The ritual of the videoclub: Benoît Magimel’s childhood cinephilia
When he was young, Benoît Magimel regularly went to video clubs with his older brother, equipped with a card to be stamped and returning with VHS tapes for the weekend. He first discovered westerns and French comedies, spending entire evenings in front of the television. At first, he did not appreciate black and white movies, but a true revelation eventually convinced him.
When Benoît meets Melville and legendary films
Benoît Magimel discovered Jean-Pierre Melville with Le Deuxième Souffle and Le Cercle Rouge, films that impressed him a lot, especially for the stories of friendship, mythical characters, and the codes of honor highlighted in them.
La Haine: the choice of a small role, a phrase that sticks
In La Haine, he refused the role of the skinhead out of fear of complications in his daily life, ultimately getting a small role in a scene on the rooftop. His simple phrase about a lost gun has often made him recognizable to audiences for years.
Hip-hop in Paris, a strong period
Magimel also talks about the arrival of hip-hop in Paris, an underground and still little democratized movement when he discovered it, which marked an important period for him.
