She had the idea for this film project, co-produced it, chose the filmmaker who carried it out, and in it embodies the most important role of her life as an actress. For Elsa Zylberstein, there is a before and an after Simone, the trip of the centurya biographical drama dedicated to Simone Veil, icon of French social and political life.
Until now, Simone, the trip of the century attracted more than two million spectators to theaters in France. This shows the importance of Simone Veil, who died five years ago, and the deep imprint she left on French society. A survivor of Auschwitz, this woman was involved in all battles, particularly those linked to the cause of women. Minister of Health in the 1970s, it is also thanks to her that abortion was decriminalized in France. She was also the first President of the European Parliament.
Très admirative de Simone Veil, Elsa Zylberstein (Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, Un + une) rêvait d’un long métrage sur cette femme depuis une dizaine d’années. Il lui aura fallu du temps, mais son projet s’est enfin concrétisé.
« Le chemin à faire pour aller vers elle, physiquement déjà, fut long, explique l’actrice au cours d’un entretien en visioconférence accordé à La Presse. Ce fut un vrai travail de métamorphose auquel j’ai tout consacré. J’ai même appris à parler comme elle grâce à un programme spécial qu’une école de langue a conçu expressément pour l’occasion. Il fallait que sa manière de parler me soit naturelle. »
Un devoir de transmission
Aux yeux d’Elsa Zylberstein, il est plus pertinent que jamais de raconter la vie de Simone Veil dans le contexte actuel. Transmettre son souvenir aux plus jeunes générations relève également d’un devoir de mémoire.
Avec ce qu’on entend des politiques [politiciens] today, this film has a mind-blowing resonance. A woman like her is missing in our landscape. Simone spoke true, spoke true.
Elsa Zylberstein
“She didn’t really have any political ambitions, although her struggles led her to do so. Above all, she had a real concern for human beings and human dignity,” she adds.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AZ FILMS
Scene from Simone, the trip of the century in which Simone Veil (Elsa Zylberstein) addresses the European Parliament
When she had the green light from the producers, Elsa Zylberstein quickly turned to Olivier Dahan, known in particular thanks to The kid (Life in pink), to write the script for the film and ensure its production.
“In my opinion, there was only him to carry out this project, indicates the actress. His films have a lot of breath. Olivier has a sense of the romantic and the intimate at the same time. He is able to do frescoes and tell this kind of story in a totally deconstructed way. He wrote the screenplay by going into the emotion and intimacy of the characters. I was not wrong. I knew it was for him, really. »
The filmmaker, scalded in particular by his artistic differences with Harvey Weinstein at the time of Grace of Monaco (with Nicole Kidman), however, no longer wanted to make films.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AZ FILMS
Elsa Zylberstein plays Simone Veil in Simone, the trip of the centurya film directed by Olivier Dahan.
“I declined everything that was offered to me,” says Olivier Dahan. I preferred to devote myself to painting. One day, Elsa came to tell me about this project on Simone Veil. So I went to get his autobiography. From the first pages, she recounts her childhood holidays in La Ciotat, the city in which I was born and where I grew up. It immediately bonded. I didn’t try to tell his life story, but rather to echo his words, his speeches. Because his message is important. »
Total confidence
Although she acted as co-producer, Elsa Zylberstein left the filmmaker free to choose.
“I had complete confidence in Olivier,” she says. I didn’t want to follow all the stages of production, because I wanted to concentrate on my role. I didn’t intervene at all in his work or in any artistic decision. I set up the project, but afterwards, it’s his film. »
For the actress, embodying over the course of a lifetime a woman who had such a great impact on French society went far beyond the work of an actress.
PHOTO JOHN MACDOUGALL, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Elsa Zylberstein was present at the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival.
Simone helped me to live. She helped me with her strength, helped me bear things. I learned from her every day, in particular to remain worthy and strong despite the hardships.
Elsa Zylberstein
“It goes beyond the cinema, it goes beyond the actress. I have a hard time getting rid of it. It’s even a little difficult for me to have a desire for other films now. For me, there is certainly a before and an after”, underlines the one who, since, has made two comedies: BigBug (Jean-Pierre Jeunet) and Champagne! (Nicolas Vanier).
As she had devoted herself solely to her work as an actress, Elsa Zylberstein was also able to discover the feature film as if she were a simple spectator.
“Even though I knew that beautiful scenes had been shot, I was nevertheless apprehensive. But I was overwhelmed, blown away. Truly. I couldn’t be more proud of it. »
Simone, the trip of the century is currently showing.