(Los Angeles) Being one of the main producers of The Power of the Dog, Roger Frappier could take the stage at the Dolby Theater on Sunday if Jane Campion’s feature film wins the Best Picture Oscar. But whatever happens, the Quebec producer is already satisfied.
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
As the Oscar race winds down, Roger Frappier couldn’t feel better. Head of the production team The Power of the Dogquoted 12 times (more than any other feature film), the producer becomes a philosopher, keeping in mind that the journey is as beautiful and important as the arrival.
“Of course it would be fun to win, but at the same time I’m convinced that if you don’t, the disappointment will only last five minutes. It will be deep, but short-lived,” he told The Press the one who has already attended the Oscars at the time of the Decline of the American Empire and of Jesus of Montrealworks by Denys Arcand, both finalists in the category of best foreign language film.
dizzying turn
Roger Frappier’s most recent “journey” began 10 years ago in a hotel in Paris. To overcome the insomnia, he had read a book from the 10/18 collection, of which he knew absolutely nothing. A few hours later, at the end of the reading, love at first sight for The power of the doga novel that Thomas Savage published in 1967, was so great that deep down, the Quebec producer was already driven by an intimate conviction: he alone would one day bring the project to transpose this book to the big screen.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NETFLIX
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog. Jane Campion’s film is cited 12 times at the Oscars.
Since the launch of Jane Campion’s film adaptation in September last year, the journey could not have taken a more dizzying turn.
“We’ve been on the road for seven months,” he recalls. After Venice, we went to Telluride, Toronto, Montreal, New York, London, Paris, Lyon, Los Angeles. Everywhere, the film was superbly received. The Power of the Dog is the most nominated feature film on the planet this year, and Jane won every award offered for directing. So whatever happens on Sunday, it won’t be the end, but a culmination. »
Unexpected competitor
From the almost unbeatable big favorite at the start of the awards season, The Power of the Dog is now being heated by a more unexpected candidate. And could well finally be beaten in the last straight line.
“It is clear that CODA has made a comeback, recognizes the producer. At first, however, we thought that Belfast would be our main competitor. I hear that King Richard might also have a chance. As the voting system for the best film category is preferential, it could be that The Power of the Dog is chosen in the first position by the greatest number of voters, but that another film still emerges as the winner, according to the ranking orders of the others.
If the vote was nominal like in all the other categories, I believe our chances would be excellent. But there, everything is open, and nothing can be predicted. The game is over, nothing is going right!
Roger Frappier
It should be remembered in this respect that the members of the Academy – there are more than 9,000 of them able to exercise their right to vote – must draw up the list of the 10 finalist films in order of preference, whereas they simply vote for their favorite candidate in the other categories.
something extraordinary
Installed in Los Angeles for two months, Roger Frappier was able to attend many receptions and witnessed panels that took the form of real master classes. The meeting organized by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) with the five filmmakers finalists for the DGA Award – Jane Campion, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, Steven Spielberg and Denis Villeneuve – will remain a great memory for him.
PHOTO JORDAN STRAUSS, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Jane Campion and Roger Frappier at the Critics Choice Awards ceremony on March 13.
“An extraordinary thing has happened since I’ve been here: the friendship and camaraderie between the producers, he argues. We’ve practically been living together for two months. There is no longer any fierce competition between us, given the way we mix at all the parties, which take place practically every day, every evening and every weekend. »
Never having been able to imagine being able to live one day the kind of international campaign orchestrated for The Power of the DogRoger Frappier sees in this exhilarating adventure the crowning achievement of his career.
“It is certain that I now see cinema and my way of working on another level. As my last three projects were refused in Quebec, the fact of being here helps me to open doors on the international scene and to continue. I still love my job and I want to continue working there. »