Marketing Campaign For The Movie
Marketing Campaign For The Movie
Marketing Campaign For The Movie
Communication Plan
Agency: Synergy
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CHAN Cheuk Yin, Andrew 06186272
CHEUNG Hau Chi, Iris 06611942
CHIU Chi Ting, Fanni 06111576
KWONG Siu To, Kite 06611966
MAK Hui Ki, Steven 07318107
NG Lak Sun, Nixon 06061692
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Content Page
Part 3 -- Appendix
A. Target Market Analysis P.23 - P.27
- Questionnaire P.23 - P.26
- Focus Group Interview P.26 - P.27
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Part 1 – Analysis
The local movie industry has been going downhill since the nineties, generally due to declining
local movie productions, inability to attract talents, availability of pirated VCDs and harsh
competitions from foreign movies. It is noticed that the Hong Kong audience has become more
sophisticated in recent decades when choosing movies in theatres, and this is reflected in the
Annual Box Office Result. Until October 2008, it is not surprising to find merely five local movies
in the Top 20 Box Office Result1. Most Hong Kong film producers aim to produce movies with the
lowest possible budget, thus it is not uncommon to see starlets being hired as ‘actors’ in local films,
and the lack of creative scripts. The coarse local production leads to audience complaints about the
poor quality of local films, pushing people to watch foreign films instead. As 94.5% of the Hong
Kong audience prefers higher quality films and 55.2% enjoys foreign films more2, it will be an
advantage for us to market 36 Quai des Orfèvres under these situational factors.
Nowadays there are a lot more movies, both in terms of the quantity and the variety in genres,
available in the market than in the past, giving consumers many more choices. Given the economic
1
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/hongkong/yearly/?yr=2008&p=.htm
2
http://www.dab.org.hk/tr/main.jsp?content=article-
content.jsp&articleId=955&categoryId=1210#
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success of Hong Kong people, a large proportion of them can afford and are willing to watch
movies in their leisure. However, the habit of movie watching has changed tremendously during the
past decades. First, the venue of movie watching has changed from the cinemas in the past to the
homes these days, thanks to the development and hasty distribution of movie DVDs and the
advancement in domestic audio / visual equipment, prompting consumers to visit cinemas less
frequently. Second, while the overall appeal of cinemas has decreased, local consumers are more
selective in choosing which cinemas to visit. Cinemas nowadays have been designed to give a
relaxed and comfortable ambience and they provide value-added services to attract moviegoers. In
addition, the taste of Hong Kong moviegoers has altered too, switching from local movies in the
past to western, Hollywood style movies currently, possibly due to better education as well as an
enhanced level of living. Last but not least, it is advanced technology and the rising demand of
moviegoers for more audio and visual excitements that popularise 3D or 4D theatres in Hong
Kong.
Due to the recent financial tsunami which has struck globally, Depression 2.03 seems to be slashing
holes in everyone’s pockets. Bracing for what might lay ahead, most people are holding back on
their spending. This is bad news for the movie industry as movies are usually considered as
‘luxurious’ and one of the most ‘unnecessary’ items during economic downturns.
3
http://www.financialsense.com/fsu/editorials/laird/2008/0131.html
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1.2 Target Market Definition and Analysis
36 Quai des Orfèvres is a French movie categorised under the genre of crime and drama. To
identify the target market, a research about movie-going habits in Hong Kong was conducted. The
research consisted of two parts. The first part was an online survey, a quantitative study, and the
second part was a focus group interview, a qualitative study (See Appendix).
Generally speaking, the target group are well-educated, active movie-going young adults who enjoy
foreign movies. From the study, it is suggested that a slightly greater number of males are interested
in crime movies than females. Moreover, it is also believed that those who prefer watching
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imported films are more sophisticated viewers and would pay more attention to the quality and
special features of the movies, such as the cast, visual effects and the plot. Apart from that, the
The above information is used in developing an integrated marketing communication plan. First of
all, based on the target market and the nature of the movie, certain types of communication are
selected. The message for the advertising campaign is designed and delivered in a way that
Next, the promotional activities and the main features shown in any promotional items are
These activities should communicate the same message throughout the campaign.
Finally, particular channels of communication are chosen to deliver the message. These media are
typically adopted by the target group and, therefore, should attract people’s attention, develop
Based on the target audience mentioned in the previous section, two movies are identified as
competitors among the set of movies that will be shown in Hong Kong in November 2008. The
Beast Stalker and Cape No.7 are the most relevant competitors.
Positioning: It falls under the action and crime movie genre. Set in crowded Hong Kong, the movie
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aims at creating cinematic excitement through a fast pace and dramatic plot, as well as some
Main advertisement theme: ‘A traffic accident changed their lives forever’ is the main message of
the movie. Directed by Dante Lam (Hong Kong Films Awards Best Director winner) and starring
local artists Nicolas Tse and Nick Cheung, the film presents a dramatic adventure about friendship,
Promotional campaign: As of early November, the promotional campaign of The Beast Stalker
includes the EMP Films official website, press release in Beijing, posters and in-theatre trailer,
Although it will be on show one week after 36 Quai des Orfèvres, The Beast Stalker is still
considered as the main competitor because the two movies are under the same genre. It draws the
attention of our target audience due to the well-known local cast and director. According to the
survey, cast is the second most important factor that affects audience to watch a movie.
Positioning: It falls under the love drama genre. It has become one of the best-selling films in
Taiwan history (a Taiwan box office big hit). This film was world premiered at the 2008 Taipei
Main advertisement theme: This film does not only contain love elements but also an educational
Promotional campaign: Apart from the release of the original soundtrack, posters in public
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transport and on newspapers, the main actors will come to Hong Kong for a promotion.
This film is regarded as a direct competitor because it will be on show on the same day as 36 Quai
des Orfèvres and it is considered as a foreign film. Although it is not in the same genre, its selling
point as the best love film in Taiwan history tends to attract our target audience who are mainly
young adults.
In order to differentiate from our main competitors, 36 Quai des Orfèvres will be promoted as a
crime drama movie. A huge promotional campaign can help to get rid of the target market’s
confusion between it and The Beast Stalker. The message should be clearly sent out to tell audience
that it is a movie about the dilemma of the two main characters, and that it is hard to distinguish
between right and wrong. The poster design should adopt a black and white colour tone to portray
this feeling. In order to attract a larger audience and make them aware of this film, creative
promotional campaigns with some noises are needed. Our target market being educated young
adults, the online campaign should be interactive and fun. Apart from this, since Hong Kong people
rarely watch French movie, and it therefore is identified as our weakness. In order to let more
people, our target group in particular, to notice 36 Quai des Orfèvres, having a function
collaborating with a well-known French brand may be viable. The communication objectives and
sales promotional programmes below illustrate how the positioning can be achieved.
analyses mentioned previously. The target audience will have to pass through five successive levels
in the model, moving up from awareness to purchase. Advertising and other promotional efforts are
(i) Phase I
The first stage of the communication plan is to build awareness among 85% of the target audience,
who are young, sophisticated, well-educated, and are excitement seekers. This could be achieved
by selecting high reach media which the target market would be exposed to.
Objective I (b): Create knowledge of the film among 75% of target audience
Next, promotions should focus on providing information to the target audience. The education
background of the target group would allow them to develop knowledge about the movie through
(ii) Phase II
Objective II (a): Create positive feelings about the film among 60% of target audience
To create favourable attitudes and arouse interests, the promotion activities should appeal to the
target market, based on their psychological characteristics. By doing so, the audience could
At this stage, emphasis should be placed on specific attributes of the movie, which could
differentiate it from the competitors. Since the film is targeting sophisticated viewers, the
Finally, the ultimate goal of this communication plan is to capture 25% of the target market to buy
the movie tickets. However, due to the recent financial crisis, it is likely that some people would
reduce spending on entertainment. Therefore, sales promotions and a more interactive approach
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Budget of 36 Quai des Orfevres Communication Plan
Official Website
Cost of Domain Name Acquisition $200 / Year $200
The overall message strategy of our advertising campaign is to show people the thrilling experience
the movie can bring and how it induces thinking. There will be two main aspects for us to focus on
4
http://www.hadilworkshop.com/index.asp
http://www.meteorsis.com/tc_price.htm
http://www.jcdecaux.com.hk/documents/mtr/2008_RateBook_29_Provisional_Version.pdf
http://www.uacinemas.com.hk/chi/cinema/CinemaList?id=11
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in promoting the movie. First, we emphasise on the success evidenced by the movie’s box office,
remarkable French actors with great performance and the number of nominations it has obtained.
At the same time, it is also hoped that the audience can become more receptive towards foreign
movies.
Second is about the plot itself. The movie is about the fight between ‘good vs. evil’ within a person
who is supposed to act in good faith, which is different from a typical crime movie showing the
tension between police and gangsters. It is also stressed in the promotion that the movie is adapted
from a real story, further establishing it as an outstanding crime movie of the time. It will arouse the
curiosity of the people since that this kind of secret usually will not disclose to the public.
An official website will be designed, while a press release will be out a week before the movie is
launched. These are essential for our campaign as they facilitate the smooth launching of the movie
and allow the audience to obtain more basic information regarding the movie. We can also present
the trailers, features and content of 36 Quai des Orfèvres in this website.
The trailer of 36 Quai des Orfèvres serves the function of conveying information and arousing
interests from the target audience. Overall, the trailer communicates the idea of the movie. The title,
the production company, Gaumont, and the launch date are clearly stated. Certain scenes, for
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instance gun shots and explosion, are chosen to capture people’s attention, whereas scenes like the
funeral are aimed at creating emotional upheavals of the audience. Besides, specific features of the
movie are emphasised, such as the Cesar Award nominations, as well as the two actors’ names.
Additionally, a question is raised at the end to stimulate thinking for sophisticated viewers.
(iii) Poster
The basic colour tone of the posters is black and white. It portrays our main message of the
difficulties to distinguish between good cops and bad cops (black and white symbolises good and
bad). The two main characters are included in the poster so that viewers can easily understand that
the plot of this film is about the two men. Besides, an open-ended approach is used to state our
main message on the poster, since our target market are problem solvers and highly educated
people, they would prefer arriving at their own conclusions to being given an interpretation of the
movie. The award nominations and cast are also written on the poster to provoke a positive feeling,
It is decided that a photography competition, in which participants are requested to take black and
white photos from their daily lives bringing out the concept of ‘dilemma’, be held to implement our
consistent with the movie’s image. First, since the movie revolves around a situation where a cop
has to choose to act either morally correct or wrong, a dilemma exists. Thus, by asking the
participants to focus on the issue of ‘dilemma’ in this competition, it will surely be in line with the
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context of the movie. Second, as the film brings out the dark side of the police, whom words like
‘righteous’ and ‘justice’ are often associated with, this stark contrast can be represented by black
against white. Therefore, black and white photos are made the theme of this competition. Third, by
holding a competition, interaction between the audience and the movie content can be augmented,
allowing them to think more deeply about it and gain a more thorough understanding of the movie.
Since agnès b is a well-known French brand with a prominent image in Hong Kong, it is reckoned
that by having a cross-over with it, more people will grasp the idea that 36 Quai des Orfèvres is
indeed a popular and famous movie in France. Since agnès b is a cool and stylish brand providing
good quality goods, it is hoped that by constantly associating the movie with it, people will not just
notice how great its production and cast are, but will also create a sense of liking towards the movie
(vi) Premiere
The premiere of 36 Quai des Orfèvres will be held on 15th November, five days before the launch
date. A number of models in Hong Kong like Amanda S., along with other celebrities will be
invited to the premiere. Furthermore, reporters from newspapers, television stations and radio
stations will also be invited to the event in the hope of creating some publicity and raising
awareness of our target group with the help of reporters. At the same time, agnès b will sponsor the
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clothing of the crew in order to support the premiere. The premiere will be held at UA Director’s
Club, which has two houses with great comfort and ambience. A cocktail party will also be
2.3 Media
‘Pulsing’ is basically adopted as the overall media strategy for the promotion of our movie. The
whole promotional period will only last for seven weeks through different channels and thus, there
will be no ‘vacuum’ period therein. ‘Pulsing’ is adopted so as to ensure that people can pay more
attention to our promotion at some key points in time (peak), for example, immediately before and
A variety of media will be selected, for instance, billboards in MTR stations, print media and the
Posters will be shown on Billboards in MTR stations and cinemas. A magazine reporter will be
invited to one of the agnès b stores for an exclusive interview. Press release will also be sent to all
MTR is one of the most common public transports as it is cheap and convenient. From the survey
report released by the Hong Kong Transport Department in 2007, around 2.4 million people
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travelled by MTR each day.5 It can explain why MTR is the most popular advertising channel based
on its high reach and high frequency. 36 Quai des Orfèvres billboards will be located mainly at
Central, Mongkok, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui stations to better reach our target groups.
greater and more positive, compared to subjects exposed to advertisements in a general magazine.
Those exposed to the same advertisements in a specialty magazine exhibit poorer discrimination
ability.6 The local magazine ‘Milk’ is our choice in this aspect. Unlike many other fashion
magazines, Milk targets both the young male and female, and this suits the target market of our
Delivering press release (See Appendix) is a relatively cheap way to promote our movie. This can
be treated as a reminder to the general public that the movie will be on screen before its launch.
The internet is another platform for this competition, as our target audience often browse the
internet. Advertising on the official website is cost efficient and prevents advertising clutters and
the involvement of our audience will be increased through watching our trailer either in the official
website, Facebook or YouTube. Apart from that, people can also exchange their ideas and opinions
5
Statistic of Transport Department 2006: http://www.td.gov.hk/mini_site/atd/2007/s5_cn_3.htm
6
Journal of current issues and research in advertising( fall 2003,volume 25, number2)
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In order to better penetrate into our target market, it is decided to make use of the mobile network
to advertise for our photography competition. A vendor is hired to provide the service of reaching
our target market through the use of SMS. Two locations, including Causeway Bay Times Square
and Tsim Sha Tsui Harbour City, will be focused, and an SMS will be sent to every mobile phone
user whenever they pass by these 2 locations. The SMS content will notify receivers that the
photography competition linked to 36 Quai des Orfèvres will be organised, and will encourage
receivers to participate in the competition actively as free air tickets to France will be given out as
Promotion Schedule
Only a very brief introduction to the movie and the cross-over products with agnès b will be
conveyed in this early stage, kicked off by our official websites, editorial and press release. The aim
This is a stage when the promotional efforts move from raising awareness to the preference stage in
the Hierarchical of Effects model. Posters will be shown in MTR stations and cinemas where our
movie is showing. The photography competition will be initiated and promoted. agnès b will start
selling our products and more information about the movie will be available, the movie message
Our overall sales promotions strategy is to develop an identity that is consistent with the image of
The sale promotion activity of movie tie-in with agnès b, a famous French fashion brand in Hong
Kong, was proposed. One the one hand, it is proposed that a number of products of agnès b be
crossing-over 36 Quai des Orfèvres, which becomes another major event of the entire promotion
campaign from 10th November to 17th December. By this, it is meant that the logo or the name of
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our movie is printed on T-shirts and even accessories, alongside with the brand logo of agnès b (See
Appendix). Of course, the overall design tone of the garments has to be adjusted so as to be
consistent with the image of 36 Quai des Orfèvres, and yet fashionable enough to encourage purchase.
On the other hand, whenever a customer spends more than $1500 in net value in any of agnès b
stores in Hong Kong, he can immediately get two free tickets of 36 Quai des Orfèvres.
We are hereby applying the balance theory which shows consistency motive as a drive towards
psychological balance. By providing a trivial and ‘man-made’ bridge to those who have positive
general impressions towards the brand of agnès b, our movie can be messaged more deeply to the
selected population and can make use of the wide awareness of an existing trendy and likable brand
in another industry.
There will be billboards in MTR stations showing the details of the features, editorial page in
‘Milk’ magazine, and posters on window displays as well as at cashier counters. In the area where
the crossovers will be displayed, the soundtrack of the movie will be played constantly. 7 the period
during which free tickets are given out is different, from 20th November until all 1500 tickets have
been distributed. The dates will be communicated very clearly in the advertisements to prevent any
possible confusion.
There are four reasons why agnès b is a potential and feasible partner for our promotion. The first
and foremost reason is that both agnès b and 36 Quai des Orfèvres are French productions, and they
seem rather compatible as they are from the same origin. Second, agnès b has a target market of the
7
http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=69235
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younger generation between the ages of 18 and 30,8 an exact match with ours. The already well-
segmented consumer base provides the best promotional ground for our movie without much
additional effort. Third, the brand is a constant supporter of arts and movies. As can be seen easily
from the window displays of the stores, there are always movie posters being featured, and this is
due to the strong interest in films of the designer and founder of agnès b. Last but not least, agnès b
has a long history of being engaged in crossovers with many different brands. Examples include
Cathy Pacific9 and Everlast (See Appendix). Its ‘expertise’ in this area could provide a lot of advice
We have the bargaining power to convince agnès b to have a deal on the sale promotion with us not
only because we are providing some trade allowances in terms of money, but also helping the brand
to promote as well. We will promote the event to the general public via the internet and a carefully
selected magazine, Milk. As agnès b seldom advertises, our promotions can help it reach more
target customers.
A photography competition, in which participants are requested to take black and white photos
from their daily lives bringing out the concept of ‘dilemma’, will be held from 10th to 17th
8
http://www.geocities.com/FashionAvenue/1122/agnes_b/index.html
9
http://miki29082002.mysinablog.com/resserver.php?blogId=524&resource=589530-
DSC01752.JPG
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November 2008, and participants may submit their photos by sending them to
Holding a photography competition as part of our advertising campaign is consistent with the
movie’s image, and can generate excitement and involvement with the movie, attracting attention
The various campaigns abovementioned do not guarantee success in the overall promotion of the
movie as they may contain flaws in their design and execution. It is therefore essential to evaluate
the effectiveness of the promotional campaigns, both before and after the launch of the movie, so
that resources would not be wasted and would be appropriately allocated. In so doing, the
(i) Pre-testing
Prior to the launch of the movie, three focus groups, totalling twelve persons, are invited to an in-
depth interview so that Phase I of the communication objectives, i.e. awareness and knowledge, can
be addressed. Questions in the interview are so designed as to give comparisons about awareness
and also knowledge of the different movies of the same genre launched during the same period of
time. As a result, the effectiveness of the pre-launch promotional efforts can be gauged. Any
discrepancies between the promotional objectives and perceptions of target customers having been
After the launch of the movie, a questionnaire will be used to measure the effectiveness of our
promotional efforts and the level of consistency with the communication objectives. People from
our target market will be invited to complete a questionnaire, which comprises a few questions
relating to both Phase I and Phase II of the communication objectives. Regarding Phase I, questions
will be raised to gauge the awareness and knowledge of respondents about the movie, and this
piece of information can then be compared with the pre-test results. Further, respondents will be
asked to rate the movie with regard to other movies with the same genre, and this particular
question can tell the level of positive feeling and preference our target customers have developed
Appendix
Questionnaires
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4. What are your favourite types of movie? (more than one answer)
□ Comedy □ Action □ Love story □ Science friction
□ Terror □ Classical □ Biography □ Animation
□ Arts □ War □ Suspense
14. Please choose the following adjectives that you think is most suitable for France (more
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than one answer)
□ Romantic □ Relax □ Freedom □ Criminal
□ Dirty □ Arrogant □ Passionate
16. Please choose the following adjectives to describe yourself? (More than one answer)
□ Extrovert □ Introvert □ Thinking □ Feeling
□ Adventure □ Conservative □ Impatient □ Impulsive
17. Gender:
□ Male □ Female
18. Age:
□ <18 □ 18-25 □ 26-33 □ 34-41 □ 42-49 □ >49
19. Educational Level:
□ Primary School □ Form. 5 □ Form. 7
□ Bachelor □ Master/Doctor
21. Occupation:
□ Professionals □ Administration /Clerk □ Technician
□ Service Provider □ Retired □ Student □ Housewife
□ Unemployed □ Others
Thanks a lot!
1) Please indicate the movie(s) below that you have heard of during the past month
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□ The Beast Stalker □ Cape No. 7 □ 36 Quai des Orfèvres
2) Where did you notice the promotional materials of ‘36 Quai des Orfèvres’?
□ Action □ Thriller
□ Crime □ Drama
□ Romance □ Comedy
5) Comparing the movies listed in Question 1, how willing are you in watching ‘36 Quai des
Orfèvres’?
□9 □8 □7 □6 □5 □4 □3 □2 □1
On 8th November 2008, three focus groups were conducted and there were 12 participants and 3
interviewers. The objective of the focus groups was to identify specific characteristics of the target
market in order to develop an effective promotion campaign for the movie36 Quai des Orfèvres.
The participants were chosen as ‘representative consumers’ and they were asked the same set of
questions based on the following aspects.
Personality / Lifestyle:
- Could you please briefly describe your personality?
- What do you usually do during your spare time? Hobbies?
- How often do you use the internet/ read magazine/ newspaper?
Movie-going habits:
- Why do you go to watch movie?
- How often do you go watch a movie?
- Where do you collect information about the movie?
- How do you obtain the movie tickets?
- What would you consider when deciding which movie to watch?
French culture:
- Do you enjoy travelling?
- Are you learning/ have you learned any foreign languages?
- Have you been to France?
- Please give your general impression of France.
- Can you name any brand/product/service in Hong Kong that is related to France or its culture?
Press Release
Introduction
36 Quai des Orfèvres is a French film directed by Olivier Marchal starring
Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu. The film takes place in Paris, where two
cops (Auteuil and Depardieu) are competing for the vacant seat of Chief of
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Police in the midst of a search for a gang of violent thieves. The film was
nominated for 8 César Awards. The director, Olivier Marchal, is a former
policeman who has spent twelve years in the French Police before creating
this story, which in part is taken from real facts that happened during the
1980s in France.
Synopsis
The story revolves around the two main characters, Léo Vrinks (Daniel
Auteuil) and Denis Klein (Gérard Depardieu), where the rivalry to catch a well-
organized gang of armoured-car robbers, pushes Klein to play dirty in order to
get the promotion to the seat of Chief of Police in Paris. Vrinks is a good cop
with a tight crew of fellow colleagues that are on the verge of unmasking the
robbers, after many months of surveillance. He also depends upon tips from
shady persons and many times he trusts criminals in order to achieve his
goals, on the other side Klein is the figure of an accomplished police officer
but with a dirty attitude and questionable ethics. During a police operation to
bust the robbers, Klein gets drunk and stumbles out of hiding, messing up the
whole operation and gets Vrinks' best friend killed. An internal police inquiry
finds Vrinks guilty and responsible for the death of his friend and the
operation that lead to the accident. His wife Camille Vrinks (Valeria Golino) is
stranded alone without knowing what to do to help her husband locked in jail.
At the same time Klein is spying on Camille and, after a brief car chase, Klein
purposely slams his car into Camille's and runs her off the road and kills her.
Many years later, once Vrinks is out of jail, we can see Klein in the seat of the
Chief of Police in Paris. Vrinks asks for help from a friend to get his life on
track since he has lost everything but his daughter, later planning a keen
vendetta against Klein.
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Language French
Official Website
Posters
Version (I)
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Version (II)
Version (III)
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- agnès b. campaign poster - Photography competition campaign poster
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Crossover with agnès b
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agnès b campaign pop: placed at cashier counters in all agnès b stores to recall our target
customers about our film and the limited edition T-shirt
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http://hk.f1.page.auctions.yahoo.com/hk/auction/1115593859?u=kai20462008
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Invitation letter sample for the premiere
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