One of the most anticipated series of this end of year is signed France Télévisions and is an adaptation of the novel In the shadowsa political thriller written by former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and Gilles Boyer. The creator of the series is none other than the director of the film State Exercise_,_ with Olivier Gourmet and Michel Blanc, a film which was a great success in 2012 and a César for the now deceased actor.
“I didn’t want to make a sequel to The Exercise of the State, while having the experience of this film, of these situations, of these characters”confides Pierre Schoeller, aware that his experience reassured the production. “How to film power, how to balance fiction and politics”what interests the director is that “it is necessarily a window on the contemporary world”. Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe accompanied him throughout the writing. He feared “betrayal”but his main role was that of “advise”which allowed “to have working meetings with an important political figure” et “to have his opinion on lots of things, which was quite interesting”.
“The making of political power”
Conversely, what the former Prime Minister discovered and observed, “it’s the long work, the elaboration, this writing time which is not at all the same as that of political language”, says Pierre Schoeller. A work which particularly focused on describing stories of betrayal but also “somewhat long scenes developed around the negotiations”specifies the creator. “How do negotiations go? ? I believe the main point of view is on the making of political power and the conquest of power. And the thriller sheds light on all that.”
With Melvil Poupaud, Karin Viard and Swan Arlaud, the series In the shadows is already online on France.tv, the six episodes will be broadcast from Wednesday at 9 p.m. on France 2.
