Meeting with Marc Fitoussi, director of the series

Director, creator and screenwriter of That’s Paris!Marc Fitoussi tells us the crazy story of the series, from behind the scenes to the stage

Tell us about the origin of this project…
Marc Fitoussi: Dominique Besnehard and Michel Feller, at the end of season four of Ten percentasked me to write a series on the world of cabaret. “Cabaret and carte blanche”, these two words constituted my road map. Originally, this project was whispered into Dominique's ear by one of her great friends, a dancer at Crazy Horse, Marina Defosse. It also appears in the credits of That’s Paris! A tribute that Dominique wanted, because unfortunately Marina has since left us. Quickly, I imagined the character of Gaspard Berthille, played by Alex Lutz, heir to a somewhat outdated cabaret. From there, with Edgard Grima and Jérôme Bruno, we developed the entire arena that revolves around him by carefully documenting this fairly confidential universe.

Where did you go to find your inspiration, your model, to create your cabaret All-Paris ?
M. F. : Obviously at Moulin Rougewhich is a sort of icon of Parisian cabarets, but also gigantic. Not at all the family cabaret we wanted to represent. TheParadis Latin corresponded more to the idea we had of our All-Paris. And luck smiled on us since the management of Paradis allowed us to film on location. An ideal opportunity to immerse ourselves in these walls full of memories and where we see photos of the celebrities who have passed there. But if this natural setting offered us an extra layer of soul and authenticity, it also had its constraints linked to the commercial exploitation of the place. Workdays started very early because they had to end before customers arrived. This sometimes meant summons to make-up at four in the morning. Not at all ideal for teams.

Are you particularly attracted to this environment?
M. F. : He has always fascinated me. I remember, as a child, being glued to the end-of-year broadcasts of L’Alcazar or Paradis Latin. This period was the golden age of the magazine. A machine for fantasies and dreams. Today, some of these legendary places are in difficulty. This adversity constitutes an interesting axis of writing. So I chose to enter this universe through the back door, that of a cabaret which must reinvent itself if it does not want to disappear. The portraits of the characters are all the more moving and the dramatic plots more bouncy.

Gaspard Berthille will little by little take on the makings of a real cabaret boss and perhaps also that of an artist. His journey has something of an initiation (…). He will let hatch the child from the ball who grew up between the feathers and the red velvet. This role requires a wide range of acting and I knew that Alex Lutz could pull off this split.

Marc Fitoussi

Like the Paradis Latin, All-Paris calls on a personality to reinvent itself…
M. F. : Absolutely, Paradis LatinKamel Ouali created the new magazine called The Bird of Paradisewith Iris Mittenaere, ex-Miss France and Miss Universe, as leader of the review. In our series, Monica Bellucci plays this role and, on the other hand, the choreographer (Nicolas Maury) is a fictional character. In reality, logically, Kamel Ouali imagined our dance sequences, since I had decided to hire the troupe of Paradis Latin. For music, Bertrand Burgalat was the natural choice. On the one hand because I knew his talent having already worked with him on my film Appearances. On the other hand because I knew he was capable not only of creating the original music for the series, but also the more specific music for the magazines. His extensive musical knowledge allowed him to draw inspiration from old journals to create timeless pieces.

Who are the main characters of That’s Paris! ?
M. F. : The series follows the destinies of three dancers in particular: Justine, Coralie and Teresa. Luck immediately smiled on me for Justine, since Nastasia Caruge is already part of the troupe Paradis and that she corresponded perfectly to the character I had written. On the other hand, I searched for “my” Coralie for a long time and finally I opted for a real actress, Salomé Dewaels, who is not a dancer at all but who we dubbed in the choreographed scenes. Teresa must have been a Polish dancer who knew how to perform in French. A kind of Swiss army knife that I found in Poland in the person of the delicious Rosina. But she still had to take some French lessons. On the other hand, the one who plays the comrade who arrives from Poland, Agnieszka, is a nice twist of fate, since Anna Nowak is none other than our translator.

And the taulier (as we say in the jargon)?
M. F. : At first not very friendly, a little resigned, Gaspard Berthille will, little by little, take on the makings of a real cabaret boss and perhaps also that of an artist. His journey has something of an initiation since he will reveal himself to himself. He will let hatch the child from the ball who grew up between the feathers and the red velvet. This role requires a wide range of acting and I knew that Alex Lutz could pull off this split. Opposite him, I wanted a strong-mouthed Charlotte de Turckheim, with a look like Andrée Putman, to play his adoptive mother. Their clashes, their disagreements bring pep and comedy. Nicolas Maury was our choreographer from the writing, I had already directed him on Ten percent. Edgard Grima, Jérôme Bruno, the co-authors, and I knew his talent and his audacity. And Monica Bellucci has clearly established herself in the role of leader of the show capable of attracting crowds. Even though she plays herself, we gave her a role as a woman who is more calculating and manipulative than she actually is. It amused her a lot!

What struck you about this universe?
M. F. : I discovered people who are very attached to their profession and the places where they work. They really are a troop. From the hostess at the counter to the one in the cloakroom, who are ex-dancers in the series and reality; from the manager to the room manager, everyone wants to stay with their loved ones.

What is the place of cabaret in a post-MeToo world?
M. F. : The cabaret was precisely a refuge for all people from diverse backgrounds who could not flourish elsewhere, like Régis (Dominique Besnehard). The head waiter, homosexual, should have repressed his personality in another environment. Armande (Galia Salimo) talks about her trans identity and the fact that cabaret saved her life. A choral series such as That’s Paris! allows us to compare points of view. For example, the dancers do not feel at all like women as objects compared to Gaspard's daughter, Lolita (Violette Guillon), who finds that it is a place of retrograde exhibition where women are objectified. The cabaret welcomes everyone!

That’s Paris!

In the heart of a post-confinement Paris, Gaspard Berthille manages All-Parisan emblematic cabaret which perpetuates the legend of “crazy Parisian nights”, alongside institutions such as The Latin Paradise. Unlike his father, Dary, former director and legendary leader of the magazine, Gaspard failed to maintain the success of the establishment. Is it because of an outdated show, faulty management or more innovative competition? In any case, this is the fateful moment for Gaspard to sell. Unless he takes the crazy gamble of creating a new revue and restoring the cabaret to its former glory…

With Alex Lutz (Gaspard Berthille), Charlotte of Turckheim (Babeth), Nicolas Maury (Adrien Baudry), Anne Marivin (Prune Berthille), Aurore Clement (Crystal), Florence Thomassin (Cookie), Delphine Baril (Olympus), Xin Wang (May-Ling), Dominique Besnehard (Regis), Salome Dewaels (Coralie), Katarzyna Sawczuk (Teresa), Darren Muselet (Jordan), Audjyan Alcide (Lynette), Nastasia Caruge (Justine), Galia Salimo (Armande), Anna Nowak (Agnieszka)…

With the exceptional participation of Monica Bellucci, Bernard Le Coq, Christian Louboutin et Line Renaud

Series (6 x 52 min – 2024) – Production Marc Fitoussi — Created by Marc Fitoussi,
Edgard F. Grima et Jérôme Bruno – Scenario Marc Fitoussi, Edgard F. Grima et Jérôme Bruno — Artistic direction Marc Fitoussi — Original music Bertrand Burgalat — Choreographies Kamel Ouali — Production of My Neighbor Productions (Mediawan) et Federation Studio France — In co-production with Butler Industries et Be-Films RTBF (Belgian Television) — With the support of the RegionÎle-de-Francewith the participation of CNC and animated image — In association with SG Image 2022, A Plus Image Development, 8 Images, Cinemage 12 Development, Cineventure 3 Development et The Latin Paradise — With the support of Creative Europe Media Program — A series produced by Dominique Besnehard, Michel Feller, Stéphane Sperry et Thierry Sorel — Associate producer Walter Butler — With the participation ofFrance Televisions

That’s Paris! is broadcast from Wednesday November 20 on france.tv and Wednesday November 27 at 9:05 p.m. on France 2
To (re)watch on france.tv

Published by Diane Ermel on November 26, 2024