Nothing is more terrifying than to realize your home, your family, your neighborhood, the very walls and ceilings that surround you have turned against you. When there is no safety to be found in what is supposed to be the safest of places, the deepest form of psychological fear abounds. It all begins inside Apartment 9F. This is where a single mother, Dahlia Williams, played by Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly, is trying to make a brand-new start in life. Attempting to escape from a bitter custody battle with her estranged husband, Dahlia moves with her daughter Ceci to a dilapidated, sprawling housing block on Roosevelt Island at the very edges of New York City.

The formula for HIGH TENSION: two young women, an isolated farmhouse, a psychotic killer, and one endless night. Working from with a basic premise, French writer/director Alexandre Aja and co-writer Gregory Levasseur have fashioned a dark nightmare that taps into our most primal fears. Despite the simplicity of their premise, Aja and Levasseur were careful to construct a script that hinges on numerous twists and turns. At the center of this horrific maelstrom is the lead for their film, Marie, a brooding tomboy who battles the ruthless killer.

It was far from an easy task to find a young actress to play the part and Aja and Levasseur met with almost every young actress in France. Unlike the disposable characters found in most horror fare, HIGH TENSION's Mare is a complex heroine whose emotional layers are revealed gradually as the tension mounts. Taking on the challenge of this intense story of murder and survival is French actress Câcile de France.

Ms. de France made her international film debut in Disney' s AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS in the lead role of Monique, the French artist who joins Phileas Fogg on his trek. Born in Belgium, Ms. De France moved to France when she was 17.However, she has been involved in theatre since she was 6 years old, and began her formal training with Jean-Paul Denizon, a protege of Peter Brook, while in France. Ms de France has been acclaimed for her wide range and chameleon like quality. She enjoys performing her own stunts. She received the coveted CESAR (equivalent to an Oscar)) for her performance in LíAUBERGE ESPAGNOLE, and she recently wrapped production on the sequel, LES POUPEES ROUSSES, in which Ms. de France reprises her role as Isabelle. She also received the Prix Louis Lumiere for Best New Actress in 2003, as well as the Best Actress award at the International Film Festival in Barcelona for HAUTE TENSION. She currently has several films in development for her in France, including the lead in the film about the turbulent life of the Belgian nun Sister Luc-Gabrielle (aka Sister Sourire) whose hit song "DOMINIQUE" knocked "LOUIE LOUIE" off the American charts in 1963, and who committed suicide in 1985.