“All Alone,” which will be launched in Paris in summer 2005, is a drama interweaving the lives of seven characters as the Indian Ocean island moves to independence from Britain in 1968, Sinha told AFP.

Apart from Keim, the film will also star popular Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpai, Indian former Miss World Diana Hayden and model Nigar Khan.

The director said he brought Keim into the film to better portray the multi-ethnic island, which has also been a French colony.

“I can’t be dishonest to the film and felt that I needed to cast French stars to tell the story in the right perspective,” Sinha said.

Sinha shot to prominence last year when his one-minute film “War or Peace” was screened at Cannes and was seen as a message on the futility of conflict.

The film showed a young woman in the throes of labour being rushed to the hospital by her husband. He is killed in a blast, but she delivers a healthy baby.

Sinha said money for “All Alone” has come from institutions and corporations across the world.

“It is truly a multinational film in that sense,” Sinha said.

“Culturally India and France are very rich and my attempt is to bring these together. I think more such Indo-French collaboration in films should be planned.”

Keim, 28, has acted in some 15 French films including “The Girl” which was screened at the Berlin film festival in 2001.

© AFP

                                                              Subject: France news