George Clooney (In the middle of a storm, Arte): "We were sinking. I cannot describe to you the suffering that surrounds you."

“I didn’t know this job was one of the most dangerous jobs in the world” George Clooney will never forget the epic footage of In the Middle of a Storm, inspired by the tragedy of Andrea Gail, a 22-foot trawler who reportedly disappeared with her crew as a tobacco victim on October 31, 1991. hit, it was considered the “storm of the century”. Warner placed the “old sea dog” at the head of this disaster movie, German Wolfgang Petersen, director of Unforgettables. Boots (1981), a dive into the heart of a Third Reich submarine during World War II. This time the producer is adapting the bestselling book by journalist Sebastian Junger. perfect storm, It chronicles the final swordfishing campaign of six sailors from Gloucester, a small port in Massachusetts. ” Water is the hardest element to produce with computer graphics »Petersen, entrusted by George Lucas to ILM studio, describes his mission to recreate the storm in pixels. The result, recreated in the studio, melting at the heart of the real rage elements, is stunning.

“A GREAT WATERFALL!”

For the wildest scenes, a 1,000 m2 pool 7 meters deep was used and there was an exact replica of the trawler. Six propellers, as many gigantic water cannons and a wave machine plunge us into the heart of the hurricane. Learning to maneuver a boat to embody Captain Billy Tyne, Clooney recalls:The whole movie was one big stunt. The scenes were sometimes so violent that divers were tasked with picking us up when we fell overboard.” With him, Mark Wahlberg and John C. Reilly also took a lot on this galley. “Mark was seasick and vomited after every lineWeighs Captain Clooney, who has wet his shirt like never before: “During the six-month shoot, the hardest thing was getting a hundred gallons of ice water and getting wet all the time.”

For the final scene, the graphic designers created a rogue wave 50 meters high. But in the studio, it was Homeric for the actors. “The boat completely overturned. We’re stuck in the cabin with Mark. The water rushed in with incredible force. We were sinking, upside down. I cannot describe to you the agony that engulfed him then, and I have a hard time imagining what the crew might have actually felt.‘, the star said at Paris Match. The physically strong attraction was even more challenging on a psychic level for Clooney. It’s not trivial to embody a recently deceased hero: “It’s like penetrating your soul and living your life. An unforgettable experience… “And to admit to Télé 7 Jours when the movie was released: “I met his two daughters and his ex-wife. But it was his older sister who helped me first and foremost. He came to the set a few times… just to find his older brother a little bit. He hugged me tight, and I hugged him. I admit it gave me real emotional strength.“This is exactly what capsized us.

In the middle of the storm, Sunday, April 16 at 20:50 at Arte.

JULIAN BARCILON