At the end of October, on France 2, more than 2.7 million viewers followed on average the two parts of On the slabthe disconcerting thriller adapted from the novels of Fred Vargas with Yvan Attal and directed by the genre specialist: Jose Dayan. At the beginning of November, a controversy has just broken out. Not about the fiction… but about the director whose outspokenness is far from being an urban legend.
“The natives were very happy…” : Josée Dayan's contemptuous remarks for the inhabitants of the town where she filmed On the Slab
It all started with the publication of an interview given by Josée Dayan to our colleagues at Télégramme. The director then explained why she had chosen to shoot in Moncontour, in Côtes-d'Armor, and not in Dinan as initially planned. She also declared her love for Brittany, its lights and its mysteries. But, when asked about the reception given to her film crew in the medieval city, in the middle of winter, the director had some, to put it mildly, clumsy words: “As it was winter, there were only the natives, who were very happy that we came to their home, because the filming brought them a bit of entertainment.” Beyond the underlying discourse with clearly condescending overtones, the term “native” (which, according to the definition in the Larousse dictionary, describes a person “originating from the country he inhabits, whose ancestors lived in this country” but which also carries, in the collective unconscious, a negative and contemptuous dimension), did not pass by the Moncontouraises and Moncontourais…
“What arrogance! What self-importance!” : The inhabitants of a Breton town respond to director Josée Dayan (On the slab) who described them as“natives” !
Thus, in a new article in Le Télégramme, the inhabitants of Moncontour wanted to respond to the director, and without filter: “When we read Josée Dayan’s words, we jumped, we can’t let people say that and be taken for rednecks in the depths of the countryside” firstly explain two spokespersons for the town who are logically outraged. The indignation and anger are very real among the inhabitants: “What arrogance! What self-importance! Some of us felt insulted, despised, at least misunderstood” said one, “We're not bored, Mrs. Dayan. We don't need 'a little entertainment'” reacts another, “We are not just natives, far from it” explains yet another, “You didn't see any of this, Mrs. Dayan. And yet, while we didn't need you to 'liven up' our lives, we welcomed you (…) It's not a joke of heart that we have seen our streets, our living spaces, all these meeting places being privatized (…) and it is not with joy of heart that certain traders have seen their attendance drop” emphasizes a last one, revealing a point of disappointment. The words are strong, commensurate with the bitterness and discontent of the people of Moncontour. Not sure that Josée Dayan will be welcome in the future in this magnificent Breton city…
