CargoLéa Domenach’s first film as a director reflects the transformation and media capture of the former first lady of France. Catherine Deneuve, who played her, took this film project very seriously.
Finally arriving at the Elysée, Bernadette Chirac expects to receive the recognition she deserves, but finds herself sidelined by public opinion that judges her to be “stern, cold and old-fashioned”. She, who has always worked in the shadow of her husband, will then take revenge and change her image, becoming a leading media figure.
This first film directed by Lea Domenach is not a biography, but a fiction, even if most of the script is based on proven facts. The director thus wanted to pay tribute to the woman in the shadows who knew how to reveal herself over the years. make room for them,” he explains.
Therefore, it is a transformation story. the first lady will know how to work on her image to become “trendy”; “I had a rather negative image. [de Bernadette Chirac], continues the filmmaker. An image that changed completely when I came across the documentary Bernadette Chirac’s memory of a free woman, directed by Anne Barer, who was his communications advisor. I was amazed at his freedom of speech, someone who was then 80 years old… I found him funny and free, far beyond any idea I might have had about it, and especially with a career that was worth telling.” What is he who is also a screenwriter? Young and Golly did with the wit and humor that are his signature.
Catherine Deneuve invested a lot
It was Catherine Deneuve who was chosen to play the role of Jacques Chirac’s wife, a role that the actress was particularly fond of, as the director confirmed; “I discovered that Catherine Deneuve has a whole understanding of cinema. For example, he would watch all the rushes and he would talk to me about them, not just to see his work, but to get an idea of the whole film. He is a passionate person who puts himself fully into a shoot and a role, who loves to do things he has never done before, and his high standards make everyone want to give their best in front of him.” Her duet with Denis Podalides, who plays the first lady’s adviser Bernard Nique, turns out to be the pillar of this film; Sancho Panza, both of which are revealed as the story unfolds,” Domenach further comments.
Also in the cast: Michel Villermoz (Jacques Chirac), Sarah Giraud (Claude Chirac), Laurent Stoker (Nicolas Sarkozy), Francois Vincentelli (Dominique de Villepin), Lionel Abelansky (Yvonne Molyneux) or even Artus (David Douillet). Theatrical release is scheduled for October 4.
In the video: the trailer. Younger With Vanessa Paradis
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Source: Le Figaro
