Would his crossing of the desert finally come to an end?
Franco-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche, lost sight of for three years, is actively working on the release of the last two parts of his
Mektoub My Love
trilogy , he explained on Friday at the Mediterranean Film Festival (Cinémed) in Montpellier, where her coming angered feminist protesters.
The 61-year-old director, Palme d'Or in 2013 for
La vie d'Adèle
, had not appeared in public since the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. The film he was presenting then,
Mektoub My Love : Intermezzo
,
had created unease among festival-goers because of very crude sex scenes, including cunnilingus lasting almost thirteen minutes.
The actress Ophélie Bau, nominated for the César for her performance in the first part of
Mektoub My Love - Canto Uno
(2016), had climbed the steps but had slipped away before the screening of the film.
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Since then,
Intermezzo
like Kechiche had almost disappeared from the radar.
Without pouring out on the state of progress of the film, the director had promised to modify the assembly to rule out the plans which would interfere with his actress.
A third part was also planned.
So many points to which the filmmaker returned on Friday.
“They are filmed, they are editing, reassembling. I've been spending my time there for all these years. I did practically only that: go up, go up, try… I hope the end of
Mektoub soon,
”
explained Abdellatif Kechiche during an exchange in front of several hundred spectators of the Cinémed, of which he is one of the guests. of honor.
"I also write screenplays, but I'm not sure yet which one I'm going to tackle soon in prep, casting, etc."
, he added, suggesting that he would probably shoot again in this Occitanie region where he
"feels good"
.
Read alsoScandal film at Cannes in 2019, where did Mektoub my love go: Intermezzo by Abdellatif Kechiche?
Feminist discontent
Before and after this master-class, about twenty people demonstrated in front of the convention center to denounce the director's visit, accusing him of
"sexism"
in his way of filming women and denouncing his working methods which would be similar to harassment.
"The work with actors and actresses sometimes goes wonderfully well, and then sometimes it can also go very badly
," admitted the director, saying however that he prefers that the
"linen is washed in the family"
.
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Returning to the course of the screening of
Mektoub my love: Intermezzo
at Cannes in 2019, he said that he
"was not aware at the time of what happened"
that evening:
"I don't didn't know that the two actors most concerned with the film were gone.
Otherwise, the screening would not have taken place
,” he said.
A few feminist activists then interrupted him from the ranks of the public, chanting
“Here too, we get up and break”
, in reference to the sensational departure of Adèle Haenel during the César 2020 after a prize awarded to Roman Polanski.
Invited to speak at the microphone, one of them denounced his arrival, pointing out in particular that he had been the subject of a complaint for sexual assault (Editor’s note: closed in 2020).
“I think you are serving the cause you are supposed to defend
,” replied the filmmaker calmly.
"We fight as we want,"
replied the young woman.
“I believe that the films that I make have spoken and that I do not need to make a speech on these films for (that one understands) that all of which I am accused is properly stupid”
, then sighed the director.