Audrey Dana unveils her new comedy after Under the girls’ skirts and If I were a man. We met the screenwriter and director, with one of the film’s actors, Thierry Lhermitte. Released at the cinema this Wednesday, May 25.
What is it about ?
Seven men, aged 17 to 70, who are completely opposites, if not on the verge of a nervous breakdown, find themselves embarked on a group therapy in the wilderness. This mysterious course, “exclusively reserved for men”, is supposed to work miracles. First surprise when they arrive: the coach is a woman! Unpredictable and confusing, she will do everything to help them get better. With or without their consent…
The heart of men according to Audrey Dana
After Under the skirts of the girls, Audrey Dana leans on… the heart of the men. In the choral comedy Men on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown, the director signs a gallery of sensitive and affectionate portraits, filled with tenderness and humour.
We met Audrey Dana, and one of the actors of this troupe, Thierry Lhermitte, on the occasion of the Alpe d’Huez Festival which was held last January.
“I had a lot of fun directing all these women for Under the Girls’ Skirts, and I wanted to make a masculine counterpart by avoiding the mistakes of Under the Girls’ Skirts. When I say errors, that is to say that it was a lot of heroines, but not together. I couldn’t really get to the bottom of the characters and it was still pretty archetypal.”she continues.
I strongly believe in reconciliation
“With Men on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, I changed. I wondered about the idea of bringing together a real group of guys, of remaking an choral film, but wanting to go really deep into their humanity. to get there, you had to put them all together.” And to add:I believe a lot in reconciliation and I also find it great to have a woman’s perspective on a group of men.“
For her third feature film as director, Audrey Dana surrounds herself with a fine cast: Thierry Lhermitte, Ramzy Bedia, François-Xavier Demaison, Laurent Stocker, Pascal Demolon, Michael Gregorio, Max Baissette de Malglaive, not forgetting Marina Hands .
“On the set, we were a real colony, we laughed like in camp“, launches Thierry Lhermitte in relation to the team spirit on the set. “In the film, within this gang, they all have a slightly different view of the experience they are going through. They end up finding themselves in the fact of letting go, of confiding in themselves, of letting go. But at the beginning in any case, they all have a different look. Everyone can find themselves in one of these visions“.
Men on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown by Audrey Dana hits theaters this Wednesday, May 25.