Thriller, a touch of fantasy and a geek heroine, these are the ingredients of
Anthracite
, the new French original creation from Netflix, which since its release online this Wednesday has climbed into the top 5 of the most watched series of the platform. Imagined by the creator of
Profilage
Fanny Robert, marked by the tragedy of the Solar Temple, this enigma sees Camille Lou transformed into a stubborn police officer and Kad Merad into a shepherd.
Nestled in the Écrins massif in the Alps, the town of Lévionna is famous for its anthracite mine, its psychiatric hospital, its ski resort and for having been the scene of the collective suicide of a sect led by the charismatic guru Caleb . The disappearance of a journalist rekindles poorly healed wounds. His daughter Ida leads the investigation with the help of her community of amateur detectives on the internet. It doesn't take long for her to bring Jaro (the rapper Hatik, discovered in
Validé
) in her wake. Son of one of the disciples of the sect, the thirty-year-old, who had trouble with drug dealers from the Ile-de-France region, returned to Lévionna to rebuild his life and respect the conditions of his judicial control. Unfortunately, he becomes the number one suspect in a disturbing disappearance case.
Carried by a plot where mystical twists follow one another,
Anthracite
does not avoid the clichés of detective fiction. But it makes up for it with its interpretation and creative staging. Especially when the impertinent web sleuths enter the scene or the mountain reasserts its sovereignty. Behind the camera, Julius Berg (
Osmosis
) sets a frantic pace, multiplies the pans and zooms and slips in nods to
Euphoria
and
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
. Rough diamond of the saga in the guise of the quirky Ida, actress Noémie Schmidt (
Inside, 3615 Monique
) deciphers this funny investigation for
TV Magazine.
TV MAGAZINE. - What attracted you to
Anthracite
?
Noémie SCHMIDT. -
The complexity of the scenario which was bursting with information to assimilate. My character has a rich narrative arc: his relationship with his father, his relationship with illness, his community of amateur web detectives who, using unconventional methods, still achieve results. I was intrigued by the concept of web-sleuthing, where Internet users cross and mix thousands of pieces of data and set up collaborative investigations. Socially, Ida is not at all comfortable. As soon as she meets people she launches into major bouts of gagging. That was a lot of texts to learn... Like in the theater. Beneath all its twists and turns, the series hides more serious concerns. Resilience, incest, the weight of family secrets that we pass on or not to the next generation and which can lead to great violence. What do we do with these painful legacies? Should they necessarily determine us?
How did you prepare for the role?
I watched a lot of documentaries on the subject of cults. On the Raelians, on the disciples of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh at the heart of the Netflix documentary
Wild Wild Country
. How does a guru, someone who comes with an idea of mystical transcendence, manage to mobilize people and animate a community? Why do we always find ourselves in an abuse of power which results in control over vulnerable people?
With her hat, her pink leggings, her faux fur boots, Ida looks great.
With the costume designer, we worked a lot on this aspect of the colorful character. We wanted a candy, manga, geek heroine. As the Japanese say, a kawaii aesthetic. We were also inspired by the look of Harley Quinn, the Joker's girlfriend in the DC comics. Each of his clothes and accessories are a little offbeat like his fanny pack. Ida also has a small knife and a flashlight. She has everything on her. I fell in love with her shoes, which look very superheroine-like.
Ida's anthem is
What is Love
by Haddaway.
It's a song that suits her well, which is sunny as Ida can be despite illness. It is a title full of vitality, universal and unifying. It was important for the tempo of the series. The creators and director Jules Berg did not want a thriller that was too heavy. Ida is supposed to sing like a pan. This gave me great freedom to reinterpret this 90s hit. I had carte blanche. I wanted to do something a little punk, a little dirty. I had this awesome marching band with me. I hope Haddaway doesn't turn over in bed in fear.
“The mountain will always be stronger than you”
Noémie Schmidt
How does
Anthracite
move the lines of French crime fiction?
Jean-Marc Barr, who plays my father in the series, pointed out that all the resources mobilized by Netflix demonstrated a certain taste and a lot of ambition. I liked the physical side, the exhausting side of this adventure. We had to climb the mountain, trudge. There were stunts, there were fights. I grew up in a mountain family. I was always told: the mountain will always be stronger than you. On the set it was indisputable. The Alps are the other main character in this series. The mountain sometimes crushed us. Up there, the danger is constant.
Was there a time when you were afraid?
The scene where I'm hanging balanced against a bridge was impressive to film. I had about ten meters of empty space under my feet and I was held up by cables. I was very well accompanied by a stuntwoman. However, I was still scared. She told me it was a good thing. Fear is the best ally. It's when we're confident that we get hurt.
What memories do you have from the shoot?
It was great to meet up with actors who are starting to become familiar faces on the small and big screen. We each had our own artistic worlds and meeting them was fascinating. Camille Lou is a singer. She lives near Biarritz: she really has the sun and relaxation side. Hatik is rap and the Paris region. I live on a farm in Périgord. There was also Nicolas Godart, who plays Camille's brother. He comes from Belgium. He showed up with his humor and his sensitivity.