Daniel Otoi. “It’s fun working with my daughters, but it took me a while to do it.”

An interview with Daniel Otyu should confirm this belief. the great are often the humblest. Despite a fifty-year career, almost a hundred films and unforgettable collaborations with Claude Sauté, André Techiné and Nicole García, he is the personification of kindness and simplicity. No cheating or posturing. This authenticity makes him one of the most respected actors in the business, but also a director with a unique vision.

After adapting Marcel Pagnol (The Well Belly Girl, Marius, Fanny) and filmed a marriage comedy (My wife in love), he is engaged in an experimental film. Adapted from a true story, The Wire: features a lawyer who finds meaning and returns to criminal cases to defend a father accused of murdering his wife. In the skin of the accused, the fragile giant Gregory Gadebois. In the case of a criminal lawyer, Otto himself is at his best behind and in front of the camera.

Madame Figaro. – The Wire: produced by Hugo Gelin and your daughter Nellie. Was he the one who brought the subject up to you?
Daniel Otoi. – Yes, I had no intention of directing again, I preferred to focus on my musical adventures and acting. But Nellie, who was a lawyer, asked me to read Maître Mô’s blog. I was fascinated by Nikola Milik’s story and what it conveyed. the loneliness of the lawyer, conditioned by his close conviction, the grief of the man who has no words to defend himself, the conceptions of truth and morality which differ according to themselves; individuals…

What was it like working with your daughter? Who was the boss on set?
It was Nelly. And I had to get used to it. (He laughs.) But I did well to listen. He and Hugo especially put me in touch with technicians of their generation; it allowed me to update my view. On the other hand, since this is the first film my daughter is producing, I had only one fear: to cheat and drag her along with me. I had many doubts until I decided to act in the film.

How did that calm you down?
Gaming has always been my driving force. Being an actor in my films allows you to be at the base of the reactor, to have a point of reference, a base. When I saw Claude Berry on set Jean de Floret, I understood this. no matter where he comes from, the director always identifies with one of his heroes, who becomes his anchor, his source of inspiration. For me, who has been an actor all my life, this feeling has increased tenfold. And it was easy for me to identify with this seasoned lawyer who deep down lacks confidence. I don’t have anymore when I’m doing comedy.

The court is the place where the absolute dramas are played out and where the great roles from the dramatic repertoire are written.

Daniel Otto

There are also points in common between the court and the theater stage…
Verbal skills and persuasiveness for sure. But for me the comparison ends there. If I make a mistake on stage, I don’t risk only a black hole, ridicule, and I can say from experience that we recover very quickly. One mistake or bad performance in court… and the guy gets twenty years. The concept of responsibility is not the same.

Did you dive into the legal environment to make the film?
For three days, I attended the closed trial of a child abuser who molested his stepdaughter, ages 10 to 13. I was overwhelmed by the courage of this woman, now in her 40s, in need of repairs that would allow her to stand. I was also surprised by the lack of a scene in the courthouse. the chief advocate, the civil party, the president, all of them performed their profession without fuss, with humanity. It was amazing to see the simplicity of the words that were exchanged to evoke the horrible realities. This is what I wanted to convey.

Was the trial film a director’s fantasy?
It’s a genre I like. The court is where the absolute dramas are played out and where the great roles from the dramatic repertoire are written. Embodying the law is also a balancing act; we should not indulge in boasting. Few films have managed to avoid this trap. Homicide Autopsy by Otto Preminger, the truth by Henri-Georges Clouzot, verdict, By Sidney Lumet…

Being an actor in my films allows me to be at the heart of the reactor, to have a point of reference, a base

Daniel Otto

How do you explain the public’s enthusiasm for experimental films or news stories?
I can’t explain it. I discovered the popularity of these themes with this film, noticing that they were easier to collect than others. Maybe viewers like these kinds of stories because they help ward off evil. Moreover, the court offers insight into all that is dark and unspeakable in our nature, and transgression has always fascinated humans.

A word about your daughter, Aurore, who is in the movie.
I had already worked with Aurore 36 Quai des Orfèvres, and in The Imaginary Patient in the theater. My daughters are wonderful to work with, but it took me a while to get through the pile. Out of modesty, and because I was afraid that being associated with me would hurt them. But Aurori has enough talent to prevent that from happening. Nellie too, but we’ll compare her less to her mother anyway (Emmanuel Beart, Editor’s Note) or me because he chose to work in the shadows.

Do you fear that roles are becoming rarer as time goes on?
No, because I’m going to do something else: sing, direct… Despite my age, I’m lucky that young filmmakers ask me. For example, I am very proud that Rebecca Zlotowski chose me to play Jodie Foster’s husband in her next film. I must have sent the right signals by navigating all genres, trying to break barriers as much as possible. I have never forbidden myself anything.

The Wire:By Daniel Otew, Gregory Gadebua and with… Released on September 11th.