It's the only night of the awards season where all the César nominees are winners.
Monday evening, as tradition dictates, the 162 artists in the running were invited to Fouquet's on February 23.
Passage on the red carpet, official photo and presentation of the certificate of nomination.
And then the joy of reunion.
At their side were also some of the hosts of the ceremony including Dali Benssalah, Ana Girardot, Golshifteh Farahani and Paul Mirabel.
Juliette Binoche detained in Los Angeles and President Valérie Lemercier were absent.
Also invited were those responsible for the Academy and Canal +, the official broadcaster.
Before joining his table - dinner is seated and the film crews regrouped - the aperitif of gougères, foie gras, smoked salmon and champagne allowed for a standing break.
One last stroll, even if with around twenty tables and ten times as many chairs, you have to elbow your way around.
To try to get your bearings, fortunately there were sequins or shiny leather chosen by many stars like Rebecca Marder.
Timeless, black suits and dresses remained in style for many.
Favorite for the best actress trophy for her ambiguous performance in
Anatomy of a Fall
, Sandra Hüller stood out with a white pantsuit decorated with boat anchors.
Marion Cotillard opted for the Chanel denim jumpsuit.
Virginie Efira for a safari dress.
Emmanuel Dal Fabbro's team
By chance, the director of
Anatomy of a Fall,
Justine Triet, met her muse Virginie Efira in front of the cameras.
The winner of the Palme d'Or had starred the Belgian actress in her previous feature films
Sibyl
and
Victoria
.
The knowing winks were immortalized.
Also read: Lemercier, Magimel, Binoche, Boon... The Césars once again rely on a collegial presentation
At 8:30 p.m., the waiters whistled the end of the break.
Once in their place, each guest was able to consult the menu concocted by star chef Pierre Gagnaire and Bruno Guéret, in charge of Fouquet's.
This year, no guide to the good manners of the nominees and winners on the plate.
It can be downloaded via a QR code.
A simple little card, placed against the glasses, reminds everyone of the basic rules of ceremony etiquette: dress code, punctuality, the rules of the route in front of the press.
An auspicious meal?
A little reading before the feast with this practical advice sheet for the February 23 ceremony.
Emmanuel Dal Fabbro
Without forgetting the sacrosanct instructions on thank-you speeches: 60 seconds tops, prepare it before the big night.
If possible exalt cinema rather than listing its relatives.
Understand implicitly: please avoid angry topics and political off-topics.
February 23 will be a marathon since the 3 to 4 hour ceremony will be followed by the midnight dinner at Fouquet's and an after party for the most courageous and insomniacs at Club Haussmann.
The art of the speech gave the nominees a cold sweat.
Some winners of the technical categories, nominated in groups, hoped not to be chosen to represent the group.
Also read César 2024: The Animal Kingdom and Anatomy of a Fall dominate the nominations
The arrival on the plates of the green starter
“Wedges of cauliflower, black garlic mayonnaise, velouté of spinach and lamb’s lettuce salad”
amused one of the tables from
Règne Animal,
mentioned 12 times.
Guests saw in the dish an auspicious chromatic nod to Thomas Cailley's dystopia poster.
On the poster, Romain Duris and Paul Kircher are surrounded by ferns.
The rest of the meal lent itself less easily to divination.
“A Shimizu poultry chiffonade, soy milk veil, parmesan cream with green curry, white onions and pumpkin”
was the main course.
The desert, an amalgamation of baba and sponge cake, took the form of
“a chocolate box, old rum mousseline, caramelized pineapple macaroonade with lime”
.
In the opinion of professionals who have been nominated several times and who have attended so many meals, that of this 49th edition of the Césars was particularly smooth.
The round of applause, which greeted Pierre Gagnaire at the end of the service, seemed to go in the same direction.
Also read: From Cannes to the Oscars, how Anatomy of a Fall is conquering the world
Rain of tributes at table 10
During the meal, some nominees were asked to put down their cutlery and go upstairs to record interviews for the César website and social networks.
One of the particularly popular tables was number 10 where Justine Triet, her producers, Swann Arlaud and Sandra Hüller sat.
Many, like Lea Drucker, congratulated their peers and the fantastic achievement of the Palme d'Or.
A disruptive element of the awards season,
Anatomy of a Fall,
nominated for 11 Césars
,
is in the running for five Oscars on March 10, including best film and direction.
This feat still astonishes and amazes those concerned.
Radiant, producer Marie-Ange Luciani is preparing to accompany Justine Triet on a new tour of screenings and response sessions in London to convince Bafta voters, where legal thriller is in the running in seven English César categories.
After this British stop, return to Los Angeles to seduce the members of the Oscars.
Their five nominations will offer Justine Triet and Arthur Harari another gastronomic experience.
They are expected on February 12 at the traditional nominees’ lunch.
They will then have to head back to London for the Bafta ceremony on February 18.
After the Césars, Justine Triet, her partner and co-writer Arthur Harari and their children will return to Hollywood and will stay there for two weeks until the Oscars ceremony on March 10.
History of experiencing this historic and extraordinary moment as a family.