40 years later, two residents of Seine-Maritime recount their memories of filming with Chabrol

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Follow L’Éclaireur – La Dépêche

Fall 1984the filming of film Vinegar Chicken of Claude Chabrol invests Forges-les-Eaux for seven weeks. Marianne and François Vicaire, residents of the town, remember.

Forges-les-Eaux filmed by Chabrol throughout town

“This filming mobilized a lot of extras. We ourselves were in the film. An appeal appeared in La Dépêche,” recalls Marianne.

Forty years later, the souvenirs are intact, listening to their story, you would think you were going back in time.

Several iconic places of the city appeared in the film as the Épinay Castlethe church, the post office, the Place Brevière, At Foliethe Dauphin (cinema of the time) and many others that Forgions et Forgeons know how to recognize.

In Chicken with Vinegar, long-time residents of Forges-les-Eaux will notice that La Poste, in the plot, had returned to its original place where the “Actuel coiffure” salon is located today.

The Forgions have found their city on screen. There was no anachronism.

“We were one fifty confined in the basements of Madness. We had waited all afternoon to shoot in the evening. Right next to us there was a large buffet. We were instructed not to hit it! », remembers François.

” Gradually, some have left even though we were paid at the end of the day. Filming ended at 2 a.m. that day,” adds Marianne.

But why this endless wait? Simply so that the rain stops. This is not knowing the Norman sky well. Because after long hours of waiting, the rain intensified.

“In the image, we can’t even see that it’s raining,” remarks François.

“When we shot the scene leaving mass, there were a lot of Forgions. We were gathered in our Sunday clothes, with the rain, it was tedious,” notes Marianne: “besides, you can see me, I’m wearing a red dress! “.

Of the Forgions who played their own role, only one of them had an important role.

“Madame Le Faou played the notary's wifeperformed by Michel Bouquet », notes François. “We also see the mechanic of the time who tows a car with his tow truck,” he adds.

The couple remembers the good atmospherewho reigned in the commune during filming.

The actors and the production blended into Forges-les-Eaux, we found them in the café or in the street.

“It also got people moving on site, we sympathized with each other. The filming itself was not overly protected.”

The actor Jean-Claude Bouillaudwho played the role of Gérard Filiolhad confided to Marianne and François that he came as a child, to Forges-les-Eaux, to his aunt who lived rue Abbé Féret. “He was happy to come back, he said that the city hadn’t changed too much since his childhood.”

Special effects larger than life

During filming, a scene almost turned into a drama . It was the descendant of the Montalent family who told François.

“In the film, there is a fire in a house. To shoot this scene, they had to simulate firein the property which is right next to the casino. But the fire was about to really break out throughout the house! “.

Fortunately, more fear than harm.

It’s a special discipline to be an actor.

“A shoot is very mysteriouswe have the impression that there is no logic. The scenes are shot and edited, like a puzzle», explains François.

Claude Chabrol described by François and Marianne as charming and gourmand who loved good food, became attached to the region.

In 1990the directorand his team traveled to Fry for the filming of Madame Bovarywith Isabelle Huppert.

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