France: Bonne Pioche

Bonne Pioche
Paris, France
www.bonnepioche.fr

Paris' Bonne Pioche exploded onto the scene in 2005 with the release of its feature March of the Penguins. The film has grossed almost US$120 million at box office to date, and sits second only to Fahrenheit 9/11's takings. (Who said natural history was dead?) That's especially good if you consider this is a film that could have self-destructed on many occasions, be it from the traditional lack of funding, through to crew accidents in the harshest climates, or during a wholesale revision in which a second narrative was imposed on the images (voiced by actor Morgan Freeman). The only unanswered question for Penguins' prodco Bonne Pioche is: what could it possibly do for an encore? How about a film about a French rock band trying to make it in the us called Amen Birdmen: Across the Atlantic?

Founded in 1993, the company acquired press agency Noon in 2002, and in 2004 it established Bonne Pioche Music. In 2005, it launched Bonne Pioche Compagnie to handle investigative reports and also opened a New York office. Bonne Pioche currently has 10 employees, plus affiliate companies.