At 87 years old, Claude Lelouch is far from thinking about retirement. His new film Eventuallywhich he describes as a “testament film”, is about to be released, taking a poetic look at the simplicity of life and the quest for freedom. Met at the Deauville Festival, the director talks about his vision of existence, drawing inspiration from an idea that fascinates him: escape. “I returned to the theme of a man who escapes his environment, because leaving is a desire that I have had very often,” he confides. For Claude Lelouch, the art of living lies in simplicity, a theme that he revisits here after Itinerary of a spoiled child.
Despite his age, the artist refuses to end his career. Even if he says he thinks about death every day, he says he believes “in eternity”. He is even considering a sequel to this new film. He explains: “It will be called Ultimately, it will never end.“It's difficult for Claude Lelouch to imagine an end to this adventure, after 51 films and a special relationship with an audience who loves his work so much. However, he mentions having had difficulty evolving “in a media universe that likes what is negative “, while he is rather “fundamentally positive”.
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A cinema of encounters, freedom and love
For Claude Lelouch, his films are first and foremost “declarations of love” to the actors he admires. He explains: “I hire men I would like to have as friends and women I would like to hold in my arms.” Fascinated by the theme of love, the director makes it a central element of his works, a mystery that he has not yet solved, because according to him, “man has made all progress except in love.” His relationship with Valérie Perrin, a successful author and companion for several years, symbolizes for him a quest for depth and complicity. “Love is more than the physical, it’s the head,” he recalls. For Claude Lelouch, life remains a field of exploration, just like cinema. With each new project, he draws on the encounters and emotions of his journey to enrich his stories. At 87 years old, with a vision still open to the world and an intact curiosity, the artist continues to question himself.
This article can be found in the Gala No. 1638, available Thursday October 31 on newsstands. To follow the news live, you can join the in WhatsApp of Gala.
Article written in collaboration with 6Medias.
Photo credits: Pierre Perusseau / Bestimage
