They must keep smiling, and rejoice at this second chance… But their hearts are elsewhere. Sylvie Flepp, Laurent Kérusoré, Anne DecisCécilia Hornus, Tim Rousseau and Léa François resume filming on Plus belle la vie, the cult France 3 soap opera stopped in November 2022 and which will be relaunched on January 8, 2024 by TF1. Filming resumed this Monday, October 23, 2023 from Allauch, where the new Mistral district was relocated following the destruction of the previous sets. In a few weeks, fans of the series will find a new, completely redesigned Mistral bar, a new police station, a new medical center which will replace the Marseille-Est hospital, and new decors to compensate for the disappearance of the hotel for example, like a hardware store and a hair salon.
But this return resonates for many like a curse… A few months after the end of More beautiful life, Michel Cordes, iconic face of the series, who carried it for almost twenty years with the role of the patriarch Roland Marci, killed himself in Grabels (Hérault) at the age of 77. His body was found lifeless in the garden of his property on May 5, 2023, but his suicide, by firearm, apparently dates back several days earlier. The actor and sculptor would have experienced sentimental disillusionment, which could be the source of his act. Many actors from More beautiful life paid tribute to him on Instagram via a collegial press release.
In recent days, it’s the disappearance of Marwan Berreni which caused a little mourning more family More beautiful life, a few hours before the reunion. The 34-year-old actor, who played Abdel Fedala for almost fifteen years, also took his own life, by hanging, following a traffic offense in Saône-et-Loire committed in early August 2023. His lifeless body was only found two months later, in an abandoned farm. Almost all of the actors in the cast paid tribute to him, including Dounia Coesens and David Baiotwho were his best friends in the city…
“The emotion is palpable…”
A painful recovery for the histories of More beautiful lifewho nevertheless try to keep smiling, as evidenced by the photo of Sylvie Flepp shared by the Plus belle la vie Instagram account. The 68-year-old actress returns for a 19th season in the shoes of Mirta Torres, but without her emblematic hotel. The teams, who try to remain cheerful, had a tender thought for the two actors who committed suicide this year, and who made the success of the series: “It’s a great day for all of us, we returned to the film sets of our beloved series. The emotion is palpable, we find the teams who participated in the success of the past eighteen years, and we discover and integrate those who join the adventure. A huge thought for those who are no longer with us, but who give us the strength to continue. We hope you see us from up there.”. A moving post to which many former faces of the series reacted, such as Hélène MédigueHorya Benabet, Prudence Leroy and Florian Lesieur.