The Cannes Film Festival has been in full swing for a few days. The opportunity to see some of the big movie stars parade in their finest gala outfits. But this Saturday, May 21, the climb of the steps will have a very special emotion. More than ever, drama by Emily Atef and latest film by Gaspard Ulliel, will be screened. The film tells the story of a young woman, played by Vicky Krieps, suffering from a serious illness that she refuses to seek treatment for. Her companion, played by the actor Gaspard Ulliel, decides to support her and takes full advantage of the last moments he has to live with her. What we didn’t know then was that the two actors were partners on screen as well as in life.
Gaspard Ulliel and Vicky Krieps had a very strong relationship, as evidenced by the interview granted by Emily Atef to the Parisian. The director did not herself offer the role to Gaspard Ulliel: “Vicky is my neighbor in Berlin, our girls have always been friends. We wanted to work together. She was the one who introduced me to Gaspard for the role. She said: When I look into his eyes, I see the bottom. I can go very very far. She told me he had the depth to play this character. They were friends. Friends, longtime friends. And they had never toured together.“
The shooting also marked the spirits. If some scenes were shot in Bordeaux, a large part took place in Norway, in the midst of Covid-19 and confinement: “We quarantined in a magical place in the middle of nowhere. We weren’t allowed to see each other except to be outside.“These conditions did not spoil the party, however, quite the contrary:”We went for walks in the mountains, kayaking, parties in the middle of nature, we were never so happy with Gaspard, whom I had never seen like that. We were like a family.”
The links between Vicky Krieps and Gaspard Ulliel will ultimately not go any further, contrary to what some could suggest. A truth confirmed by Gaëlle Pietri, ex-girlfriend of the actor and mother of his 6-year-old son Orso: “No one shared Gaspard’s life at the time of the tragedy. It is therefore incumbent on us with Gaspard’s parents to protect his memory as well as the future of Orso. I respect the dignity of the beings who, near or far, met and accompanied Gaspard during his life.“As a reminder, Gaspard Ulliel, victim of a skiing accident in Savoie, succumbed to his injuries on January 19 at the age of 37.