GENESIS OF THE STORY
Like a lot of film stories,
either it starts with a blank page and a few lines...
by an author or a director, or it starts with a book.
Here it started with a book.
Gilles brought me this book and said: 'I loved it, read it'.
I read it immediately.
It's a page turner, when you start reading it you can't stop.
Like Gabin said, a film is a good story, a good story, a good story.
There was that aspect. It is a very good story.
I wrote that book quite a few years ago.
2003, and when I gave it to my former publisher, I insist on former...
He made me understand he was not really interested in it.
It pained me because I poured a lot of emotions and guts in this book.
I resented that rejection very deeply.
Then I accumulated rejections one after another over two years.
I thought maybe it didn't interest anyone.
I put it in a drawer and wrote two other books.
One day a magazine I worked for asked me to interview Heloïse D'Ormesson.
How did you find the manuscript of Sarah's Key?
-It's a story... -On a lettuce leaf!
-It's a story... -It's true about the lettuce leaf.
Tatiana had written a feature on Heloïse.
For the start of the publishing house: One day with Heloïse d'Ormesson.
They have lunch together in the same restaurant I have lunch with an author.
That author leaves and I go sit with them for coffee.
And Tatiana tells this whole story.
-Tatiana's first reader... -Is her husband.
She gives him the first 100 pages.
As usual, the beginning of the manuscript, as she always does.
For every book.
Nicolas says: 'It's very good, Tatiana.'
-But it is difficult. -I had problems reading it.
She asks how he found it very good if he had trouble reading it.
It should have been easy and pleasurable, on the contrary.
He said: 'Tatiana, it's written in English!'
And she had not realised!
I thought, an author who wrote seven books in French...
Who writes one book in English, there's something there!
There is a good reason for this; and the true reason is that...
she was expressing what is inexpressible.
-Mrs Starzynski? -My husband has left.
I don't know where he is!
You're coming with us, take a few things for a couple of days.
Where are you taking me?
-Can I take my doll? -No, only what's necessary.
I don't understand. Do you also want to take the children?
And I say: 'Send me your manuscript, please'.
It's on your computer, you go home and send it to me.
She said: 'Absolutely, I'll send it to you'.
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 hours later...
still no manuscript from Tatiana. I pick up my telephone...
Gilles calls in the middle of the family dinner.
Her husband asks her what's happening.
Because he can hear this roaring voice.
And he sees his wife going pale.
I say: 'Do you think I'm a publisher or not?'
We won't beat around the bush for an eternity.
Expressed in a much cruder way.
Don't be so high and mighty.
She sends the manuscript right away.
She thinks that between a madman who will harass her...
and the umpteenth rejection, I choose the umpteenth rejection.
We signed together and everything followed up incredibly.
32 translations...
It's true that if I hadn't behaved with Tatiana like a lout, a boor...
we'd never have got this manuscript!
She admits it easily.
Because Heloïse would have asked Tatiana very politely...
I was as polite as she was.
In a very genteel Parisian fashion. Heloïse dancing around Tatiana.
It's not genteel Parisian, it's more like ridiculous aristos.
Anyway, courteous and discreet.
Then, very quickly, Gilles, Paquet-Brenner and Stephane Marsil's offer.
The book had been out for a month, it had just made the best seller list.
And they received a phone call, one morning.
Here! The light like that!
Running!
How does it feel to be inside your own book?
It's very strange.
It feels very strange to be in your own film... book.
And to see and sit next to your characters.
I must pinch myself from time to time.
I think we were sustained by our very strong convictions.
Our passion for this film.
And very importantly by the strength of the project itself.
This book has a DNA that carries everything away.
To Beaune Rolande
I always thought I'd deal with the Shoah, the Holocaust, more or less closely.
WWII viewed from that perspective.
I knew I would not look only at the 'Nazi' angle.
Because in each country, the locals were involved.
The occupied people who were sometimes zealous in helping the occupier.
-Action! -Move on! Hurry up!
Come on, the men to the left, hurry up!
Come on, Mister, don't linger, hurry up!
Come on, move on!
-My little girl is sick! Please! -No, Sir, move on!
Mum lost her father when she was two. He was a German Jew.
Not a refugee, he lived in France with my Grandmother he had married.
She was Gentile, so it was a double culture.
And he was denounced by Frenchmen in the unoccupied zone. Very important!
And now you go and take her.
Same tempo. Then you arrive.
You follow a little at the beginning.
And when all hell breaks loose, you go back towards Natacha.
-It won't hurt like that. -And I'll do that.
She tries to do that and you catch her.
-Under her arms. -Or like... yes.
Yes, like that! And maybe...
Yes, like that, and she will want to...
Keep away from each other.
The women were on one side and we, the small children, were on the other.
I remember that Michel and I were holding each other and crying.
We looked at our mothers, and I could see my mother's face.
She looked at us and I had the impression...
that she looked at us with trust in her eyes.
To reassure us, and in order to...
It seemed to me she wanted to say that...
she would come back; I had that impression in her eyes.
-Call! -32 on 12, first!
Action!
Sarah! Stop! Wait!
I love you darling.
I love you with all my heart.
May God protect you.
-Cut!-It's cut, thank you!
It's cut!
Are you OK, children?
We had extras who were wonderful.
Extras who gave their all...
nobody had ever seen that, honestly!
-It's very moving! -Surely.
It hurts! The children's shrieks!
I've just done where they take the little girl.
Who's very pretty and could be my granddaughter.
If I'd married, I would have had a granddaughter like that.
-Didn't you get married? -No.
No.
No, because I cannot marry a Christian.
And there were no Jews left.
It makes her laugh!
Yes, I know how to make people laugh.
I'm telling you, all this is very hard for me.
Because my father was interned in Pithiviers.
In a hut like that.
He was deported to Auschwitz in 1942.
On 17 July 1942. He never came back.
He was caught by the French.
Because of antisemitism and the lack of tolerance.
For the Vel d'Hiv round up, I was home, 144 Bd. Voltaire.
We were hiding in a maid's room.
I was a little girl and could not see outside.
I was too small, so I asked my mother to climb on a stepladder.
And I saw plenty of pale and dazed people...
who were leaving in the buses.
And my mother said: 'Enough, stop looking'.
I waited for the round up to depart.
After that, we found a smuggler.
The smuggler took us to Toulouse in Southern France.
We arrived at a hotel. 'Madam, you are in luck'.
The Germans just came through 10 minutes ago.
That's how we crossed the demarcation line.
Actually, I haven't had a childhood.
It was over; I was an adult at the age of nine.
RECREATING THE VEL D'HIV
This way, Madam!
I'm reminding you that running on the track is forbidden.
Children, it is forbidden to run on the track!
-Was the Vel d'Hiv covered? -Yes
-With what? -A glass roof.
The Vel d'Hiv was a covered bike track.
It had two levels of terraces.
As you can see, here it's open with one terrace level.
We're very far from the original design.
So we must create a second terrace level.
Create a 3D glass roof to enclose this open bike track.
And multiply the extras from 400 to several thousands.
We have completely covered this area.
It was all open, so we enclosed it all.
The partition over there is also closed.
And we'll organise this area.
A Red Cross camp with plenty of wounded people.
All the elderly people they took out of hospitals.
The Rothschild Hospital among many others.
-They took them from hospitals too? -Yes.
There were people about to give birth.
People who were recently operated.
Elderly people who could barely walk.
All those on the lists were deported.
Good morning, I'll show you the way, come along.
You'll find a place over there.
Go to the fourth row, behind the lady in blue.
Come on up with me.
Louison!
The issue is to be on the side because it'll be long.
Exactly! We'll be on the side for four days.
I don't care I have my sudoku, even if it's anachronistic.
-How many more? -Send me another 30 people.
-Not the children? -Not yet, the children last.
Today, it's supposed to be very hot in this velodrome.
People are very tired, they are thirsty.
You should know that the conditions are dreadful.
OK? There!
-What's your name? -Adrien.
Adrien, I'll give you new parents. Look!
Cinema parents!
That's your little boy, Adrien. Are you taking him?
My name's Thomas, what's yours?
-Gaspard.
Gaspard, stop! You never do that, usually; it's not like that.
Yes, but we got up early. We're tired.
I don't want this tissue! Here, deal with it!
Come here! We keep it to ourselves.
All these children can't be sent to labour camps!
That's what they want!
They want us all to jump and to become crazy!
Children, you shout and you scream, OK?
The woman who fell to the ground is a horrible sight, OK?
-So you must really scream! -And cry.
And it continues with crying and sobbing, OK?
The body fell. It's the moment the body fell.
It's panic all around,the nurses and the gendarmes arrive.
Try to make the blood go towards the back.
So that you don't damage the costumes.
Because we'll be filming from the other direction.
Why doesn't the lady fall when the...
-Why doesn't she fall? -Yes, like that.
-Because we'll do it afterwards. -So, that's the rehearsal!
It's the rehearsal.
There's a first shot when she just landed.
And we'll do another shot where she falls.
-But it's afterwards. -That will hurt!
Yes but we'll make sure it doesn't hurt her.
-Is everything going well? -Yes.
-Are you bored? -Actually, we do nothing.
And we get paid, so we don't care.
-I'll hit it! -It's a fake baby!
-Is it a boy or a girl? -Let me see!
-A boy, I think. -Yes, a boy!
-Can you see? -For the rehearsals we'll keep...
Action! The extras and the moves!
The gendarme!
That's good, it's realistic.
No, it's good, it's realistic. That's good, cut!
That was pretty good.
Olivier! We do a different shot!
Turn, the roof!
Sybil will jump and do the landing behind.
For this shot, we'll use two 6-metre towers.
We'll put a bridge between them.
Because the camera must see between the towers.
So that they're not in the field.
We've put boxes and mattresses to ensure a good landing.
So she doesn't hurt herself.
-How high will she fall? -About 5 or 6 metres.
They'll talk a bit, then you jump, and you don't move in the boxes.
-You don't get up. -Yes, OK.
Think about departure restlessness.
As the shout is heard, some people see the body appear.
You're obviously filled with terror and progressively start looking.
Then move around because the body is hidden by those in front.
Etcetera, and we keep going.
-Attention! Roll camera! -Rolling!
14/118, camera one!
OK, extras are becoming restless!
Action!
Do you think she's dead?
Cut!
-Bravo! -It was worth it!
It was worth it!
Melusine
Please, let's look once with the right lens.
Good day!
-Hi! How are you? -Hi!
Mélusine.
-Michel, Michel! -Who is it?
She's a UFO in her own kind, among little girls.
She's ten! We're dealing with a child here!
-If you run, there's wind. -Yes.
And if there's wind, the sound is very bad.
It's bad, bad, bad!
At the beginning, you're almost perturbed by Mélusine.
Having this very adult acting in this little body...
Such maturity coming from her face, from her look...
from her acting, her pauses and all that...
it's almost surprising, and you feel a part of childhood is missing.
What's amazng with Mélusine when you see what she does today...
is that we wondered if she was in a final stage.
It scares us when we think about that today.
-All set! -Nobody move, very quiet, thanks!
Action!
It's a very difficult movie, and not only because she is a child.
Even for an adult, it would be a difficult part to play.
We have the luxury of a kid performing like an adult...
but like a very good adult actress.
Even that doesn't say it all.
Cut!
Mélu! 'I promised you! I promised you!'
You must say it to yourself like a ritornello.
-What is a ritornello? -A ritornello...
It has to do with rice! No, go on, tell me!
What is a ritornello? Something that comes back...
perpetually. Do you know what perpetually means?
You do it on purpose!
Besides which she's very engaging.
A little shrimp who's full of strength.
I don't know! I love this child!
-Go, Mélu! -Silly Billy!
-Mélu -Silly Billy!
You're giving me a terrible reputation.
How will I get work after that?
He's funny and very nice!
You could say: 'He's the nicest one!'
Here you go: He is the nicest one!
And I'm saying 'the best actress'!
I must say that her father coaches actors.
But...
With a coach as a father, she could do only what he says.
But she doesn't. She remains extremely responsive and flexible.
It is in her.
We'll work on the scene where you escape with your friend, OK?
We take it from here only, it's not necessary to...
to do all the first part here.
So, you arrive and you get caught by the cop who grabs you.
Or rather, he catches your friend.
You're completely devastated.
Because you're set to escape, your only hope is to escape.
There you are.
-You know your lines, don't you? -Yes!
OK, go on. Proposition.
You must let me go, sir!
It's for my little brother! He's all alone in Paris!
It's my fault, I locked him up when they came to arrest us.
And I made him promise to wait for me.
What kind of feeling do you think of when you tell me:
-'You must let me go, sir!' -It's almost an order.
-OK, so she's going full blast there. -Yes.
-You may even insist a little! -Yes.
And after the three dots there...
-Be careful, there's a pause. -Yes.
There's something, it's not a blank.
There must be something in here.
-Could you do this again? -OK.
You must let me go, sir. It's for my little brother.
He is all alone in Paris!
It's too late now. Anyway, that's how it is!
You must stay here. It's forbidden to escape.
We have orders to shoot.
At that moment, you'll call him by his first name.
He doesn't know that you know his first name.
It's very important. You say 'Jacques' very carefully.
-Jacques! -Um...
-And here, how does it go? -Well...
It's: 'Jacques let me go out'.
How come you know my first name?
I heard when you were talking to each other.
And for the apple, I'll remember all my life.
I'm Sarah. Sarah Starzynski.
Stay like that. Don't take her hand.
Your answer to the hand she offers is that.
Go! Go now!
OK, we stop here. That's good.
I won't start making comparisons.
Mélusine is one of the best actresses I've worked with.
I'm not speaking of age. She's terribly precise.
She has something innate that you never learn.
You have it or you don't. She has a feel for the camera.
She knows how to move, how to look. She has rhythm.
If we didn't have Mélusine, we would still be filming.
-Announcement! -39/120, second!
Mrs. and Mr. Starzynski 'The history of Natasha and Arben'
Roll camera!
I wonder if we'll cancel it.
Rolling!
430/141A, Second!
-Stop! -I must see that woman, please!
Please, my son is locked in the house!
What are you saying? Go back to your seat and stay calm!
I beg you! Please go and arrest my son.
36 Rue Saintonge, third floor, I beg you!
I'm very happy that the family works really well as a circle.
It's a credible family, and that creates a huge amount of empathy.
It's not like a family in a TV ad. They're a real family.
I really want to pay homage to Natasha and Arben.
Who not only played these characters but made them alive.
They gave them a body, a depth.
I think their personal life stories are linked to that.
-Mr Starzynski, open up! -My husband is not here.
It obviously touches me, I have various origins.
Including Jewish, Muslim and Russian origins.
-All mixed together. -Yes, because I was born in Kyrgyzstan.
They are the ancestors of the Turks.
Kyrgyzstan was where nationalists fled.
The global state of the USSR: tanks in Moscow at the Parliament.
A very tense situation, all the people who panic.
It's a state of war.
No, sir, let me do my job! Go into your cabin!
The children to the right and the men to the left!
I'm from Albania, from Kosovo. In autumn 1988, there was no war.
But there was tension.
We felt that our country was occupied.
The Serb police could do anything they wanted to the people.
One day we drove 14 km by car. 14 km is nothing.
We received six fines.
For any reason, There were roadblocks everywhere.
They used every reason they could to extort the people.
It was a cleansing. They had to cleanse.
Action! Extras start moving! Action!
-The toilets, please sir. -They've been blocked for a while.
Help us, sir, please. Can we have water, please?
It's so hot, we're suffocating, sir, please.
Cut! Thank you!
When I see a situation similar to Mr Stazynski's...
I will certainly delve into what I heard from my family.
Into what my brother went through.
When he was taken from the truck in front of my grandmother.
In front of his two year old son.
When he was beaten up in front of them.
It's something that is in me!
And I will obviously draw from this.
Anielivitch, Joshua. Anielevitch, Anna. Anielevitch, Albert.
The Vel d'Hiv round up is also an ideological decision.
I can't understand how they could hate so much.
How they could have such a...
So much rage, in fact. So much rage.
Because you must have enormous rage. I don't know what.
Immense hatred within oneself to make such a decision.
I didn't know that when I chose them.
But I think I chose them for that in view of how they auditioned.
No big mystery here!
ONE NIGHT IN 1942
Look at all this light! It's great!
-That's good. Let's go! -Go up a bit. A bit more.
And you go a little higher if we want to turn left.
Can we have the truck, Anna? Can you send the first truck?
I still haven't seen it come to the departure point.
Is there someone from our crew with them?
Yes, we're here.
-That's good! -I thought it was on the other side.
-Do you remenber? -I don't remember.
But if you say so, we remember now.
Now that you're telling us!
-Laurent put it on the wrong side. -It's not Laurent.
It's not Laurent, it's a team. It's you and me.
A team of wankers, if you want, Vincent!
We take full responsibility!
Here are two most stupid stage shifters in Paris,
but they take full responsibility! Yes, they do!
Laurent, open it again!
Isn't it hard to film at a 90 degree-angle?
No, it's fine. Less dangerous than being on the other side.
Spent, tired, it's nighttime. You look around you.
It's a bit like a ghost town. During the war, places were deserted.
And you come from Paris. Do you see what I mean?
What happens is that you'll start hearing a noise.
-Yes. -OK.
You'll do that! You'll turn around.
Your reaction is that you don't feel well and they'll help you.
But you have a survival instinct, you think it's not good.
You must insist. It's really...
You must be exhausted, really exhausted.
You feel really bad.
-Cameras are rolling! -Rolling!
-Announcement! -42/1, sixth!
Action!
Nico on one, Nico one.
-The car has stalled. -Cut! Fuck!
Mind your head!
That's the vehicles of people who lost the war!
You should try pushing on the switch.
Stop!
A small tea! Do you want a small tea?
Attention!
At ease!
It's training, actually.
Who's equipped with submachine guns? No, there are no submachine guns.
Where is the one with the submachine gun?
Well, there is one...
-Both vehicles are running! -Quiet, please!
Roll cameras requested. Quiet, please.
Action!
I feel really bad.
We should ask them for a lift.
But what are you doing?
-Cut! -Let's do a different shot.
We do a different shot!
I'll never make it.
There's this or that, we'll see.
-Tell me what you like. -What flavour is it?
-That's not bad. Pineapple, banana, coconut.
Do you want more liquid? It's already liquid.
No alcohol, I hope. You know it's forbidden. You're on camera.
That's vomit with a little bile.
Is Yvon's vomit good?
I didn't try, but it's supposed to be good.
Yes, I'm ready.
-OK, roll camera! -Go on, in your mouth.
Go on.
Action!
I'll never.
-Cut! -It's cut! The day's over.
Finished for today. Get the walkie-talkies from the vehicles.
AT THE DUFAURES' HOME
Quiet!
-Is this your house? -What? Yes, it is.
For the time being. It needs a lot of work.
It was closed for ten years.
Yes. They're redoing it in 1940's style.
Worse than before. I knew the house in 1940, it was not like that.
We had to use slippers in the house.
They make it very dirty.
We never saw anything like that in '42 in our home.
It looks strange. That's true.
It must have been different in some families.
Yes, but we used slippers, we never wore shoes inside.
We had to use slippers and all that!
Did you notice that the shirts on the line are not all clean?
The lady said they should be like that to look white on camera.
It's OK with me. I wanted to take them down but she refused.
Everything we gave was clean and white.
They do the same with the walls.
-Quiet -Everybody keep quiet!
-We can hear them talk. -Roll cameras!
-OK, thank you. -Nobody move!
-Announcement! -49/1, fourth!
Action!
-That's all we needed! -Come on, she's not well!
Maybe we should talk to the doctor.
No, Dr Thévenin is on holidays and I don't like his substitute.
He speaks to the Germans a lot.
We'll see if she's not better in the afternoon.
-I can't wait. I must go to Paris. -What are you saying?
Cut!
You know what? You'll wait for her like that.
You'll wait like that and you'll let him pass through.
You're not happy about it, but you let him pass through.
You can even go faster, and then he walks past.
You don't know where to stand, you are...
You're like that, you see? And you're afraid.
-OK? -That's fine.
They're very nice girls.
In fact, being an actor means waiting a lot, doesn't it?
Jouvet said that the hardest thing in filming was to find a chair.
I thinks it's still valid today.
Because it's true that we film 4 or 5 minutes in a day.
In an 8 or 9 hour day.
It means a large part of waiting.
During which you need a very well developed inner life.
It's a special kind of life.
Obviously very intense if you are courageous.
Because there are many moments when it's not right, when it stops.
When you think it won't start again.
But at the same time it's wonderful.
Schoenberg and Bach. That's me!
-Is your thing on? -Yes, it's on.
I use the fact I'm offered a part in a film...
to read books about the topic. I need to learn things.
A pal gave me the film 'Shoah' by Lanzmann.
I didn't want to watch it. It gave me the creeps.
But I read the book.
He insists on a point. Lanzmann's consistent thought...
is that these people were doing a job.
The triteness of evil. These people were doing a job.
-Put a floppy here! -Find me a floppy!
It's beautiful! It's not smoke, it's real particles of dust.
Please, we're going to shoot.
-What material is that? -It's treated dust. Non toxic.
Action!
-Is she really unwell? -We must go see a doctor.
She's sleeping now. We'll see.
-You're going in. -I go first.
Yes, the girl will have fallen between the two beds.
She will be really choking.
You immediately run towards her.
You pick her up and lift her on the bed.
That's when this little bit that's left takes place.
How does it finish? Am I the one who goes out...
as if I'm getting the doctor? How do you finish the shot?
We can cut these two lines.
We must get the doctor. You hesitate. She pushes you.
Can't you see she's dying? You hesitate again and look at Sarah.
And we finish with a close-up on Sarah.
I think that's more interesting than hesitating to go to the doctor...
is that what comes to your mind is that you made a mistake.
Should we have gone immediately to the doctor?
It's more like a slight feeling of guilt.
I think you didn't see her as being as sick as that.
-You tell me. -Vincent?
-For the shoes. -The shoes are on.
Pointing towards me. Like this. Just a bit closer.
Here. We must go get the doctor.
And actually, Niels won't say his lines. He'll stay silent.
So, 'we must get the doctor', he's still hesitating.
You: 'Can't you see she's dying?' It's from the heart.
Just a few seconds after 'Action'.
-Roll camera! -52/1, third!
Action!
Help me!
Wait!
-Cover her! -We must get the doctor.
Can't you see she's dying?
Jérome asked: 'How can you play that thing?'
I said, listen. It was an interview like now.
I said: 'I'm an actor.'
The guy said: 'What is it being an actor for you?'
I said, it's not true!
Finally, I said something.
I replied. But you will put it in your making of, won't you?
Or else I'll call someone to do the making of of the making of.
And I answered to the guy.
Listen. As he asked me what it is to be an actor...
I said: It's staying where you're not expected to be.
And then I said, it's even worse.
It's staying where you're expected not to be.
Think about it, because later on I wondered what I meant.
Fuck, what did I mean?
When I think about it, it's exactly that!
OK, we do a different shot.
A CUP OF TEA WITH KRISTIN
Who wants some tea? I even have a teapot.
Is that colour right for your tea?
That's good like that.
-Will you have some, Frederic? -Yes, gladly.
This morning at home I was going over my lines.
At some stage I said to myself: we never see this in films.
There's something I've been doing for a long time.
I've got two dustbins, one for wet and one for dry stuff.
At home.
And I regularly step into the dry dustbin.
You see, I stand in it to compact it.
And I was standing and saying:
Everything is much better now that the truth has come out.
As I was standing in a dustbin.
And I thought it's the kind of idea we never have.
Things we do in life but are never shown in films.
The guy is having a row, he doesn't know what to do.
He climbs in the dustbin and compacts it. No, you're right.
While you rant on truths, I do the housework.
I cook, I compact the garbage.
-Yes, here you go. -Thanks.
I'm using my mug. I'm using my mug because...
Because I'm at home here.
-What number is it again? -It's 72, 73, 74.
Here it is. Bertrand, you're here.
Hello! Anyone here? What do you think? Not bad!
Bertrand, I don't know if I'll ever be able to live here.
I don't know. I can't see us in this place.
But I'm sure the three of us will be fine here.
-The three of us? -Yes, the three of us.
No, listen, we've already discussed it.
I simply think it's better for us. It's like a new life
Yes, I know. In a week, you'll sign the contract of the century.
We won't have money worries for the next 150 years.
A grown-up daughter, a beautiful apartment that belonged to deported Jews.
That's why it didn't work.
Because I said I can't put this in the middle like that.
You see? I can't say this and mix it in all the rest!
-Won't you evoke the story of... -Yes, it's necessary to say it!
It's absolutely necessary to say it! But I don't think I can say it...
I think he wants it to appear like a slip of the tongue.
But I don't think it's a slip of the tongue.
I think it's just the thing that should not be said.
It's not unconscious. It's something...
-I understand what you mean. -You say it and you regret saying it.
-Nothing! -What did you say?
Nothing. I've had a long day, I'm very tired.
-I must go now. -No, Julia. What did you say?
I should never have said that to you. Speak about it with your father.
He gnaws his teeth slowly. He moves his jaw slowly.
He gnaws his teeth slowly because the world is making fun of him.
Not speaking of your life off-screen...
I like the couple you make. You're rather different from one another.
It's almost surprising.
He's so lunar, you're so...
-Yes, she is very... -Sensitive.
It's maybe the first time I play a character who could be...
Who is so close to me in the circumstances.
She's married to a Frenchman, she's been living in France for a long time.
She's a foreigner. She's abandoned her roots.
In this case, she's American but I'm English.
She lives in the same environment. It's very close to me.
Someone who is interested in the history of Paris during the war.
What happened.
I feel close to that character. She needs the truth.
She can't stand dishonesty, I think.
The truth! A big deal for journalists.
The truth! What does this beautiful truth bring us?
We're much happier! That guy is much happier! Everything's so much better!
Now that we've got the truth out!
This guy's truth is not at all... I mean your husband.
He's not righteous. He doesn't give a damn about that story.
An old story that doesn't concern him. A story about Jews.
He's not a bastard either. He knows history.
The problem is, he has invested time and energy on that thing.
Everything is shaken up for nothing, for a story about truth.
A story of whose or what guilt? What kind of nonsense is it?
Little by little, I realised that it didn't work for Bertrand.
It's more complex than that, it's not only a question of...
I think it's really interesting to make a film like this one...
which slowly leads people to think, and to accept their past.
-Of course. -It can't be done brutally.
And I think it's great that we make fictions on that topic.
And doing it more softly than: Here it is! The truth!
We had all that in the 80's.
In the 90's we had lots of shocking and moving information.
I think it's good to present people with the facts slowly.
IN THE SHADOW OF FILMING: THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT
-Where are you going? -We're going to Gadancourt this morning.
We're going to film in Gadancourt, a charming village in Vexin.
-We have two shots to make. -What's your role?
We'll put up signs so that people don't get lost when they arrive.
Even though they were given the itinerary we prepared.
It was in the memo.
We'll put up reflective arrows pointing to the set.
Then we'll set up the dressing rooms.
Make up and hair dressing departments.
The production office. The production department table...
to welcome people this morning, including technicians.
Sometimes we're surprised by where people can get lost.
The name of the village where we're going is on all the signs.
-But you never know. -It's better like that.
Some still get lost.
I'll put up an arrow on that.
For the table, we can go over there, to be closer.
I'll see. But I'll go in to see the...
-The chateau owner? -Yes. Over there.
It's cold in the morning.
6.30 A.M. THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT SETS UP IN A CHATEAU
-We'll lay carpet in the office. -Very good.
-Is there a light? -No, it broke.
-No more light in the truck? -It broke.
-It can be fixed, you know. -That's a bummer.
The big ones are the door mats.
-What's this beautiful carpet for? -To protect the parquet floor.
So that we don't scratch it.
He has to back up, he can't go through.
He said all his colleagues in many buses are coming.
And they have to go through here.
I'm coming.
Push, lazy bum! It's good for you. You don't exercise any more!
-Hey, Bébé! -Yeah?
They could have helped you instead of watching, over there!
Do you have any strength in your arse? Pull!
Antoine, in a nutshell, what is the production department?
It's preparing, organising, so that people can work straight away.
-Hello! -Hello!
7.30 A.M. ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST TECHNICIANS
-How are you? -Fine.
-Long time since we were together. -That's true.
-It's your job to make the cars leave? -Yes, we make them leave.
So that we have a clean set.
The man over there said he wouldn't move his car until tonight.
-Would you mind moving it? -No,it'll stay.
Because we weren't given notice. Don't touch the car.
Because it's right in...
If you touch the car it'll cost you 500 euros!
We don't want to touch it, we want you to move it, that's all.
It'll be moved later, anyway.
-We're asking you to move it. -It'll be moved later.
-At what time? -Between 8.30 and 9.00.
-Couldn't you do it now? -It's not my car.
-Whose car is it? -My brother's.
If he comes out, he'll tell you off because we didn't get any notice.
-The mayor should have warned you. -He warned me at 9 last night.
OK, then.
Can't you ask your brother to let you move the car now?
He's busy now, I'll ask him later.
-He leaves around 8.30 or 9? -Yes, he goes to work.
-So, he'll move it? -He'll move it, he's not far.
-Do we need to move all the cars? -Yeah.
-Why is that? -It's in the schwartz... the shot.
But cars can be in the shot.
He doesn't want that. He wants it to be the countryside.
-Not like the city. -Without any cars.
ARRIVAL OF THE CREW
A coach has arrived, we had to park it in the farm.
Today, you'll wear the yellow vest all day.
We'll have to block the whole square over there.
-Each time you're filming. -We won't bother people all the time.
Get to your places. One behind the curve.
One in the street a bit far so we can't hear the sounds.
And the third one over there.
OK, you quickly take the dog and go to the yard to block.
And Mallory you tell me if Kristin is ready to shoot.
-It's good for Kristin. -Clear the shot, please!
Cameras are rolling.
She's ready, we're starting now.
Stop the traffic, complete silence, everybody!
-Attention, quiet please! -Action, Kristin!
-Hello. -Hello.
-You see, you couldn't miss. -That's good.
Nathalie.
Can I leave the car here?
Are we going?
Cut, thank you!
10.00 A.M. PREPARATION OF MORNING TEA
The production department is difficult to define.
It's everything that the others don't do.
The role of the production department is to find doctors between 12 and 2 p.m.
Go to the pharmacy to get medication for an actor.
-Without a prescription! -Exactly!
A medication requiring a prescription, but without a prescription.
-So, negotiations. -Stop work in a 4 km radius.
Run in the middle of a field to stop a tractor that's ploughing.
Stop cocks from crowing and all kinds of things like that.
And put up with the crew.
-Put up with the technicians who come... -To eat the snacks.
-To order the snacks. -To order us!
-Yum! It's the most important! -Thanks to who?
The production department!
With this, generally I make friends.
What is there? A little of everything, as usual.
Paté and pickles, tomato and mozzarella, goat's cheese and lettuce.
-Local ham. -Thank you, miss, very kind.
The production department is good! Home delivery!
-OK, cut! -It's perfect!
-It's cut. -It's perfect.
We don't do it again? That's good, call it a day.
6 P.M. END OF THE DAY FOR THE TECHNICAL CREW
What are we saying about tomorrow?
We're going home.
-The end of the day! We're going home!
That was an expensive one!
6.30 P.M. THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT KEEPS WORKING
You have a 7.20 a.m. start. You take James with you.
At 7.20 you don't come, you go straight to James's.
6.30 a.m. tomorrow. Isn't that good news?
You love it, I know. You'll have a sleep-in tomorrow! 6.30!
Look! Do you want to film something really important in the production department?
It's this technique that you need to master.
You must master it, and pick up the caps afterwards, of course.
7.00 P.M. LOCKING UP THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT TRUCK
Nothing left in the truck? Did anybody leave anything in the truck?
-I don't think so. -Your underwear, Hervé!
End of the day. We're just waiting for the conveyors.
CONVEYORS: DRIVERS OF THE FILMING EQUIPMENT TRUCKS
We'd like to leave now.
So, you're the first to arrive and the last to leave.
Exactly!
First to rise, last to go to bed.
A slave's job.
IN THE SHADOW OF FILMING: THE CAFETERIA
-How heavy is it? I don't know the weight, but...
In truth, it's very heavy.
-What do we eat today? -Yes, let's discuss the menu now.
Has Joanes arrived?
-Hello, Joanes. -How are you?
-Fine and you? -Fine.
We've just arrived. We got caught in traffic.
-Is Evelyne driving? -Yes, today she is.
How are you? Have you been here long?
The shopping was fine. We went to Bobigny, it was the closest.
OK, now we lift.
We plug in the machines first and we have a coffee.
It gives more motivation.
Are you both from Haiti?
Yes, both of us. Even the three of us.
The four of us? No, not Kamel.
That's funny.
We can say that we 'met' in France.
Because we knew each other in the old country.
Yes, we knew each other in Haiti.
For me, they're not employees but colleagues. I call them colleagues.
We are totally committed. We can't afford to be late.
For example, the meal is scheduled for 1 p.m.
We must be ready for 12 p.m.
And if they're late and they eat at 2 p.m....
the meal must not be overcooked either.
The secret is that we don't have a refrigerated truck.
We could have bought a refrigerated truck and shopped once a week.
But no, we'd rather get up early and shop every day.
So, the freshness is guaranteed.
Everything is here, even presentation.
It is very important.
Because presentation is 60% of the sale.
Everybody knows that. It's true.
Being on the road all the time, isn't it a bother?
No, we have each other. That's fine.
I have a small tray for Kristin, for 12.15.
Yes, we'll add hot pepper sauce!
-Hello! -You can't even eat quietly.
-How are you? -Fine, and you?
-Hello, Evelyne. -Are you well?
Are you well?
Yes, here you go!
Magnificent! Did you see that?
Yes, Antoine, life is difficult.
What's the interest of a cafeteria compared to going to a restaurant?
Firstly, the restaurants don't want us.
-Really? -Yes.
Because you take up three services.
You don't know if you'll eat at 12, 1 or 1.30.
So they don't want us, they're not interested.
And you must have eaten in one hour tops.
Most restaurants will be hard put to do it.
And finally, quality.
Our cafeteria follows us and we know what we'll eat.
With a smile, and everything goes smoothly.