To write the film “Compagnons”, screenwriters François Favart and Johanne Bernard met with Compagnons du Devoir from several cities: first in Paris, then in La Rochelle, Angers and finally in Nantes. They then discovered a universe they did not know, a world that values manual work and mutual aid.
In the “Houses” of the Companions, young people aged 16 to 25 live together with the Companions who supervise them. The young people, mainly boys (only 14% of girls) come from all walks of life, transforming these places into real “Spanish inns”. During its formation, the apprentice must follow rules and traditions quite precise.
But how to tell and move with a young person who manages to make a wooden table at the end of the film? This was the questioning of the 2 screenwriters. They therefore worked on dramatize their inner tensions in the face of the hyper-normed universe in which she arrives, and also to seek a more inspiring profession from a cinematographic point of view. This is how the idea of her passion for tags came about, which will cause her to fall in love with stained glass.
Indeed, the film tells the story of Naëlle, 19, passionate about street art and who is forced to follow a reintegration project with other young people. Her last chance to avoid being separated from her loved ones. Touched by the young girl, Hélène, the site manager, introduces her one day to the Compagnons de Nantes house, a world of traditions that promotes craftsmanship excellence and transmission between generations. Alongside Paul, Companion stained glass artist who agrees to take her in training in his studio, Naëlle discovers a universe with codes very different from hers… which, despite the difficulties, could give a new meaning to his life.
It is Njjaa who interprets the role of Naëlle, Agnès Jaoui that of Hélène and Pio Marmaï that of Paul