[35]
• I, Daniel Blake by Ken Loach: Best Foreign Film (2017)^[36]
• Shoplifters by Hirokazu Kore-eda: Best Foreign Film (2019)^[37]
• Oh Mercy! by Arnaud Desplechin: Best Actor for Roschdy Zem (2020)^[38]
• Les Misérables by Ladj Ly: Best Film, César du public, Most Promising Actor and Best Editing (2020)^[39]

For his performance in The Prayer, Anthony Bajon became the 7th French actor to win the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlinale, in 2018.

Berlin International Film Festival

• The Commune by Thomas Vinterberg: Silver Bear for Best Actress for Trine Dyrholm (2016)^[40]
• On Body and Soul by Ildikó Enyedi: Golden Bear (2017)^[41]
• The Prayer by Cédric Kahn: Silver Bear for Best Actor for Anthony Bajon (2018)^[42]

Venice Film Festival

• The Untamed by Amat Escalante: Silver Lion (2016)^[43]
• The Truth by Hirokazu Kore-eda: Opening film (2019)^[44]

Box office

Sources : cbo-boxoffice.com and le-pacte.com

Rank	Title	Production country	Director	Year	Domestic attendance
1	Les Misérables	France	Ladj Ly	2019	2,181,860
2	Anatomy of a Fall	France	Justine Triet	2023	1,868,352
3	Drive	United States	Nicolas Winding Refn	2011	1,587,898
4	Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants	France	Thomas Szabo & Hélène Giraud	2014	1,552,713
5	Irreplaceable	France	Thomas Lilti	2016	1,511,258
6	Timbuktu	Mauritania, France	Abderrahmane Sissako	2014	1,260,760
7	Première Année	France	Thomas Lilti	2018	1,014,821
8	I, Daniel Blake	United Kingdom	Ken Loach	2016	955,737
9	Hippocrate	France	Thomas Lilti	2014	954,723
10	Rebels	France	Allan Mauduit	2019	925,503

Selected filmography

The films distributed by Le Pacte are:^[11]

• 2008: The Beautiful Person by Christophe Honoré
• 2009: Ricky by François Ozon
• 2010: On Tour by Mathieu Amalric
• 2011: We Have a Pope by Nanni Moretti
• 2011: Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
• 2011: Beloved by Christophe Honoré
• 2012: Looking for Hortense by Pascal Bonitzer
• 2012: Reality by Matteo Garrone
• 2012: The Angels' Share by Ken Loach
• 2013: Snowpiercer by Bong Joon-ho
• 2013: Diana by Oliver Hirschbiegel
• 2013: Post Tenebras Lux by Carlos Reygadas
• 2014: Timbuktu by Abderrahmane Sissako
• 2014: Hippocrate by Thomas Lilti
• 2014: Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants by Thomas Szabo and Hélène Giraud
• 2014: The Salt of the Earth by Win Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
• 2014: The Zero Theorem by Terry Gilliam
• 2014: Maps to the Stars by David Cronenberg
• 2014: Life of Riley by Alain Resnais
• 2015: Valley of Love by Guillaume Nicloux
• 2015: Mia Madre by Nanni Moretti
• 2015: The Brand New Testament by Jaco Van Dormael
• 2015: Tale of Tales by Matteo Garrone
• 2015: My Golden Days by Arnaud Desplechin
• 2015: Jauja by Lisandro Alonso
• 2016: Irreplaceable by Thomas Lilti
• 2016: I, Daniel Blake by Ken Loach
• 2016: In Bed with Victoria by Justine Triet
• 2016: Saint-Amour by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern
• 2016: Paterson by Jim Jarmusch
• 2016: Endless Poetry by Alejandro Jodorowsky
• 2016: The Neon Demon by Nicolas Winding Refn
• 2017: Faces Places by Agnès Varda and JR
• 2017: Ismael's Ghosts by Arnaud Desplechin
• 2017: Mr. & Mrs. Adelman by Nicolas Bedos
• 2018: Première Année by Thomas Lilti
• 2018: An Impossible Love by Catherine Corsini
• 2018: Roulez jeunesse by Julien Guetta
• 2018: Place publique by Agnès Jaoui
• 2018: The Prayer by Cédric Kahn
• 2019: It Must Be Heaven by Elia Suleiman
• 2019: Les Misérables by Ladj Ly
• 2019: Oh Mercy! by Arnaud Desplechin
• 2019: Sorry We Missed You by Ken Loach
• 2019: The Realm by Rodrigo Sorogoyen
• 2019: Rebels by Allan Mauduit
• 2019: Pinocchio by Matteo Garrone (direct-to-video release on Amazon Prime Video as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic)
• 2019: Mother by Rodrigo Sorogoyen
• 2020: The Girl with a Bracelet by Stéphane Demoustier
• 2020: Mama Weed by Jean-Paul Salomé
• 2020: DNA by Maïwenn
• 2021: Ibrahim by Samir Guesmi
• 2021: The Speech by Laurent Tirard
• 2021: Deception by Arnaud Desplechin
• 2021: Where Is Anne Frank by Ari Folman
• 2021: Three Floors by Nanni Moretti
• 2021: The Divide by Catherine Corsini
• 2021: Adieu Paris by Édouard Baer
• 2022: Brother and Sister by Arnaud Desplechin
• 2022: The Beasts by Rodrigo Sorogoyen
• 2022: The Five Devils by Léa Mysius
• 2023: The Sitting Duck by Jean-Paul Salomé
• 2023: Jeanne du Barry by Maïwenn
• 2023: Homecoming by Catherine Corsini
• 2023: Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet
• 2023: A Real Job by Thomas Lilti
• 2023: The Old Oak by Ken Loach

International films

Le Pacte handled the French distribution of the following international titles that were not co-produced by France:

• 2008: Gomorrah by Matteo Garrone (Italy)
• 2008: Bronson by Nicolas Winding Refn (UK)
• 2009: Rec 2 by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza (Spain)
• 2010: Exit Through the Gift Shop by Banksy (UK)
• 2010: Jack Goes Boating by Philip Seymour Hoffman (US)
• 2011: Drive by Nicolas Winding Refn (US)
• 2011: The Yellow Sea by Na Hong-jin (South Korea)
• 2012: I Wish by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Japan)
• 2012: Rec 3: Genesis by Paco Plaza (Spain)
• 2013: Like Father, Like Son by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Japan)
• 2013: Seven Psychopaths by Martin McDonagh (UK / US)
• 2014: Rec 4: Apocalypse by Jaume Balagueró (Spain)
• 2014: The Raid 2 by Gareth Evans (Indonesia / US)
• 2014: Only Lovers Left Alive by Jim Jarmusch (UK / Germany)
• 2015: Marshland by Alberto Rodriguez (Spain)
• 2015: Lost River by Ryan Gosling (US)
• 2015: The Voices by Marjane Satrapi (US / Germany)
• 2017: The Commune by Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark)
• 2017: The Florida Project by Sean Baker (US)
• 2017: May God Save Us by Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Spain)
• 2018: Shoplifters by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Japan)
• 2018: Under the Silver Lake by David Robert Mitchell (US)
• 2018: Dogman by Matteo Garrone (Italy)
• 2019: Dark Waters by Todd Haynes (US)
• 2021: Flag Day by Sean Penn (US)
• 2022: Red Rocket by Sean Baker (US)
• 2024: Megalopolis by Francis Ford Coppola (US)
• 2024: Anora by Sean Baker (US)
• 2024: The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie by Pete Browngardt (US)
• 2024: Heretic by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (US)