For the witness of these “visions”, daily life changes radically. Bernadette Soubirous attracts the attention of the media from around the world and the Church. In fact, she will dedicate a large part of the rest of her life to the latter, becoming a nun.
This mystical story has always fascinated Dan Johnson, an American director from Alabama, for whom Christianity seems to play a central role. After making several documentaries on this theme, he is now making his first feature film, “Bernadette & The Lady of Lourdes”, which looks back on the life of the woman now known as Saint Bernadette, who was canonized in 1933.
“It has been more than two years that Dan wanted to do this project,” explains Paul Duda, the American film producer. “The goal is to tell this French story to an English-speaking audience. So far, the filming has gone very well. It will be a beautiful film.” He adds jokingly: “‘Bernadette & The Lady of Lourdes’ is filmed in English because Americans have trouble with subtitles.”
“Filming in Lourdes is not technically possible, and the convent of Nevers has been renovated and no longer resembles that of the 19th century.”
Lourdes or Saint-Sever?
The filming of the movie, involving around fifty people, started on March 23 in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. From April 20 to 24, the town of Saint-Sever in the Landes hosted the production. Multiple scenes of this feature film were shot there. However, the chosen location in the Landes has nothing to do with the life of Bernadette Soubirous, portrayed by Elfie Kluk. The saint spent the first part of her life in Lourdes before joining a convent in Nevers, Nièvre.
Saint-Sever was chosen for its setting with sumptuous decor. “To make a period film, you need period sets,” explains Gaëlle Risch, the film’s set manager. “Filming in Lourdes is not technically possible, and the convent of Nevers has been renovated and no longer corresponds to that of the 19th century.”
The set is provided by the city council. Flora Valette, the communication manager, says, “Everyone benefits from the deal, the shopkeepers who benefit from the staff’s presence, and also the artisans, who are called upon for details of the filming. All the teams are staying at the Saint-Sever campsite, which is usually closed at this time of year.
“Action”
On Tuesday, April 21, around 3 pm, the cloister was invaded by nuns, priests, and civilians in three-piece suits and top hats for a life scene. Although the final result should last 45 seconds once the film is completed, the shooting took over an hour and a half. It’s hot, and the actors are wearing warm clothing typical of the 19th century. They wait for the start of filming under their umbrellas. The makeup artists remove what seems to be drops of sweat for some.
They wait a few minutes before Felix, the filmmaker’s first assistant, raises his voice. “Let’s start, be quiet!” he shouts. “Rolling… Action!” The scene is played, then replayed, again and again. Some details are not to the satisfaction of the production, which requests modifications from the actors.
The shooting is open to the public. High school students from the Charles-Despiau school in Mont-de-Marsan are present. “It’s impressive. We don’t realize all the work that goes into a small scene,” marvels Felix Sivek. His classmate, Elaia Denise, adds, “We are caught up in the story. The set comes to life.”
Three million dollars
“Time is limited,” Felix reminds everyone. Indeed, the film’s production is estimated at three million dollars, so there’s no time to waste. Twenty-five days of shooting will be needed. Not one more. “The film does not benefit from CNC [National Center for Cinema, ed.] support because the director is not French. It has been largely financed by private donations,” explains Gaëlle Risch.
