They are young, determined, and have turned their childhood dreams into reality. Mehdi, 26 years old, and Merwan, 19 years old, from La Castellane, filmed in Gladiator 2the sequel to Ridley Scott’s masterpiece. A rare and beautiful Marseille story, where talent and destiny meet to produce an epic worthy of the big screen.
It’s a rare and beautiful story. One of those that Marseille sometimes reserves in the secrecy of its neighborhoods. “I was at a restaurant when my phone rang, says Mehdi, 26 years old. ‘What are you doing tomorrow? Are you available?’ I answer yes. There, they told me: ‘Take your plane ticket’. I ask: What film is this for? And the answer is: Gladiator 2.”
From La Castellane, a neighborhood often reduced to its clichés, to the action-packed sets of Ridley Scott, Mehdi and Merwan Karamane have carved out their path thanks to their talent and hard work. Two brothers who became horse stunt in world-renowned productions.
Barely out of adolescence for one, already seasoned to life for the other, they embody the modern epic of a Marseille family. A feat which is not a coincidence, but a dream from childhood.
A heritage anchored to the body
“Ever since I was little, I wanted to be like Zorro“, confides Merwan, laughing, his eyes animated by the child he once was. The image of the masked vigilante riding the plains was not just a dream: among the Karamane, horse riding is an ancestral heritage, transmitted from the plains of Algeria. “My father and grandfather used horses for work. They transported wood to supply the bakeries around Algiers“, says Chadly, their father, with quiet pride, sitting at a table in a café in the Old Port.
In this month of November, under the bright sun which bathes the city in an almost summer light, his memories seem even more alive. “We had a family forest. My grandfather cut bundles there which he loaded onto horses to deliver them throughout the region. At that time, horses were not just a means of transport: they were essential companions, pillars of daily life. My great-grandfather was a trainer. It was a real know-how, passed down from generation to generation. »
From martial arts to film sets
In addition to their love of horses, the Karamane brothers owe part of their success to their mastery of martial arts, practiced from a very young age. “My father is a martial arts master, we grew up on tatami,” continues Mehdi.
This discipline gave them an agility and self-control that, without them knowing it, would one day propel them into the spotlight.
An equestrian dream in the northern districts
It is in the northern districts, under the emblematic letters “Marseille”, that their ranch was born, at the dawn of the Foresta adventure, a few years ago. Now relocated to Peypin, this emblematic place continues to bear the indelible traces of its history in the northern districts, a chapter forever engraved in their journey.
The turning point in their story came almost innocuously, as is often the case in extraordinary stories. “We just had to go buy hay for the horses, a routine, nothing more banalrecalls Chadly. That day, the GPS broke down. Lost, we asked someone for directions, who replied: ‘Follow this road, you will find a certain Jean-Charles Andrieux’ »
The meeting that changes everything
Arriving there, Mehdi and Merwan do not yet know that they are about to cross paths with a man who will transform their lives. “We didn’t know who he was. For us, he was just someone who worked with horses.”says Mehdi. But Jean-Charles Andrieux is not just anyone.
An internationally renowned equestrian stuntman, he was Morgan Freeman’s understudy and appears in the credits of legendary films such as Ben-How. Specialist in Cossack aerobatics and founder of Voltigeurs Cavaliers of Francea troupe based in Cadenet in the Luberon, has established itself as an essential reference in the world of equestrian shows and stunts.
“It was a real crush between usconfides Mehdi. He took us under his wing. » For the two brothers, this meeting marks the beginning of an adventure that will propel them far beyond anything they had ever imagined.
Prestigious productions
Jean-Charles Andrieux trains them in the most spectacular techniques: climbing, descending and even flying on galloping horses. Their initiation leads them to equestrian shows like Cleopatrathen to their first filming with the mini-series And the mountain will blossom. They participate in Kaamelottwhere their waterfalls bring a Marseille touch to the medieval world of Alexandre Astier.
But it was their meeting with Gérard Naprous, creator of Devil’s Horsemenwhich propels them into another dimension. With Naprous, a living legend of equestrian stunts, the brothers enter a very closed circle. “The Horse Masters are the conductors of the equestrian scenes”, explains Mehdi. Of Game of Thrones has Troy passing through HighlanderGérard Naprous and his team choreograph the battles, prepare the horses and train the actors.
“Working with him is learning excellence”confie Merwan. “We learned a lot about falling, they joke, but when you love what you do, it’s not difficult. » Their progress is dazzling and it is with Gladiator 2 that they achieve international recognition, confirming their place among the best in their field.
Two months under the direction of Ridley Scott
This famous phone call, the one that propelled them into this super-production, came from “Charly”, alias Jean-Charles Andrieux. Direction Morocco, then Malta, for two months of filming under the direction of a demanding Ridley Scott. “When we arrive on set, it’s impressive, we lose our means a little at the start”admits Merwan. The conditions are worthy of a fairy tale: “We are staying in suites with jacuzzi. We are dressed, made up, fed… and the only instruction is not to hurt ourselves,” they say, their heads still in the stars.
On the set, they rub shoulders with stars, including Denzel Washington. “He’s simple, like everyone else”confides Mehdi. But the work is intense. They take part in titanic scenes: battles, cavalry charges, imperial processions. “One night, there were 500 extras, 50 horses and explosions everywhere. It was surreal”says Mehdi.
Their talent does not go unnoticed: of the thirty stunt performers initially selected, only fifteen are selected in the end. Mehdi and Merwan are among them, the youngest of a group of seasoned veterans.
International recognition but feet on the ground
“If we had to calculate the chances of seeing a story like theirs happen to them, it would be zero point zero zero one percent,” continues Chadly, proud of his two sons. Despite a destiny worthy of a Hollywood scenario, the two brothers keep their feet on the ground, firmly anchored in their native Marseille. “We are pure Marseille products”they smile, as a nod to their roots.
If their next projects remain confidential for the moment, Mehdi has already established himself as a sought-after expert in the preparation of cinema horses. “ We are sometimes entrusted with horses for filming, and even for great professionals in the racing world, he explains with humility. On a set, everything must be impeccable, so the trust that people place in us is a real source of pride. »
As for the movie Gladiator 2they haven’t seen the final result yet. “ We want to wait to go there all together, with the whole family,” confide these young enthusiasts. A way of celebrating, in their own way, this epic which propelled them from the northern districts of Marseille to the greatest arenas of world cinema.
Narjasse KERBOUA
