For her first production, Touchées, broadcast Thursday, September 22 at 9:30 p.m. on TF1, Alexandra Lamy addresses the reconstruction of women victims of violence. She called on her daughter, Chloé Jouannet, and her friend Mélanie Doutey.
Were you surprised when you were contacted to make this TV movie about the fate of three women victims of violence?
Alexandra Lamy: Definitely, since I thought it was for a role! I wanted to move on to directing and, committed against violence against women, it was the ideal subject for a first film in which you need to put your guts. I said yes, but with the trouillometer at zero! What I liked was to talk about reconstruction. If this film allows some to open a door to be helped, it will already be won.
How did you overcome your fear?
Fear is painful and it paralyzes. What it takes is hard work, it always pays off. I’m not a directing genius, but I know how to federate a team. A good director is also someone who knows how to choose those who will be able to translate his vision. So I surrounded myself with a great team of technicians and actors in a region, Les Cévennes, who were going to give me a good helping hand.
Did it reassure you to shoot in the Gard of your childhood?
Obviously ! The Cévennes are a territory where the force of the elements is significant. I also liked the idea of moving the story to the provinces because violence is everywhere. Even in the smallest villages, associations are present, which proves that we live in a generous France, with good people.
In the same logic, you called on Mélanie Doutey, your friend, and your daughter, Chloé Jouannet…
With only 23 days of shooting, I wanted good, professional and nice actors. Melanie imposed itself right away, we burst into tears like kids, we were so happy to work together. She’s a very good actress, not exploited enough, beautiful, who works a lot with the body: I knew the role was going to appeal to her. As for Claudia Tagbo, she moved me in a TV movie, The Time of the Lost, in a rather dark character.
Chloe did it impose itself with the same obviousness?
Yes, first because I knew she was an excellent actress. It was out of the question for me to shoot my first film, nor for me to give her a poisoned gift if I hadn’t felt she was up to it. What I like about Chloe, it’s both this young premiere blondeness and the fact that it boils inside.
Weren’t you embarrassed by his very intimate scenes?
She, yes. Me, not at all because I was fully into my job as a director. I even had the feeling of having lost my “baby” because I was faced with an actress who was working, who suggested, and who woke up early enough to be early, stuff a little stupid from mom, what! And, at the end of the day, she came to give me a big kiss to say goodbye. It was too cute!
Have you thought of your sister Audrey?
Yes, but she was pregnant. And I didn’t want to call the whole family! But I would love to spin Audrey, besides, I have ideas.
Why did you ask your actresses during the casting if they themselves had been subjected to violence?
To find out if everyone, women and men, would feel concerned. A sequence came to awaken memories in one of the actresses who started crying nonstop. Everyone was seized, we knew we were in the truth of things…
Have you ever suffered sexist attacks yourself?
As a young actress, I was obviously pissed off by directors and I knew plenty of girls who had been. We are in an ultra-macho profession where the power and the money stay with the guys.
3919: number for women victims of violence.
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