The 4th edition of LabSud will in 2025 welcome new writers from the Région Sud, or whose projects are anchored there. The call for projects for LabSud ran from April 30 to June 30. Eight writers were selected to participate in the residency, which will be held in Marseille from September 29 to October 3. Under the artistic direction of Adriano Valerio, our writers will benefit from the guidance of mentors Alain Layrac and Sabrina Amara.
Genco, a teenage orphan of Turkish origin, begins an internship on a construction site in France, within a community of Turkish workers. He finds refuge with Murat, his supervisor, and Yesim, his wife, until the arrival of their son shatters this illusion of family. As Genco falters, Yesim’s childhood resurfaces in an ambiguous temporality: in a Turkish village, a little girl refuses to let her sister go far from her.
When his wife leaves him overnight, Julien, 44, sees his orderly life collapse. Shaken by the energy of Marseille, his teenage son’s ideals, and the friendship of a free spirit named Balt, he tries to reinvent himself in a world where masculine benchmarks are wavering. An existential comedy—tender and piquant—about identity crisis and the virtues of letting go.
In Marseille, Diego, a young footballer from a modest background, tries to overcome his brother’s death while pursuing his dream career, pushed by a father ready to do anything for his success.
Kevin is a mason who works for his older brother Marc. He lives in a suburban house, and one day new neighbors arrive: Rida and his family. Kevin becomes obsessive, spies on them, and feels his identity threatened. As Marc says, “les bougnoules ne sont pas ici chez eux.” But when Rida offers them a job, they accept…
At 19, Elias leaves his village to settle in Marseille, where he is hosted for the first time by his grandmother. Determined to start his adult life, he discovers a stifling apartment dominated by a hostile, ever-present uncle. Little by little, this toxic cohabitation brings out a dark side of Elias he did not suspect.
An employee in a shopping mall, GARY (34) is an immature and negligent father. To get closer to his daughters, he offers to play Santa Claus at their school. But one detail sparks controversy: Gary is Black.
Élise, almost forty, married, two children, feels alive again to the sound of punching bags. Becoming alive again in the face of a daily life that has become too alienating has a price that boxing allows her to confront.
Jeanne, jeune cuisinière, tente de trouver sa place dans l’univers rude de la haute gastronomie. Aux prises avec un système à l’opposé de ses valeurs et de ses convictions, que sera-t-elle prête à supporter pour vivre sa passion ?
Sabrina Amara grew up in Paris and Gennevilliers. As a screenwriter and dialogue writer (Prêt à Tout, À Toutes Épreuves, Going to Brazil), she directed the short film Pas de Rêve, Pas de Baise, which won awards including the France Télévisions Prize at Clermont-Ferrand and was selected at Palm Springs. She is currently developing two feature films, Yalla Sisters and Les Ailes d’Isis, while continuing her work as a screenwriter for film and television, notably alongside Michaël Souhaité and for Septembre Productions.
After studying cinema at the University of Paris I, Alain Layrac enjoyed success with the creation of the series "Une famille formidable" in collaboration with Danièle Thompson. In 1997, he wrote the screenplay for the film "Héroïnes", directed by Gérard Krawczyk, which was a TV hit despite failing in theaters. His original screenplay "Mauvaises Fréquentations" was directed by Jean-Pierre Améris in 1999, marking the debut of Lou Doillon and earning a César nomination for Robinson Stévenin. In 2001, his original screenplay "Barnie et ses petites contrariétés" was adapted by Bruno Chiche, starring Nathalie Baye and Fabrice Luchini. In 2005, he again wrote the original screenplay for the film "Avant qu'il ne soit trop tard", directed by Laurent Dussaux. In 2017, he published "Atelier d'écriture" and adapted his essay for the cinema with "Le Cours de la vie" in 2023, directed by Frédéric Sojcher and starring Agnès Jaoui and Jonathan Zaccaï.
