Director Says Debut of Drama After Locarno Piazza Grande Bataclan Attack ‘You Will Not Have My Hate’ Fits A Terror-Defiant Message

The drama of German director Kilian Riedhoff you won’t hate me He was inspired by the experience of French writer Antoine Leiris, whose wife was killed during the terrorist attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015 at the Bataclan nightclub, leaving him alone to raise their young son.

Leiris became a symbol of calm resistance against her attackers after a Facebook post in which she expressed her determination to build a new life with her son based on happiness and love, not hatred.

The post went viral and Leiris found herself at the center of a local and international media storm.

Reidhoff and co-authors Mark Blobaum and Ian Brien have adapted Leirin’s autobiographical novel You Will Not Have My Hate into a film about her emotional journey on the night of the attack; Struggling with losing yourself and then finding the courage to start a new life.

The production is produced with lead. Tony Erdman Equip Komplizen Films with co-producers Haut et Court, Frakas Productions, NCR, Tobis, MMC Movies Cologne, Erfttal Film, RTBF, Proximus and Shelter Prod.

stranger by the lake Actor Pierre Deladonchamp portrays Leiris as Leiris’ wife and son of child actress Zoe Iorio, with the support of Camelia Jordana.

Haut et Court will be released in November, when France marks the seventh anniversary of the attacks. Prior to that, the film will have its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival on August 12 at the 8,000-seat Piazza Grande.

Riedhoff spoke to Deadline about the movie before the premiere.

TERM: Nearly seven years after the attacks, the memories of 13 November 2015 are still alive in the French national spirit. Will French audiences be ready to watch this movie?

Killian Riedhof: We were very aware of this, especially as we were a German team telling a very French story. We took care not to tighten the buttons too much. I’ve heard a lot of stories from people living in Paris who had to go to the Bataclan or knew people who were there. People are still very curious about what happened that night.

I was in Hamburg and I watched it on TV all night, that’s how it was for us; It was shocking to see that the city that most defended freedom in all of Europe was attacked. It was important for me to capture that sense of fear, but not to show or reconstruct what happened. I wanted to take an inside look at this man and his son, who were so affected by the attack.

TERM: Did you feel comfortable directing this French story as a German? How did you get that authentic French feel?

Riedhof: We are working with a French manufacturing company. [Haut et Court] The person who puts all his sensibility into the movie. Even things like breakfast habits or bedtime stories are so different in France and Germany, so we had to do some research.

We shot most of the exteriors in Paris and built an apartment in Cologne for the interiors. Our French actress told us: “It’s like in Paris. We don’t feel the difference.” It was very important to us. We even did things like bring window frames from Paris to Cologne.

TERM: Has Antoine Leiris seen the movie?

Riedhof: Yes, and with pleasure for me, he really liked it. I was very satisfied with the casting. He felt well represented by Pierre Deladonchamp. There are some similarities between the two in their essence, feelings and behavior.

It was the biggest compliment for me that she was overwhelmed by him and loved him so much. He saw his life in this movie. It was a great contribution to let us make films especially for the German band. Perhaps it was important to him to give them to people who were some distance from the epicenter of Paris.

TERM: Should these rights be given so much attention?

Riedhof: Producers from all over the world were interested in this story. When we met her in Paris in the company of producer Janine Djakovski, we were very happy that she trusted us.

I have never had such an encounter with a person who has experienced such a tragedy. It was the beginning of a very delicate and fragile process, even during filming.

I trust my work as a director, but this was very special; You feel vulnerable because you have the vulnerability of the situation, the city, the family and of course Antoine. You feel this momentary vulnerability in your own personality and in your own creative process, but you have to stick to it or you’re just telling a story. It takes more than just telling the story as usual, you need to listen to what happened.

TERM: Will Antoine Leiris be involved in the launch campaign?

Riedhof: When he let us shoot, he said, “Let’s go. Now this is your movie.” We got detailed information about his life, which helped us a lot, but he didn’t want to be a part of the process. I don’t think he will be part of a media campaign when the movie comes out. And I respect him because his personal life is exposed.

I think he wants to avoid the impression that he’s selling his life. The message we can’t fight hate with hate is very important to her and she doesn’t want to hurt him.

TERM: What does the world premiere of this film at the Piazza Grande in Locarno mean to you?

Riedhof: As a filmmaker, this is a dream for me because I am very attached to the public. The audience is really the most important thing. The world premiere will be in front of 8,000 audiences. The heart and soul of movies is the audience and the audience’s reaction. The movie will fit in Piazza Grande.

Terrorists are taking us away from where we speak and speak in free Western society. After the attacks, these places were left empty as people were afraid of meeting on the street. It’s great that this movie is being screened in a square where people gather. This is an answer to those people, they can’t get us off our seats. We are back.