Shepherds, by Sophie Deraspe | Summit meeting

In Shepherdsa new feature film by Sophie Deraspe, Félix-Antoine Duval plays a young publicist from Montreal who leaves everything behind to start a new life in the south of France, among mountains and sheep. The Press spoke to the filmmaker, actor and co-writer of the film Mathyas Lefebure.

It’s the story of a young advertising writer who works for one of the largest agencies in the country and who, on a whim, abandons everything to go into exile in the French Alps… and become a shepherd without the less prior experience. This is the story of Mathyas Lefebure, author of the book Where are you from, shepherd? and co-writer of Sophie Deraspe’s new film, freely inspired by her story.

What was the trigger for this 180 degree life change? “An existential crisis in your thirties that I describe as a journey of rupture,” replies the author. A total, radical break with a job, a city, a country. And the consumer society, above all. »

His case is not unique. “More and more young urban people are making – like I did at 30 – this kind of break with their world. At the time, I knew nothing about agriculture. I just saw the Epinal image of the shepherd who lives in peace in the mountains. But it didn’t happen like that,” he said, alluding to the harsh ordeals experienced at the summit.

Mathyas Lefebure first wrote an autofiction blog to recount his experience. “I didn’t know it would become a book, let alone a feature film. However, I had an epiphany while experiencing the summit! A mystical awakening (even if I am not a believer). This inner transformation corresponded to my thirst for freedom. I took a step back from the noise of the world, its frantic pace. And the valves of writing have unblocked. »

The process to achieve Shepherds was very long. The film was written in several stages over more than 10 years. Sophie Deraspe joined the project in 2016, after a scouting trip. “Mathyas has a very good command of words,” she says. But the further we advanced, the more words became superfluous. The film imposed itself in the scenario. The power of the landscapes, the mountains, the magnificence of nature. We felt that we needed less to have the commentary, which is superb in the novel. In cinema, you can let people have their own impressions. »

The noise of the world

To play the young shepherd, Sophie Deraspe chose the actor Félix-Antoine Duval. The actor was ready to land the role. The director ofAntigone gave him three auditions in four years, before the start of overseas filming which was put on ice during the pandemic.

“I love learning new businesses, and discovering things I wouldn’t have known on my own,” explains Duval. I never imagined playing a shepherd; and now, I have some knowledge about mountain pastures, transhumance…”

The actor is more accustomed to the fast pace of TV sets than to long film shoots. That of Shepherdswith its 3000 sheep, had its share of unforeseen events. “At drama school, I learned that everything can influence our acting. If an actor plays a character on crutches going up a flight of stairs, his crutches are not a hindrance, but a tool. »

Childhood dream

Félix-Antoine Duval has dreamed of becoming an actor since his childhood. At 6 years old, after seeing Jackie Chan on TV, he announced to his parents that he wanted to be an actor like his idol. The actor keeps an old photo with him. Like a lucky charm. We see him at 9 years old with his sister, photographed with Chan, during the Chinese megastar’s visit to Montreal, at the World Film Festival… on 1^is September 2001 (he remembers the exact date!).

Raised in Beauce, Félix-Antoine Duval has always been sensitive to the importance of the environment: “I have an image to summarize Shepherds : the sun makes the grass grow; the grass is grazed by the herd; the flock is guarded by the shepherd. And all this is a cycle that has lasted for 3000 years! »

The cycle of the shepherd’s profession and life.

In addition to Duval, we find in the cast the actress Solène Rigot, who plays Élise (a civil servant in Arles who becomes an apprentice shepherdess and love interest of Mathyas), Guilaine Londez, Michel Benizri, David Ayala and Younès Boucif. Produced by micro_scope and distributed by Maison 4:3, Shepherds is Deraspe’s sixth feature film (Antigone, The vital signs). This Quebec-France co-production won the award for best Canadian film at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) in September and will be released in Europe in spring 2025.

In theaters November 15

Who are Mathyas Lefebure and Félix-Antoine Duval?

After studying a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Mathieu Lefebvre (Mathyas Lefebure is his pen name) worked in the field of advertising and marketing at the Cossette agency in Montreal. Around the age of 30, he went on sabbatical to France, where he stayed for ten years. He then devoted himself to writing a blog about his experience as a shepherd in Provence, then a novel, Where are you from, shepherd? (Grand Prize for emerging literary figures Archambault, in 2007.) He has since published a second novel, The Big Book of Foolsand worked as a screenwriter and editor. He is currently finishing his third novel.

Originally from Beauceville, Félix-Antoine Duval is a 32-year-old actor, graduated from the Theater option at Lionel-Groulx college. He landed his first film role in the film Saint-Narcissus, by Bruce LaBruce. On television, he became known in 2015, with his role as Cédric in For Sarah, to VAT. We then saw him in several series, including Fragments, The fault, The escape, The bombs et Indefensible. In the theater, he walked the stage at Duceppe (The path of dangerous passes) and, more recently, in The boulevard at the Green Curtain.