“All mothers want their children to have friends”

At a time when videographer Inoxtag is recording 30 million views with the film retracing her ascent of Everest, Audrey Lamy is establishing herself as the heroine ofIn flip-flops at the foot of the Himalayas. In this comedy by John Wax (Simply black), she plays Pauline, the mother of a little autistic boy who tries as best she can to become independent so that her son can be independent in turn.

Surrounded by a gallery of sensitive and endearing characters – an involved school assistant (Naidra Ayadi), an unstable brother (Benjamin Tranié) and a critical ex-husband (Nicolas Chupin) – Pauline holds on to get back on track. This successful social comedy joins those that Audrey Lamy has produced in recent years (The Invisibles, The Brigade…), and proves that the former student of the Conservatory is not at the end of her rise.

Madame Figaro. – What attracted you to In flip-flops at the foot of the Himalayas?
Audrey Lamy. – I fell in love with this story, and I liked the innovative tone of the film. Autism has already been treated in cinema, but here it is approached through the prism of parenthood. There is something very realistic in the daily life of this distraught mother. She has neither the codes nor the weapons to raise a child, but will little by little take charge of her son's well-being. The subject addressed remains heavy and complex, but comedy allows it to reach a wider audience by providing moments of lightness.

How did you approach the role of Pauline?
As the mother of a 7-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, I realize how important it is to know that they are included in social and school activities… All mothers want their children to have friends, They are invited to birthday parties and are accepted. In flip-flops at the foot of the Himalayas both sheds light on autism, a subject which suffers from total ignorance and real stigmatization, but it also speaks about difference in the broad sense. In this, it can resonate with each of us.

Which mother are you in life?
I may be a little overprotective of my children, but the balance is with my partner. For example, if we play a board game with my 7-year-old son, I will systematically lose on purpose, while his father will not at all. I want my children to be happy, and I tell them a lot that nothing is serious at their ages. I also want them to be kind and empathetic; two qualities that will make them good people. I am also very good at transforming constraints into a game. When my son, a fan of the rapper Jul, has to learn a poem, we put on flip flops and socks to recite it while rapping. It works very well!

Autism has already been treated in the cinema, but here it is approached through the prism of parenthood

Audrey Lamy

In the film, Pauline is surrounded by men, but it is the women who push her to react…
Like in life, right? I really believe in female strength, and I have the impression that women are capable of moving mountains. They push the walls, shake up the codes, put aside their complexes… Speech is freed, and if one of them does not dare to speak, another will do it for them. I was raised by a mother who taught me to be independent and to never shut up around a man. But I have also met extraordinary men in my life: most of the filmmakers who have offered me roles are men. Men helped me, supported me, but women perhaps have a little something extra that leads them to get around the barriers that are imposed on them.

When did you feel empowered in your life?
When I paid my first rent and gave my parents a vacation. After my baccalaureate, I told my father that I wanted to try theater school, and he gave me two years to prove myself. Beyond that, he would employ me in his furniture fabric shop in Alès, in the Gard. I passed the Cours Florent exams and entered directly into the second year (proof of my motivation!). This allowed me to then join the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art. There were fifteen of us girls and fifteen boys to be selected (including Jonathan Cohen and Céline Sallette) and, for three years, we played, danced, had fencing lessons… It was extremely comprehensive training which ensured that we would work at least the first few years.

What roles have moved you forward?
More than roles, age has allowed me to be less afraid and to assert my choices. Certain encounters also helped me broaden my range of acting. I was lucky that filmmakers like Louis-Julien Petit, Allan Mauduit and, recently, Pascal Elbé, with whom I filmed The Good Star (release in 2025, Editor’s note), imagine myself in different registers. Directors often want to cast actors in the same roles, but I'm not going to play sports teachers all my life because All that glitters worked. I come from tragedy, and if I now explore other universes, I still have to open a few doors.

Comedy makes it possible to reach a wider audience by providing moments of lightness

Audrey Lamy

Your sister, Alexandra Lamy, is also the heroine of a film, Louise Violet, currently in theaters. Have you ever competed both?
Never in life! Firstly because Alexandra is ten years older than me, and even if she looks younger and younger and I look older and older, it was she who gave me a taste for this profession and made me pushed to try my luck. There is a lot of goodwill between us, we support each other, we send each other messages to congratulate each other, we are sincerely happy for each other. There are no frustrations, because we both work, and I have found my place as “sister of.”

In flip-flops at the foot of the Himalayas, by John Wax, with Audrey Lamy, Nicolas Chupin, Naidra Ayadi, Luca Chapuis… Released November 13.