(Paris) It was premiere night on Monday, at the Grand Rex, in Paris, with the presentation of the film Aline, freely inspired by the life of Celine Dion.
In a room packed with distinguished guests (including Ines de la Fressange and Miss France), but above all members of the public, the film received a warm welcome. No ovation, of course, but long applause that lasted throughout the end credits. And when singer Victoria Sio, who lends her voice to Aline for the many songs in the film, appeared on stage to cover two Celine Dion hits (in English), the audience jumped up to dance.
“It’s a big load of love to receive all at once,” said actor Sylvain Marcel after the screening. The one who plays Guy-Claude Kamar, René Angélil’s cinematographic double, was delighted to find himself “in the largest cinema in Europe” alongside his filming comrades.
Tonight is the culmination of a long wait, since the film was due out a year ago. Finally, it is indoors, and this evening, it was presented in front of a real audience …
Sylvain Marcel
It will be remembered that the film was presented at the last Cannes Film Festival. “The reactions were three times stronger than in Cannes,” said Danielle Fichaud, who plays Aline’s mother. ” It was extraordinary ! I’m still pinching myself! “At the end of the screening, she was the one who greeted the audience by resuming a line from the film:” Be careful when coming home. A remark greeted with amusement by the spectators.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY CARAMEL FILMS
Valérie Lemercier embodies the character of Aline with ardor. Most of the film’s sung segments are provided by Victoria Sio, who attended the film’s Monday night screening in Paris.
More laughter than usual
The public laughed a lot Monday night at the Grand Rex, especially at the start of the film, when director and actress Valérie Lemercier played Aline at the age of 5. According to the principal concerned, it was about “laughter of connivance”. “The French have known that I have been playing children for a long time. They know me, which is not the case in Quebec. “Nevertheless, Valérie Lemercier, who has presented the film in a few cities already for a promotional tour, noted that the public“ laughed more than usual ”.
Some jokes around the Quebecois accent of the characters also made the public react a lot. The film insists heavily at times on the Quebec pronunciation of certain words, each time triggering bursts of laughter from the French audience. We can wonder how the Quebec public will react to these same passages …
IMAGE PROVIDED BY CARAMEL FILMS
Actress Valérie Lemercier, who plays the role of Aline, with Sylvain Marcel, who plays Guy-Claude Kamar, René Angélil’s cinematographic double.
At the end of the performance, the Quebec actors received heavy applause when they took to the stage. What delighted Valérie Lemercier. “I am so happy to be back with my beloved Quebec family. ”
I am proud of all the Quebec actors who played in this film. Thanks to them, the end result is even better than on paper. It is beyond my expectations. Rarely have I had such happy playing partners!
Valerie Lemercier
These happy partners will have the opportunity to work together for a few more days as they embark on a great round of interviews on French television and radio. And all these beautiful people will meet soon in Montreal, as the film premieres on our side of the Atlantic on November 26th.