Cannes 2024: “My life, my face”, by Sophie Fillières (Cinémars’ Fortnight); “Rough Diamond”, by Agathe Riedinger (Competition)

My life my face

It is surprising to know that Sophie Fillières died shortly after the end of filming. My life my faceon July 31, 2023 – at age 58 – there is no sign of weakness or relaxation. My life my face is in line with some of his films, such as Kind (2005) or A cat a cat (2009), where the portrait of a woman is drawn, whose age each time is close to that of the director. Emmanuelle Devos and Chiara Mastroianni, for the two works cited (but also Sandrine Kiberlain in other films by the director) were the performers. Here, Agnès Jaoui plays Barberie Bichette, nicknamed Barbie, thus entering, for the first and final time, into the world of Sophie Fillières. For, certainly, one of his most beautiful compositions. The combination of solidity and tightrope walking that emanates from the actress works wonders.

Sophie Fillières’ films approach the limits of realism to embark on paths where humor resonates like a poetry of the absurd.

The filmmaker’s world, what is it? The introduction gives a good idea. Where Barberie’s face appears in close-up, three-quarter facing, looking at his computer screen. She is preparing to write a text, the title of which will be that of the film. But first, she looks for which font best matches what she is going to write. The episode has comical overtones, with Barberie fumbling and clicking on the “Arial Hebrew” font, for example, which turns all the signs into squares. But it also suggests that the text cannot exist without a aesthetic, even if, in this case, it only concerns its external form. The films of Sophie Fillières are like this, in particular My life my face : singular, they approach the limits of realism to embark on paths where humor resonates like a poetry of the absurd, and underground madness like a quest for meaning.

Barberie Bichette lives alone with two grown children. She is clearly uncomfortable with herself and her appearance, and occasionally receives a blow to the head when she accidentally overhears her daughter telling a friend that no one can want to sleep with their mother. As expected, Barberie does an analysis, but his psychologist does not seem sufficiently involved. Finally, she is a writer, a poet perhaps. An absurd scene shows her being awaited by the managers of a company for a marketing meeting: she arrives, writes a poem of her own on a board, and leaves immediately.

Words, games with them, have always had a central role at Sophie Fillières. Here, Barberie begins to call everyone Fanfan, the syllable “an” becomes invasive, and the character who, reluctantly, triggers a crisis in her is called Bertrand (Laurent Capelluto). The filmmaker integrates the slippage of language into what she films opacity between Barberie and the world. Sophie Fillières paid particular attention to language and writing: the beautiful text signed by her hand included in the press kit also testifies to this.

The film is divided into three parts, entitled “Pif”, “Paf” and “Youkou! “. “Paf” takes place in a hospital where Barberie is being treated for depression. There, among other things, the patient works on a sculpture of her own face, thus projecting herself into a material, as the filmmaker has projected in her character, not really her while being very inspired by it: for example, Sophie Fillières also has two grown children: the actress Agathe Bonitzer and the director Adam Bonitzer, who, at the request of their mother before disappearing, performed the assembly of My life my face and so finished the film.

When you think it’s the end, it’s not always the end: the filmmaker has added a little addendum to her third part, “Youkou! », in which Barberie expresses a need for existential escape and reconciliation. Thanks to a brief, non-trivial plan, Sophie Fillières added a touch of hope for those (still) alive. She couldn’t be more generousat the end of a film where it is not death that triumphs but cinema.

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Rough diamond

You have to imagine a character like Rosetta, but a girly Rosetta or her bimbo version, with the golden skin of the inhabitants of the south of France (Fréjus). Over-feminized : exuberant mouth, hair enhanced by highlights, redone chest and plenty of rhinestones right down to the tips of her high-heeled platform shoes. Such is Liane, 19 years old (Malou Khebizi), heroine of Rough diamond, the first feature film by Agathe Riedinger which opened the competition. With a strong character, resistant to any sign of domination, resourceful even in the way of stealing from stores. Her approach, shoulders forward always ready to charge forward, contradicts her self-sacrifice in matching the beauty standards of influencers.

Liane only has her dream of accessing a television show reality show, who called her to a casting, to hope to escape from her life without horizon. An absent father, conflicting relationships with a mother who previously sent her to a shelter, an employment counselor who recommends patience. ” I can not wait anymore ! », Liane tells him. Suddenly we are at Ken Loach or, more surely because the first-time director claims her influence, at Andrea Arnold (who, herself, is competing in the Cannes queen selection, with Bird).

As an extension of his short film, I’m waiting for Jupiterwhich told the same story, Agathe Riedinger would have liked to sign a beautiful portrait of a young girl too often despised socially and culturally – even if the film in no way praises what reality TV conveys. Especially since she found a wonderful actress with Malou Khebizi who, until then, had never filmed. On all levels, she impresses with her accuracy and generosity.

The film suffers from a lack of freedom, understandable for a first feature film.

But the filmmaker wanted to go beyond naturalism by adding touches artistic, even metaphysical (the novena to Saint Joseph recited, the scarification in the shape of a cross that Liane imposes on herself). The idea of ​​moving in the same shot on go-go dancers from a rap song to cello style Suites by Bach surprises for the first time and can seduce. But the tenth “sublimating” intervention of this instrument, however wonderful, is stunning.

Rough diamond sin by a lack of freedom, understandable for a first feature film. Selecting it in competition, a pitiless exhibition venue, was perhaps not the best idea.

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