Playwright Christopher Adams has been tapped to pen a screenplay based on the novel Finistére. While not widely known, the novel is a groundbreaking early tale of a gay man who falls in love with his tennis instructor at a French boarding school in the 1920s. The novel was written by Fritz Peters, whose entire catalogue was recently acquired by Hirsch Giovanni Entertainment.
The book was originally published in 1951, sold over 350,000 copies, and was praised by most critics. Adams, a PhD candidate specializing in queer publishing history at the Institute of English Studies in London, said in a statement:
“I first came across Fritz Peters‘ masterpiece while researching the publishing history of gay novels. I was surprised to learn that Finistère was a best-seller in its day, influential to an entire generation of gay men, but had fallen into obscurity.”
He added that the novel is “evocative, and its scope is so ambitious: class, sexuality, American and French identity, divorce, adolescence, binational relationships.” Producer and managing partner David M. Hirsch, who co-founded Hirsch Giovanni Entertainment in 2019, said of Adams:
“Beyond his impressive curriculum vitae, what impressed us with Chris was his deep understanding of the novel and his passion to speak to modern audiences while honoring the text.”
Adams recently adapted the limited series Aubade for FilmNation, which was also based off a queer 50s novel, this time from 1957 Northern Ireland. Hopefully this adaptation of Finistére can bring a wider audience to Peters’ novel and restore it to the more well known, praised work it was back in the early 50s.
#Peace.Love.Finistére
