00:00I've never read anything like this before.
00:26Back. I'll do my turn.
00:28In one of them.
00:28Oh, cool.
00:29At the same time.
00:30Back on!
00:31Hello and welcome to Arts24's film show,
00:34where we look at the French films of the moment
00:36and we're kicking off with a documentary
00:38on one of France's most explosive cultural icons,
00:42Brigitte Bardot.
00:43Director Elora Tevenet joins us in the studio
00:45along with our film critic, Manon Coeurjean,
00:48from Lost in French-Lation.
00:49Welcome to both of you.
00:50It's a pleasure to have you on the programme.
00:52Now, Bardot wasn't just a star.
00:54She was a phenomenon.
00:56But she doesn't really like the media.
00:58How did you get access to her?
01:01So, Brigitte Bardot, first,
01:04my co-producer had the access to her
01:07to do a documentary about her.
01:10And me, since I was a kid,
01:12I was doing voluntary work
01:13for all the foundation and association for animal rights.
01:18And she even wrote me a letter when I was a teenager
01:21to thank me for doing the video.
01:23And I answered in one of my letters
01:26saying that I wish her to play in one of my scripts.
01:29And she said she would never get back on cinema.
01:32And thankfully, now she is in this documentary
01:35after more than half a decade being not in the cinema.
01:39She's going to be back today.
01:41But she didn't actually give an interview face-on, did she?
01:43You filmed her from behind and just her voice.
01:45Yes, because Brigitte Bardot,
01:47she's not so much interested in herself.
01:49She's focusing more about animal rights and the cause.
01:52So she agreed to have her voice.
01:56And this was really important
01:58because her voice is,
02:01we call it in French the red line.
02:03I don't know if you select this in English.
02:04So all the voice is like going with all the movie.
02:09Yeah, it's sort of the voice that goes all the way through.
02:12Thank you very much.
02:13And, but we didn't agree on filming.
02:16And during the shooting,
02:18we asked her and we could have some images
02:21thanks to the animals
02:22because we filmed with a horse, a cat.
02:25And this is how we get some footage of her.
02:27OK, well, she was, in her time,
02:29a symbol of freedom, a beauty and rebellion.
02:31She rewrote the rules of femininity
02:34before turning her back on fame
02:35to fight fiercely for animal rights.
02:37Let's take a look now at the trailer for Bardot.
02:43She was a dancer.
02:45She was a model, an actress, a singer.
02:48Bardot was definitely an iconic image.
02:57A love, it's formidable, and it's invisible.
03:01It's not love anymore.
03:02Right.
03:06Brigitte Bardot is a myth built on deep fragilities.
03:10And that's what we kill.
03:12Well, she understands the power of celebrity.
03:14Bardot went one step too far
03:16for French anti-racist organizations.
03:18I'm crazy that we remember myself,
03:21but what I would like is
03:22that we remember the respect we owe to animals.
03:28So, Elora, the film offers an intimate portrait
03:31of someone who is both admired and misunderstood,
03:35a woman who was often ahead of her time.
03:38It looks at her legendary artistic career, of course,
03:41as a cultural icon who changed how women
03:44were seen on screen,
03:46and her later life as a passionate defender
03:49of animal rights.
03:50The documentary feels quite classic,
03:53almost too classic, in my opinion,
03:56given Bardot's reputation.
03:58So, why did you choose to approach
04:00such an iconic figure
04:02with so many different sides?
04:05So, it was important
04:07that the public could meet Bardot,
04:11like going to the cinema,
04:12because she doesn't speak anymore
04:14about her intimacy or things like this.
04:16She just speaks of the animal rights.
04:18And so, I wanted that the public,
04:21like I had the luck to meet her,
04:23and I wanted the public also to be able
04:25to meet her with the documentary.
04:26This is why we talk about everything.
04:29It's quite hard to talk about Bardot
04:31in one hour and 30 minutes,
04:32because there is so many things to say.
04:34So, there is people who want us
04:36to talk about the cinema,
04:37and then about the animal rights,
04:39and then about the freedom of love,
04:41of walking, of dressing.
04:43So, there is also what she did with women.
04:47So, there is so many subjects.
04:48She's so plural that it could have
04:51taken more time.
04:52But in one hour 30,
04:53we tried to speak about everything.
04:57She answered to everything
04:58without any taboo,
04:59without any filter,
05:00on every subject,
05:02even the controversial thing.
05:04And this was really important.
05:05She's also coming from another generation
05:08when the freedom of speech was different,
05:10when you could do generality,
05:12and then people were filtering
05:13and understanding what you meant.
05:15But in the documentary,
05:17I think it's beautiful
05:18because she apologized
05:19because the only thing that she wanted
05:21was to defend animals
05:23and not hurt anyone.
05:25And me who met her,
05:26I know that she's someone
05:26super sensitive, empathic.
05:29She's also really real.
05:31Like, you really meet her.
05:33She's authentic.
05:34And so, I think it's what is in the documentary,
05:37and I think it's what people will see
05:39and meet her one more time right now.
05:44So, here in France,
05:45she is a controversial figure.
05:47She's been convicted
05:48for inciting racial hatred several times.
05:51But in the film,
05:52we've seen Amy Campbell
05:53and Stella McCartney,
05:54as well as Claude Lelouch,
05:56talking about her,
05:57praising what she did
05:59for cinema for women.
06:00Was it easier to convince
06:02international celebrities,
06:03more easy than it was
06:04to get French people
06:05to talk about her?
06:07So, I don't know if it was easy
06:09because, you know,
06:09they have a lot of things to do
06:11and going into a documentary
06:13is also giving their time
06:15when they have a lot of things to do.
06:17But we had a beautiful casting.
06:18I think we are really lucky.
06:20The idea to go also international
06:22was to show that Brigitte Bardot,
06:23she had an impact also worldwide.
06:26And we tried to choose celebrity
06:27that represent,
06:29because as I said before,
06:30she's super plural.
06:31So, we tried to find people
06:32regarding every thematic.
06:34So, Stella McCartney, for instance,
06:37she is vegan.
06:38She has a vegan brand for fashion.
06:40So, we choose her because of that.
06:42Also, her dad was one of the most famous men
06:45in the world.
06:46So, she can understand also the celebrity
06:48and the pressure of the press
06:49and of the public,
06:51like around her father,
06:52as around Bardot.
06:54Also, Marina Abramovic
06:55is for the freedom of the body.
06:58Also, she told me when she was a kid,
06:59she tried to break her nose
07:00to have the same as Bardot
07:01with a lot of pictures in her pocket.
07:03But then, her mom didn't bring her
07:05to the surgeon,
07:06so it didn't work.
07:07So, we try to find also,
07:08like, international people
07:09to show how much she's plural.
07:11Okay.
07:11Well, there have actually been
07:12quite a lot of concerns recently
07:13about Brigitte Bardot's health.
07:16The 91-year-old's been in hospital
07:18in the south of France,
07:19but now she's returned home
07:20where she's recovering
07:21from an operation.
07:23I wanted to ask you,
07:23has she seen the film?
07:24Has she told you
07:25what she thinks about it, Laura?
07:27Yes.
07:27So, one thing about Brigitte Bardot
07:31is that she really doesn't care
07:34about herself.
07:35She just cares about animals.
07:37So, for instance,
07:37when she was seeing the images
07:39on the screen,
07:40what she was super happy
07:41is when she was seeing herself
07:43with her cat,
07:44or when she was super moved,
07:46like when she see the baby seals
07:48or things like that.
07:50But about herself,
07:51she doesn't care.
07:52So, why the documentary
07:54is important to her
07:55is that a lot of people
07:57could see it
07:58to hear her voice
08:00speaking for the one
08:01who doesn't have voice,
08:02which are animals.
08:03Okay.
08:04Laura, thank you so much.
08:05Your film is in French cinemas
08:07from this week.
08:08It's called Bardot.
08:09We're going to turn to something
08:10completely different now.
08:11It's called Les Enfants Vont Bien,
08:12or Out of Love.
08:14It's directed by Nathan Ambrosioni.
08:16Tell us more.
08:17I absolutely loved it.
08:19Ambrosioni is only 26,
08:21and it already has
08:22such a mature,
08:24delicate way
08:25of filming families.
08:26The movie follows
08:27a woman
08:28who suddenly disappears,
08:30leaving her sister
08:31to care for her
08:32two young children
08:33and to piece together
08:34what could have pushed her
08:36to walk away
08:37from her own life.
08:38And the emotional intelligence
08:39of the script
08:40is really remarkable.
08:42What makes it stand out
08:43for you then?
08:44Well, two things.
08:45First, it's authenticity
08:46and secondly,
08:47the performances.
08:49Camille Cotin,
08:49who many of you will know
08:51from Call My Agent,
08:5210% in French,
08:54gives one of her best roles.
08:55Funny, vulnerable,
08:57extremely real.
08:59And Juliette Armanet,
09:00who's mostly known
09:01in France as a singer,
09:02has this quiet,
09:04bright presence
09:05that brings so much depth.
09:07And the film captures
09:08tiny, everyday moments,
09:11preparing dinner,
09:12music in the living room,
09:14arguments that aren't
09:15really about the arguments.
09:16it feels almost documentary-like,
09:19but with a warmth
09:20and humour
09:21that give it
09:21a very cinematic charm.
09:23Let's take a look
09:24at the trailer.
09:25I'm not going to talk about it.
09:26I'm not going to talk about it.
09:27I'm not going to talk about it.
09:27I'm not going to talk about it.
09:28We'll talk about it tomorrow.
09:29We'll take the time.
09:33Hello, my mother.
09:39Where is she?
09:40Where is she?
09:40Well, it certainly looks like
10:01one of those family films
10:02that really stays with you.
10:04Next, then,
10:05Tunisian French director
10:06Abdelatif Kashish
10:08is best known
10:08for the Palme d'Or-winning
10:10Blue is the Warmest Colour
10:11and his raw,
10:11naturalistic filmmaking.
10:13He returns
10:13after several years of silence
10:16since Mektoub,
10:17my love,
10:17Canto Uno in 2018
10:19with its long-awaited follow-up,
10:21Mektoub,
10:22my love,
10:22Canto Due.
10:23Tell us more.
10:24Well, he returns
10:25to the exact same summer
10:27with the same characters
10:28and the same energy.
10:30It follows Amine
10:31returning to set
10:32in the south of France
10:33after studying in Paris.
10:35He's still dreaming
10:36of making films
10:37and by chance
10:38an American producer
10:39on vacation
10:40takes an interest
10:42in his project.
10:43So in theory,
10:44it's a continuation
10:45of Canto Uno,
10:47but it's also
10:48a long reflection
10:49on desire,
10:51bodies,
10:52and destiny.
10:53Okay,
10:53it sounds like
10:54classic Kashish for sure.
10:56It is,
10:56but it's also
10:57one of his most
10:58divisive films
10:59and for me,
11:00it really didn't work.
11:02His long takes,
11:03which can be powerful
11:04when they're driven
11:05by tension or emotion,
11:07become here
11:08almost a style exercise.
11:11Scenes are stretching
11:12endlessly,
11:13characters are drifting
11:14in and out,
11:15and the narrative
11:16barely moves.
11:18Okay,
11:18so it's very long.
11:19Are there any moments
11:20that stand out for you?
11:22Absolutely.
11:22There are one or two scenes
11:23where desire feels
11:25truly electric,
11:26where the camera captures
11:28that intensity
11:29that Kashish is known for,
11:31and the young actors
11:32give everything.
11:33Shane Boumeddin
11:34is magnetic,
11:35and Ophelia Beaux
11:36brings a lot
11:37of fragility,
11:39but overall,
11:39I feel like the film
11:40is overwhelmed
11:41by its own concepts,
11:43and it might have been
11:44released a bit too long
11:45after Canto Uno.
11:47Okay,
11:48thank you so much.
11:49It sounds like
11:49it's definitely one
11:50for Kashish devotees,
11:52but maybe a challenge
11:53for other audiences.
11:54Thank you, Manon,
11:55for guiding us
11:56through French cinema
11:57once again.
11:57Thank you to today's guest,
11:59the director,
11:59Alora Teneve,
12:01whose film Bardo
12:01is out in cinemas
12:03this week.
12:03Thank you for joining us.
12:05Now, we're going to leave you
12:06with a final look then
12:07at Kashish's new film,
12:09Mektoub,
12:09My Love,
12:10Kantudue.
12:11Thanks for watching.
12:12See you next time.
12:13So you're all here,
12:14of course?
12:1516, 27, 27.
12:17It's my little cousin.
12:18He wrote the scenarios,
12:19he made the photos.
12:20It's my future,
12:21apparently.
12:25There's no person.
12:26He's coming with his wife.
12:27She's less beautiful
12:28than the TV.
12:29I'm waiting for the venue.
12:29I'm so sorry.
12:31Amin, he wants
12:33to make cinema.
12:34I will read his screenplay.
12:36And we'll make...
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