''Stretch'' is a 2011 English-language French

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport or a sports-related topic is prominently featured or is a focus of the plot. D ...

directed by

Charles de Meaux Charles de Meaux (born 1967) is a French film director and contemporary artist. His work combines fine arts and cinema. Biography In 1997 in order to produce his first film, Le pont du Trieur (co-written with Philippe Parreno), he founded the ...

and starring Nicolas Cazalé,

Fan Bingbing Fan Bingbing (, born 16 September 1981) is a Chinese actress. After gaining recognition for the costume drama '' My Fair Princess'' (1998–1999), Fan's breakthrough came with Feng Xiaogang's blockbuster '' Cell Phone'' (2003), which won her th ...

and

David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor, director, and producer, whose career included over 200 major and minor roles in film, television and on stage. He was widely known ...

. It marks Carradine's last screen appearance, as he died during filming in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

. After his death, his widow Annie Bierman sued MK2 Productions, the film's production company, for negligence.David Carradine's Widow Files Wrongful Death Suit
/ref>

Synopsis

After failing a drug test in France, young

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

Christophe moves to

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

, where he becomes involved in the city's fast-paced racing world. However, his luck seems to be running out when his trainer asks him to lose a race. With the help of beautiful Pamsy, he must find a way to avoid antagonizing the

Chinese mafia A triad ( zh, t=三合會, s=三合会, hp=sān hé huì, cy=sāam hahp wúi) is a Chinese transnational organized crime syndicate based in Greater China with outposts in various countries having significant overseas Chinese populations. The tri ...

Cast

Production

De Meaux used his experiences as a former jockey while making the film. For his role as a jockey Cazalé was forced to lose a large amount of weight. ''Stretch'' was shot in France at the

Longchamp Racecourse The Longchamp Racecourse (, ) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for ...

and the

Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse The Hippodrome de Maisons-Laffitte at 1 avenue de la Pelouse in the northwestern Parisian suburb of Maisons-Laffitte in France was a turf horse racing facility and track for Thoroughbred flat racing. Opened in 1878 by Joseph Oller, inventor of t ...

. Other scenes were filmed in Bangkok,

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

and Macao. In Bangkok, three days before shooting wrapped David Carradine was found dead in his hotel, apparently from accidental

asphyxia Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are m ...

tion. After Carradine's death, his widow Annie Bierman sued MK2 Productions, the film's production company, for

negligence Negligence ( Lat. ''negligentia'') is a failure to exercise appropriate care expected to be exercised in similar circumstances. Within the scope of tort law, negligence pertains to harm caused by the violation of a duty of care through a neg ...

and

wrongful death Wrongful death is a type of legal claim or cause of action against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as authorized by statute. In wrongful death cases, survivors are ...

. Meaux rewrote the script and reduced his screen time to around three minutes although the characters frequently talk about Carradine's character and David is heard off camera.Stretch: David Carradine and a phantom
(in French) The film's release was delayed due to Bierman's lawsuit.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stretch 2011 films 2010s English-language films English-language French films 2011 thriller films French thriller films French horse racing films 2010s French films English-language thriller films

Synopsis

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links