Hand in Hand (2012 film)

Hand in Hand (Main dans la main) is a 2012 French romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Valérie Donzelli. It stars Valérie Lemercier and Jérémie Elkaïm in the lead roles. It premiered on 10 November 2012 at the Rome International Film Festival. It was released in France on 19 December 2012.

Plot
When Hélène and Joachim meet, they each have very different lives. Hélène lives in Paris and is the director of the prestigious dance school at the Palais Garnier, while Joachim is a working-class artisan glazier who lives with his sister in Commercy and participates in amateur dances competitions. The two meet when Joachim is sent to finish mounting a set of mirrors at the Paris Opera, and a strange force unites them.

Production
Donzelli wrote the film's screenplay, in collaboration with Jérémie Elkaïm and Gilles Marchand. Édouard Weil produced the film through Rectangle Productions alongside Wild Bunch, France 3 Cinéma and Scope Pictures.

Principal photography began on 24 October 2011 in Commercy, a provincial town located in the Meuse department. The shoot, which lasted 51 days, also filmed in Paris and in New York City. The production filmed in the Ménagerie de Verre dance studio in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. Filming wrapped in mid-December 2011.

Release
The film was selected to be screened in competition at the Rome International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 10 November 2012. Jérémie Elkaïm won the award for Best Actor at the festival.

Wild Bunch distributed the film in France on 19 December 2012.

Reception
Hand in Hand received an average rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars on the French website AlloCiné, based on 25 reviews.