“The French motherland gives me the same, it’s something old”

On his trip to Africa to launch the romantic and vitalist Mali Twist (2022), he returns to his favorite scenario, Marsella overlooks and multicultural to build a brilliant film based on a tragedy: the demolition of three destroyed buildings in the central street of Aubagne, where other people died.

“This triggered two things: a flow of solidarity between the old people and the union of the local community in the Primavera Marsellesa coalition,” says the director. “A woman of this new party, Michèle Rubirola, now that the lady is against her will because she didn’t ask that questionand Rosa, the protagonist of Que la fiesta continúe, is inspired by her”.

What Guédiguian could not hope for is this the Marselles Spring experiment will be repeated at the national level with the New Popular Front which slowed Le Pen’s rout in the recent parliamentary elections.

Please. Was the movie a way to give the girl a twist?

Response. Yes, because the situation of the izquierda has always been Kafkaesque. Progressive parties have practically identical programs, but each of them thinks only of their own survival. If there are alternatives or if there are alternative paths, I don’t care if traditional political parties like environmentalists, communists, Insumed France or socialists disappear. I believe this is the result of the extreme right, which functions as an alternative to the traditional parties.

P. Throughout the film, all the themes that marked the career circulate: love, politics, Armenian roots, dark conscience, Marsella…

R. Yes, This is how I would be open to the viewer of my intimate diary and I will answer my concerns. The complication was finding a leader who could smoothly move the story forward. In the end, this story is Rosa’s love story, which is the only one that changes in the film. Everything is exactly the same. Always mow a hill if it is long.

Collective action

P. This film contrasts strongly with Gloria Mundidark and heavy film. Why is there this contrast between one and the other?

R. WITH The party continues I wanted to make a quick film that would show the need for collective action. But this collective action cannot be aimed at saving the world, because it is such a huge task that we can de-animate, even for specific things like building a hospital, providing aid to the needy, helping immigrants… Gloria Mundi it showed the opposite, the utter desperation of angry and alienated people and the destruction of family ties. I end up creating this There are two types of movies: comedies that preach by example, and tragedies that simply state the facts. It would be ideal for me to alternate between one and the other.

P. There is a strong indictment against xenophobia in the film. Is it necessary in France today?

R. Yes, absolutely. For 50 years, science has known that genetically everyone is the same. Even I hate the idea of ​​queues, I find it despicable. I am interested in shaping the homeland so that the people march and unite like during the French Revolution. But 200 years later, the French homeland is the same for me, it is something old. What really attracts me is the concept of identity, which for me is a literary, philosophical, poetic topic.

P. It seems that in this movie there was a main guard on stage…

R. I always say that stage doors should not be perceived because The picture may impress you, but you should not think about where the room is located. I don’t want to deal with the fact that I don’t have a place on stage. For example, in the night scenes, we change the entire street lighting. I think we are unconsciously looking forward to the musical.

P. More than 20 movies in the stack. What is the importance of running in your life?

R. The biggest pleasure for me is running equipment. It is transubstantiation, the moment in which the verb becomes flesh. The key is to never get excited. For example, an actor will think of something unexpected, but cases always surprise me in the best way. It’s rare that alchemy doesn’t work.