“This film shows that love can be imperfect”: Isabelle Carré and François Damiens, a couple apart in “The Daughter of a Great Love”

Isabelle Carré, we often see you in films about couples. And precisely, how do you create a cinema couple?

Isabelle Carré: Honestly, I hadn't thought about this question at all. I simply wanted to work with François Damiens. I remember that after filming ''Les Émotifs Anonymes'' with Benoît Poelvoorde, fifteen years ago, I met François and he admitted to me that he himself was very emotional. The way he said it touched me and, above all, I saw in his eyes that he was sincere. Then, I saw a lot of films in which he plays, and I knew that we would connect in the exchange, that it would be fluid, generous, that we would be open to each other. And indeed, from the first rehearsals, it was fantastic. I like his playing, which is always surprising, never conventional, very open, very permeable.

François Damiens, are you really that emotional?

François Damiens: Yes, strangely enough, I'm very emotional. When I arrive somewhere, I am often uncomfortable. I say hello several times to the same person, I'm completely off base. I have an aversion to cocktails that are awkward. We never have anything to say. So, I have ready-made phrases in stock like ''It's great what's happening to you!''.

The problem is that I have the wrong person. But it doesn't matter, it passes and, in the end, it breaks the discomfort.

Have you also wanted to work with Isabelle Carré for a while?

F. D.: Yes, Benoît Poelvoorde told me that she was an exceptional actress. Usually, directors decide on duos, but here it was obvious, especially since the film was particularly sensitive. If it doesn't work between two actors, it's a real difficulty but, here, it went well straight away.

Does your approach change when you play more exuberant characters in comedies?

F. D.: Yes. Here, you had to be in a deeper role, with a lot of inner flaws. It requires a lot more investment and concentration. Agnès de Sacy, the director, directs in a very precise manner. It's not a role you can do halfway. We must be in it, sincere, without exaggerating too much. It's tricky. So I spoke with her at length and learned details about her father – who my character is inspired by – to understand the role. I also tried not to overplay. The goal was to be as malleable as possible.

And for you, Isabelle Carré, interpret the mother of Agnès de Sacy. Was it special?

I. C.: It's a big responsibility. But Agnès allowed us to get away from it. For example, she made me color my hair red and wavy it, which was a sign to tell us that we could make these characters our own.

''The Daughter of a Great Love'' is set in the 1990s. A time which seems both close and distant, particularly in terms of tolerance…

F. D.: Yes, it's crazy to see that conversion therapy was banned recently, in 2022. It's still very fresh. But these themes, and in particular the evolution of tolerance, seem essential to me. We must make it clear that sexual orientation is not a choice.

I. C.: It's impressive to see that, despite the passage of time, there are still people who cannot accept certain realities. It's revolting.

In the film, the reunion between the mother and father starts from a documentary filmed by their daughter. Do you think that a film object really has the power to change lives?

I. C.: Yes, a documentary can change your life. For example, there, we learn things about our parents that we never suspected. The film invites spectators to see their ancestors in another light, to consider them as human beings, with emotions, flaws, impulses, not just as parental figures.

F. D.: There can also be an impact on parents, as seen in the film. The documentary allows them to reconnect with their past, their truth, and to reevaluate their own history.

The film also touches on themes like love and desire. Did these themes particularly affect you?

I. C.: Yes, the film shows that love is not always perfect. It's not a fairy tale. What is beautiful is to see that love can exist even with its paradoxes and its gray areas. It's a powerful message.

F. D.: And there is no one type of love. There is passionate love, but also that which results from compromise, from resilience. This film shows that love can be imperfect, but it can also be deep and sincere. We also see this in the marriage scene, an act which can also be a mixture of love and compromise. It's not all rosy, but that's what makes it beautiful.