EXCLUSIVE: Goodfellas adds a new sports-focused distribution label to its growing list of genre-based ventures and thematic distribution strands.
The label with the banner OUI MICHEL is launching with a documentary Evilabout the controversial Romanian tennis legend Ilie Nastase, which will have its international premiere as a special screening in Cannes Official Selection in May this year.
Directed by Romanian filmmakers Tudor Giurgiu, Cristian Pascariu and Tudor D. Popescu, the documentary focuses on the immediate aftermath of Nastase’s sudden global fame as he won his first US Open in 1972 and made it to the Wimbledon and Davis Cups in the same year -Final made it.
The official synopsis reads: “Nasty explores his ups and downs, the controversies that surrounded the 1973 world number one, and the lasting impact he had on the world of tennis.” Endearing, charming and generous, yet spirited, Arrogant and obscene, Nastase broke through the sport’s outdated etiquette with a great flair for showmanship on the pitch and became the first rebellious rock star.”
The documentary mixes footage and interviews with friend and former tennis partner Ion Tiriac, as well as a number of former tennis champions John McEnroe, Billie Jean King (who won the women’s title at the US Open in 1972), Stan Smith, Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker and Yannick Noah.
Giurgiu and Pascariu also produce under the Libra Films banner.
“Ilie Nastase was the first ever Iron Curtain athlete who had a major impact on world sport. Lovable, charming and generous, but also temperamental and unruly, he was the rock star of his time. How not to make a film about such a personality,” says Giurgiu, who also wrote the script.
“We have been working on this project for four years and I am very pleased that it will have its international premiere in Cannes. I’m sure it will cause a stir. It includes previously unreleased footage from the 1970s and great testimonials from other sports superstars.”
Other titles on OUI MICHEL’s opening slate include Italian director Nico Marzano’s documentary Naples 1990, Naples 2023It captures the spirit of the southern Italian city of Naples and its popular football club through the prism of the latter’s victories in the national championship – the Scudetto – in 1990 and 2023.
Vincent Maraval, president of Goodfellas, says the new label OUI MICHEL was born from his personal love of sports, shared by other members of his team, as well as his perceived gap in the market for a targeted approach to selling sports-themed food.
The name OUI MICHEL is derived from the exclamation “Oui Michel!” by sports commentator Thierry Roland when French soccer star Michel Platini scored a memorable goal from a free kick during a World Cup qualifying match between France and the Netherlands in 1981.
Acquisitions for the label are handled by Maraval, Livia Van Der Staay, Eva Diederix and Antoine Guilhem
Goodfellas (formerly Wild Bunch International) has a long history of editing sports-themed feature films and documentaries. Previous selling titles including James Tobacks TysonEmir Kusturicas Maradona from Kusturica and Ronnie Sandahls tiger about the Swedish soccer star Martin Bengtsson.
The OUI MICHEL label joins Goodfella’s growing list of labels and sister companies, including the genre-focused Wild West and the animation-focused Gebeka International.