They are the heroines of
La Fièvre
, the new series by Eric Benzekri, creator of
Baron noir
, for Canal +.
The story of a political-media crisis in the world of football which confronts France with the question of identity following the headbutt given by the star of Racing, black, to his coach by calling him a “
dirty toubab
” ( dirty white).
To discover
TV program this evening: our selection of the day
Social networks are set ablaze, boosted by Marie Kinsky (Ana Girardot,
La Flamme
), a reactionary influencer who galvanizes her fans every evening on stage.
Behind the scenes the “spin doctors” are busy, with Sam (Nina Meurisse,
Black Hearts
) in the lead.
Gifted, hypersensitive, chronically depressed, she analyzes and dissects society in an almost philosophical way.
These two communicators, very close in the past, will wage a merciless war against each other.
Encounter.
LE FIGARO TV MAGAZINE. - How strong are your respective characters?
Nina DIES.
- Sam's strength is his tenacity, it is as intellectual as it is instinctive.
I like people who feel something and hold on to it.
She also knows the company very well.
What happens fuels the thought it develops.
She is a woman of character.
Ana GIRARDOT.
- Marie is a virtuoso of communication, she plays with it.
She grows in power and becomes addicted to this power.
You must observe it very carefully and be wary of it because it represents a form of manipulation of which you can be a victim.
Marie says: “
I found my character, the reactive redhead who smells a bit like ass
.”
Did you approach it that way?
AG – That’s how Eric describes it.
And yes, when she returns after five years of absence, she creates a character that appeals to a market segment.
She creates it from scratch, even physically.
An attractive, sexy, provocative woman.
“While playing, at one point, I had the impression that I could do anything, I was very free, it was extremely enjoyable.
»
Ana Girardot
Is it exhilarating to play such a character?
AG - I mainly played gentle, kind, supportive characters.
For years, I was often the wife of… I sought to move towards more powerful roles.
You had to get wet.
I detached myself from myself, even physically.
While playing, at one point, I had the impression that I could do anything, I almost felt the mask.
Before, when I played, I put a little of myself, I apologized for what I did, I wanted my legitimacy in the character.
Not at all, I was very free, it was extremely enjoyable.
Nina, you had to master cutting-edge concepts and particularly dense dialogue…
NM - Many notions in the scenario were unknown to me, and to my old Larousse too!
I met many communications advisors in different circles, politicians of all stripes, people from advertising.
It was necessary to assimilate these notions in order to better convey them in a clear and clear manner.
When we are spectators of this media fair, we do not try to dissect these complex concepts even though they are ultimately quite simple.
When we understand them, we see the manipulation on all sides.
It's an exciting challenge for me to have 250 pages of text.
Éric is very brilliant intellectually and Ziad Doueiri (the director) organically, he brings body.
It's a wonderful mix that makes this series accessible.
“In friendship, we can have the same ideal, the perspective of being able to change the world.
When it stops, it's life, death, passion then the abyss of disillusionment.
»
Nina Meurisse
You play them with perfect sincerity, but were you aware of the comic potential of certain long tirades?
AG - One sentence was a joke between Ziad and me for quite a long time on the set: "
It's a cluster bomb with several potential sources of simultaneous detonation on all the fault lines of French society...
" Before shooting this scene , he kept telling me: “
Honestly, if you can seem natural, you’re a cowboy
.”
And on the big day, at one point, he said to me: “
You have done it, that’s it, I believed it!”
»
What about the relationship between your two characters?
AG - It was complicated because we only had two scenes in common, one in the past to build this relationship and ensure that it existed, and a confrontation in the present, in the dressing rooms of the show where Nina listens more than she confronts herself.
We discussed a lot beforehand, we understood that we had things in common, but the main thing was in the text and it wasn't that difficult.
It was obvious.
They had the common ideal of a society in which they would evolve, and experienced the same disillusionment which made them go in opposite directions.
I would like a season 2 to deepen their relationship.
NM - Filming the scene in the past was quite foundational.
It's not just studying together, common ideas, it's a great love story, a real sisterhood.
We played it like that.
In friendship, we can have the same ideal, the perspective of being able to change the world.
When it stops, it's life, death, passion then the abyss of disillusionment.
Such a strong friendship becomes the fierce struggle of two diametrically opposed people.
What was your reaction, Ana, when you received the script?
AG - When I read the first episode, I said to myself: “
Oh no, not at all!”
» My agent replied: “
But you’ve been asking me for a role like this for years
!
» And me: “
But did you see what she said?!”
» I went to the tryouts with the idea of deliberately ruining my casting and, suddenly, Ziad's acting direction took me back to my first love of acting. I was thinking of my theater teacher at New York.
I felt that I hadn't given everything, I begged to come back the next day and then I gave it all away!
NM - We filmed five months together with Ziad on
Black Hearts.
He is one of the rare people who breathes for the project.
He calls you day and night, on weekends too, to listen to music or watch a film.
And then there is his joy, it is a Lebanese Roberto Benigni who galvanizes everyone, extras included.
He does not have the myth of the genius actor.
According to him, if you look and work, you will get there.
We're not afraid to try things.
We are listened to, considered.
“This series shows that the manipulation of information has become democratized.
We have the feeling of spontaneous exchanges on social networks but things are often very thoughtful.
»
Nina Meurisse
Nina, you sing Joe Dassin's
In the Eyes of Emilie
at the top of your lungs and you, Ana, cover
Le Chant des partisans
.
How did you approach these scenes?
NM - I was happy but it's really not my range.
I felt like I was singing like crazy and the whole team was laughing.
We had to redo it post-sync.
AG - I had a great moment of solitude too.
I thought I had a little voice but I had to do a playback!
Why does this series seem important to you?
NM - It shows that the manipulation of information has become democratized.
Before it belonged to a political elite, this is no longer the case.
We have the feeling of spontaneous exchanges on social networks but things are often very thoughtful, we have to be aware of that.
We have digested these concepts and making them accessible, through football moreover, allows us to open up to this world that we do not know.
It is of public utility
AG - The communications agencies and political advisors welcomed us very well, they were flattered.
They are not used to people talking about “little hands”.
There are “highways” that we learn in communications schools.
And, from the moment we speak in public, there is communication.
Now, when I listen to the radio for example, I recognize things... Ah he does a
block to bridge
(a way of establishing bridges between subjects to devalue, ridicule a word or a political action that we want to fight , Editor’s note), it’s so clever!