Project Detail

The Exception

Synopsis

Holland 1940. The Nazis are rampaging through Europe. The British have retreated from Dunkirk. The last German Kaiser, now an old man, has been living in exile in a big old house in the Dutch countryside for 25 years, chopping logs and reading PG Wodehouse. Into this world comes a young German officer, sent to stop the old man from defecting to England. Add a beautiful and mysterious Dutch maid and a British spy and the stage is set for a gripping spy thriller and love story.
Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2016 - Special Presentations - World premiere

Details

Year
2016
Type of project
Features
Running time
107 mins
Format
Digital
Director
David Leveaux 1st Feature
Producer
Judy Tossell, Lou Pitt
Co-Producer
Daniel Toland
Executive Producer
Philip H. Geier, Jr., Bill Haber, Bob Boyett, Eugene Beard, Claudia Bluemhuber, Ian Hutchinson, Florian Dargel, Irene Gall, Jens Meurer, Jim Seibel, Bill Johnson, Bastien Sirodot, Adrian Politowski, Gilles Waterkeyn, Christian Angermayer, Klemens Hallmann
Editor
Nicolas Gaster
Screenwriter
Simon Burke (screenplay), Alan Judd (novel)
Director of Photography
Roman Osin
Production Designer
Hubert Pouille
Sound
Henri Morelle
Composer
Ilan Eshkeri
Principal cast
Lily James, Christopher Plummer, Jai Courtney, Janet McTeer, Ben Daniels, Eddie Marsan

Genre

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

An Egoli Tossell KLK (UK), Ostar Enterprises, Inc. (US) production in association with Alton Road Productions (US), Silver Reel Partners AG (CH), uMedia Production (BE), Film House Germany AG (DE), Screen Flanders (BE)

Egoli Tossell KLK Ltd

Judy Tossell
10th Floor, The Met Building
22 Percy Street
London
W1T 2BU

Sales Company

Lotus Entertainment

1875 Century Park East
Suite 2150
Los Angeles
CA 90067
USA

Page updates

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