“We all have an inner child. Mine is very present and, on top of that, I have children, so this subject, for me, was unmissable. And then, I myself was harassed but in a way very different, obviously, since at the time, there was no mobile phone And then, I was significantly younger than Emma. (Lanna de Palmaert, NdlR) in the film.”
Bullied for years at school
For the actress, the problems began when she moved to 6th grade. A situation made all the more stressful by the fact that she had skipped a grade and was therefore the youngest in her new class. “I was even harassed by those from the year above. It made me very weak.” Especially since in the heart of the storm, she finds herself alone, without the one she thought was her friend and who “let go”.
In humanities, Emilie Dequenne finds herself in an establishment which, by her own admission, “did not correspond at all to my education, to my values. A very elitist, very snobbish, very superficial establishment. At the time, in the 90s, it was the fashion for Donaldson and company brands. The students all had the same clothes. Except me, who wore the clothes that one of my older cousins no longer wore. They were beautiful, but not the right brand. I think we felt. in me, fragility, difference.”
Cannes Film Festival: Emilie Dequenne very moved on the set of “C à Vous” (VIDEO)
A flaw that can lead to a spiral from which, very quickly, we can no longer escape. Especially when you are very young. “Emma’s situation is different but I could not remain indifferent to this fundamental subject. And then, the treatment proposed by Solange touched me. I did not expect this to talk about such a serious subject . She made it into something almost entertaining, but without glamorizing bullying and suicide among young people. A series like that. 13 reasons why on Netflix was problematic from this point of view. There is something that really bothers me about his tendency to glamorize victims. Which is not the case with Solange’s film. I know that my 13-year-old niece went to see it, in preview in Mons, and it touched her. The film is suitable for students from second secondary school”underlines the actress.
“It’s a film that raises awareness. If a parent takes their child to see the film and they are concerned about school bullying, it could free them to speak. A film cannot cover everything in 1h30, This is not possible. One question is not addressed: that of the presence of the teaching staff. I think that they have a major role to play and that is why the school sessions will be very important. .” An educational file has also been specially developed on the subject.
“I felt great maturity in Lanna de Palmaert”
Another fact resonates with the journey of the Belgian actress, she who discovered cinema at the age of 17 while filming in Rosetta by the Dardenne brothers: this is the first film by Lanna de Palmaert who takes on the role of young Emma.
“Obviously, there is a mirror effect, even though Lanna was older than me at the time of my first film. The mirror effect was stronger when we shot Closeexactly. Because Lanna was very surrounded by the actors and actresses who played the high school students, I felt a great maturity in her. Even if Gustav and Eden – the two boys in the film CloseEditor’s note – were also very mature. But we felt that Lanna was in her place, it was really what she wanted to do. Solange was very generous and took really good care of her. There was an extremely caring atmosphere throughout the filming and the subject was so strong that we managed to experience magical moments in the few family scenes that the three of us had.”
“Why can’t boys hold hands?” Émilie Dequenne talks about her role in “Close”
The film also fulfilled one of the wishes expressed by its two adult actors. “Stéphane De Groodt and I had already met at festivals and events, there was a sort of mutual recognition. We did an interview together in Cabourg, a year before filming and we said to ourselves that It would be great to work together. Solange fulfilled this prophecy without knowing it. It was quite funny.”
His fight against cancer
Absent from the Deauville festival where she was to be part of the jury, Emilie Dequenne has resumed her fight against cancer and her willingness to respond to interviews by telephone is all the more commendable.
“For the moment I’m resting because I had to start again with treatments which are not easy. I manage to do small things but, at the moment, I wouldn’t be able to take part in a filming . Once I’m no longer in treatment and the cancer is in remission, I have small windows where I can turn. It’s a nasty thing, the crab has the particularity of hanging on and it has a tendency. to come back. I thought I was rid of it, unfortunately it came back I am very tired at the moment, because the treatments are exhausting. When I am not in treatment, I arrive. to be more active, otherwise I rest when I don’t have energy, I pay close attention to myself. I have several projects planned for 2025, my agent is not idle. even if it’s not obvious I hope so with all my heart, we’ll see…”
