At the Cabourg film festival, the president Agnès Jaoui and its jury established a list of winners in their image: creative and committed. Alongside Robert Charlebois, Claire Chust, Didar Domehri, David Foenkinos, Vicky Krieps, Éric Slabiak et Eric Viellardthe seven-César filmmaker led the debates of the feature film jury on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Romantic Days which are held every summer in the Norman seaside resort which inspired so much Marcel Proust. Together, they chose to reward Marie Madeleine of Gessica Généus et No Good men of Shahrbanoo Hundreds. A few hours before the closing ceremony on Saturday June 13, Agnès Jaoui spoke to Vanity Fair on this Cabourg experience and his latest film, The object of the crimewhich she directed, co-wrote and in which she starred. The pitch? “Behind the scenes of an ambitious opera production The Marriage of Figarotensions rise when an accusation of sexual assault emerges, jeopardizing the production and forcing everyone to take a stand. » Meeting.
Vanity Fair. You have participated in many festivals and ceremonies during your career. Is this a facet of the profession that made you dream of when you were younger?
Agnes Jaoui. I think so, and so much the better if it still makes people dream. When it was born, cinema was said to be a dream factory. Actors and actresses were sacralized. They are less so today. So much the better, no doubt – even if everyone has a camera trained on each other in all circumstances. That said, I understand the fantasy around festivals. Look, here, for three days, we are pampered, hair done, made up, pampered. We chat with our feet in the sand with a Coke in our hand. It’s quite wonderful and very privileged, especially in the context of a festival like this, on a human scale.
What did you expect from the films in the selection?
I watch films as a spectator, as much as possible. Of course, I notice certain things but above all I like to be surprised. The members of the jury were in the same state of mind: they were animated by the same benevolence, not at all judgmental. We quickly agreed.
When you started writing and directing, you wanted to tackle subjects of revolt. Injustices, in particular. Is this also what you are looking for as a spectator?
It turns out that, unintentionally, the two films we chose to reward are very different but talk about causes with a real point of view. I believe that there are plenty of ways to be engaged, to say things about society, to society, but when it is said with a real point of view, I am touched. We have seen films that need to exist, made by people who make cinema in sometimes difficult conditions and whose voices are essential. Hence the importance of preserving, more than ever, these moments of celebration that are festivals. We see films there that we don’t see elsewhere, we help to advertise them. In Cabourg, I saw a Haitian film, a Nepalese film, an Afghan film… This should remind us to what extent culture is a national treasure.
A treasure in danger today, in your opinion?
More violently attacked and threatened than ever, yes. I don’t know if people realize the extent to which French cinema, its functioning, the CNC, etc., form an extremely virtuous system – the opposite of what some people envisage. The success of cinema finances the CNC, with a system of solidarity which should be an example.
