Will the Mayor of Paris convert to cinema one day? Currently in the middle of the electoral campaign for the presidential election, Anne Hidalgo may have a future looming in the world of the 7th art. Indeed, a well-known director was conquered by his small appearance in his last film, Our Lady Burns… and would like to hire him for the next ones!
After Two brothers Where The Bear, Jean-Jacques Annaud has indeed tackled a difficult subject this time, the fire of the Notre Dame basilica, in May 2019. A fire had broken out in the roofs and had destroyed a large part of the frame and spire. Filmed from the point of view of the firefighters and the crowd massed that evening in front of the church, the film could not avoid the reactions of the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who plays herself in a short scene.
A good memory for the director. “I went to see her in her office and at the end, out of politeness, I asked if she wanted to play the part. She answers yes. I’m still planning a liner. But the day of the shoot, she was there, and with her chief of staff, they replayed the scene identically“, he says. A scene that made him want to continue their collaboration!
“If Anne Hidalgo is available for my next film, I hire her“, he declares, thrilled by the acting talents of the woman who became Paris City Hall in 2014. However, she may well have other projects, since she is seeking to become the first woman to ‘Elysée in a few weeks.
While they hope to see her in the presidential office, her admirers will therefore be able to go see her on the big screen in a film with impressive scenes. Indeed, the actors shot with real flames and a life-size set.
“If you say to the actor: ‘You’re in front of a green screen, there’s fire, don’t get too close because it’s hot. And there, you’re going to take your compressed air lance, but think it’s water’, it doesn’t work. You can understand what the characters are doing, but you can’t feel it“.
Fortunately, no one was injured thanks to the concentration and vigilance of the teams. “With the collapse of the nave where twenty tons of materials really ignited at 800 degrees tumble on chairs that collapse everywhere, we are not far from reality. Of course, I’m only doing one take. I had the right to a 1 min 15, because afterwards the extremely dangerous carbon monoxide fumes are released“.
A film in which we will find in particular Chloé Jouannet, Samuel Labarthe or even Elodie Navarre and which will be in theaters on March 16.