"Regret is futile", says director Pip Karmel.

"Destiny always makes the right choice for you", says producer Fabien Liron.

"The past is the past, you have to leave it behind", says co-producer Andrena Finlay.

The messages and themes of ME MYSELF I, produced by Gaumont and starring Academy Award nominee Rachel Griffiths, may be universal, sometimes serious and laways emotionally provocative but Karmel, Liron and Finlay all agree, ME MYSELF I is, at heart, a romantic comedy about oneself.

It was exactly the sort of film producer Fabien Liron, with French Major Gaumont, was looking for as part of their strategy to develop and produce English language films for the international market. Previously involved in the financing and distribution of movies such as Like Water for Chocolate, Kolya, and Shine, Liron met Pip Karmel on her return from the 1997 Academy Awards, having received an Oscar nomination as editor of Shine. Liron read Karmel's screenplay ME MYSELF I and responded immediately.

Andrena Finlay (Frauds, Paws) came on board at the production stage as Australian co-producer and this happy liaison has produced the first Australian film to be made by Gaumont.

"I'm only interested in making uplifting films, films that make people smile from within. I'm not interested in people being depressed when they leave the theatre", says Liron.

"And when I first read Pip's script I knew it had a very fresh emotional core that would appeal universally. Believing in your destiny is what counts. Whether you are married with kids, or single, man or woman, happiness is an attitude that can only come from within. That was the very strong appeal of the screenplay and Pop, with her subtle humor and talented direction, turned it into a smart and very emotional film."

"Everyone can identify with the whole concept of destiny and how we choose our paths in life", says Andrena Finlay. "And there's a lot to be said about the message of this film, but at the end of the day this is just going to be a very happy, feel-good experience for movie-goers."