Exclusive: Mélanie Laurent and her Voleuses are on the cover of Première
The director and her actresses (Adèle Exarchopoulos, Isabelle Adjani and Manon Bresch) came together for an exceptional photo shoot and interview.
Here is an extract from our exclusive meeting with Les Voleuses by Mélanie Laurent, to be found in full in issue 545 of Première, on newsstands this Wednesday 25 and also available on our online store. The film will be released on Netflix on November 1.
Order Première N°545
A studio in eastern Paris. It’s almost ten o’clock and everyone is busy for an exceptional shoot. The assistants set up the white background, deploy their lighting, the stylists worry a little (“Isabelle (Adjani) comes with her clothes… It changes everything!”). Melanie Laurent arrives first. She’s the leader of the gang. The director and lead actress of Thieves. Softness and energy mixed together, it sets the pace for the morning.
“ When you asked me to take this photo for the cover of Première, I said to myself: “Finally !” I had to wait twenty-five years to appear on the cover of this magazine. That’s great ! But I admit that today, I am especially happy to do it as a group, with the three girls, for this film. »
FIRST: In the film and during the photo shoot, what is immediately evident is your complicity. Was Voleuses born from this? Make a women’s film that would bring together four generations of actresses as different as they are complementary?
MÉLANIE LAURENT: I was coming out of Le Bal des Folles, a feminist film but quite harsh. When I received the comic with these women in jogging pants, eliminating guys with absolute cool, I immediately imagined the group of actresses I was going to bring together. And the more I progressed in writing, the more I moved away from the comic strip, and the more I realized that basically, Voleuses was going to be a new version of Le Bal des fous. Another film about friendship, love, which navigates the borders of several genres – comedy, action, drama, but which above all speaks about an essential subject: a powerful, independent, funny and intelligent woman can Does she find love easily?
ISABELLE ADJANI: What I like is the sexy fantasy that you put into your production and into the appearance of each of us. These four women are all attractive because they find themselves in these types of unrealistic situations that we love to see in the movies. And you went very hard!
Does it change anything to be directed by a female director?
ADÈLE EXARCHOPOULOS: Whether the director is a man or a woman, it rarely makes a difference to me.
MANON BRESCH: Same for me. But on Voleuses, we were talking about filming bodies, moments of vulnerability… I would probably have had more difficulty placing my trust in a director. The respectful way in which Mélanie looked at me, I believe, made this adventure possible, which required a great deal of emotional and physical effort.
IA: They are ready for the Olympics, I assure you!
AE: Working between women is undeniably more conducive to confidence, gentleness, but also euphoria. The communication relationship completely changes. However, and this is the subject of the film, that doesn’t mean that we only talk about guys and nail polish! There is simply a more secure atmosphere when you are among women – you still have to choose carefully those around you. The real difference here was being led by Mélanie! Not only because she is a woman, but because she is very enterprising, constantly on the move. She finishes a film, continues with an opera, and in the meantime goes to see seals in Antarctica. It’s exhausting ! I don’t even know why she lives on an island: she’s never there!
IA: She makes us believe that she is going to BelleÎle, but we know that in reality she is in Los Angeles! (Laughs.)
ML: Oh no, especially not there!
IA: More seriously, I have unlimited admiration for Mélanie. The way she looks at me makes me happy because she is a woman who really loves women. It happens that we come across misogynistic directors. And that’s real torture. Misogynistic women are much worse than misogynistic men! Mélanie knows how to magnify you. She puts herself at the service of her actresses rather than herself. And it’s priceless.
AE: It’s true!
IA: We always arrive with our share of anxiety on a set. That of not being up to par. However, negative feelings disappear as if by magic on a Mélanie shoot. She runs everything without authority and that’s a tour de force! She will immediately transform a text error or a hesitant sketch from her actress into an idea for a production. She imperceptibly makes you a co-author of everything she puts in place.
You were talking about Los Angeles. Melanie, when you auditioned to direct a Marvel movie…
AE: What?! Wait, did you audition for a Marvel movie? I do not believe it ! Which ?
ML: Black Widow. There are things about me that you still don’t know…
Find our full interview in issue 545 of Première, on newsstands on Wednesday October 25
