Agnes Jaoui. “After the departure of Jean-Pierre Bakry, with whom I always shared my pen, I was upset”

“From my first diary at the age of 11, to filming and acting, I have never stopped writing. But after the departure of Jean-Pierre Bakry (died January 2021, editor’s note), with whom I have always shared my pen, I digress. I still didn’t know if I was going to get there… And then this first book project, which reminds me of my childhood, Our breast size *accompanied by illustrations by Cécile Partusch, an artist I admire and above all a friend of over fifty years, was obvious to me. A kind of sweet, pleasant interlude that allowed me to comfort myself for a while. I liked to remember, to think about what had changed, to count, to wonder, to be traumatized, to be betrayed.

Besides being vital, writing seems to me to be the best way to get a perspective on life. To put down what happens to us and return to it when necessary. Because memories transform everything by giving us generally the good part and thereby forgetting the details of the most difficult moments. So good, because it is thanks to this omission that we survive. But putting everything, good and bad, down on paper undoubtedly has therapeutic merits. I love everything about writing, especially that it takes time.

In our new society of immediacy, the idea of ​​taking time away has partially disappeared, taking reflection with it. I like to take my pen, my little notebook, my computer, and immerse myself in this silent bubble. It’s a haven, an infinite space of freedom where I am. and not in a “play” as in a screen or a stage.We turn to our own lives, to our autonomy, to our thoughts, without thinking of others’ ideas or about desires. A moment of calm, or at least away from the turmoil. I don’t know if I’ll start writing a second novel, but I know I’ll be happy to be in this space of freedom.

Agnes Jaoui is also a director, screenwriter and singer.
* The size of our breasts, Éditions Grasset, 2024.