July 2003. A historic heat wave hit France. It is over 45 degrees in the courtyard of the Château de Ravel, a magnificent 12th-century Auvergne residence. Christophe Barratier chose this building for his two-month shoot. The 41-year-old director adapts himself amid a hundred technicians. Nightingale Cage, by Jean Dréville, published in 1945. Or the story of supervisor Clément Mathieu, who was assigned to a rehabilitation boarding school. He tells about his passion for singing to young people who are out of society and hosts a choir that illuminates their lives… The movie with a budget of 5.5 million euros, produced by Jacques Perrin, caused a headache after TF1 and M6 rejected it. this project “so cute”.
The divine arrival of a weight player, Gérard Jugnot, saves the finances in excess. The actor who plays Clément Mathieu doesn’t support the heat very well: He wanted a refrigerator installed in his room, and between each take an assistant wipes a sponge on his forehead. Between the surprise performances of the intermittent shows and the storms of rare violence that drown the equipment under a flood, the atmosphere is heavy and electrifying. However, on the fifth day of filming, a miracle of grace and emotion arrives on the set despite everything…
a moving voice
During a choir rehearsal, a young man with open eyes steps forward and begins to speak. see you on the road solo, with a crystal voice that leaves the audience in awe. “I’ve never heard anything so beautiful”, panting, François Berléand, who plays the boarding school principal. Barratier is upset behind the control screen and Kad Merad is speechless. Just like the other sixty teenagers.
a star is born
The name of this singer represents Morhange, neglected by Jean-Baptiste Maunier and his mother, who was fond of Clément Mathieu. She became the first soloist of the group at the age of 13 and a half. Little singers of Saint Markin Lyon. Since he comes from a musical family, he was almost never in the credits. As Christophe Barratier was leaving the choir he was visiting as part of the casting, he heard his voice on the stairs. “I received a revelation and returned”remembers the director. As the days pass, a true friendship will develop between Gérard Jugnot and the player-apprentice, fueled by mutual admiration. “The osmosis was such that the star actor would complete many scenes with tears in his eyes”, says Barratier. At the end of the shoot, the whole crew knows that something rare has happened. The public also fell under the spell: 8.6 million spectators rushed to the halls to listen to the singer, and one million music albums by Bruno Coulais were sold. Two months after the movie’s release, Jean-Baptiste Maunier has already received more than 4,000 fiery letters from fans…
choirists It will air on Sunday, February 12 at 21:10. France 2.
Jean-Baptiste Drouet
Source: Programme Television
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
