Here is the first (but undoubtedly not last…) adaptation of a novel by the most read author in France, Mélissa Da Costa, a place previously occupied by Guillaume Musso. Its success began with All the blue of the skya novel initially published in self-publishing, then in the independent publishing house Carnets nord in 2019, in paperback in 2020, and by Albin Michel in 2021. TF1 and Netflix co-financed this production based on the best-seller, already sold to more than 1.5 million copies.
Simultaneously broadcast this Monday in prime time on TF1 and available on Netflix and TF1 +, fiction All the blue of the skyadapted by Claire Lemaréchal and directed by Maurice Barthélemy, follows “the initiatory journey” – as summarized by Mélissa Da Costa – of Emile and Joanne, played by Hugo Becker and Camille Lou. A fiction that gave quite a bit of trouble! Explanations.
All the blue of the sky follows Emile, a young man condemned by a neurodegenerative disease, who decides to leave the hospital and his loved ones, to hit the road with a young stranger, Joanne, who responded to his ad. The start of a long journey, where they will set off to discover themselves and crack their shells. A poignant “ode to freedom”, in the words of Mélissa Da Costa, narrated over some 850 pages.
“Forget the novel! »
“Don’t try to see all the scenes from the book reproduced on the screen. Forget the novel! », Addresses the author to the many fans of the novel feel good. And to explain: “I chose to trust and withdraw.” The novelist met the screenwriter Claire Lemaréchal: “She explained to me her vision of the text. I felt that we had the same vision and the same sensitivity. »
“It was a real challenge to take on this story which is very dense. The first and hardest choice was to remove all the flashbacks. The format did not allow it. We had to try to make them exist with their wealth in the present,” Claire Lemaréchal immediately emphasizes, that 20 Minutes met during a round table organized by TF1.
The author reread the script and made some comments. “I then let go of my editor’s good advice. An author should not be too present because he always has difficulty detaching himself from his work and would like to put everything into it. And then, I write for literature, I don’t know how to write for television and cinema,” explains Mélissa Da Costa.
The screenwriter also wrote scenes that are not in the book. “The karaoke scene scared me. And, actually, she’s great and my mom told me it was the best scene in the movie,” she smiles.
-“The energy of my characters”
Another challenge: finding actors capable of embodying Emile and Joanne, without betraying the essence of the characters. “In this fiction, I completely rediscover the energy of my characters,” greets the author. Camille Lou has this sensitivity, this modesty, this fragility which is entirely that of Joanne. Hugo Becker, whom I knew a little less on screen and whom I discovered on the set, is quite Émile with his casual side. »
“Joanne is a broken woman who will rebuild herself by helping Emile,” comments Camille Lou. “What I really like about Emile is his way of seeing life and living it. I like his humor, which is a form of modesty in disguise. I also like his desire for life and adventure,” says Hugo Becker.
“When you shoot a road movie, everything is complicated”
Putting this crazy escape into images constitutes the third feat. “When you shoot a road movie, everything is complicated. It was a technical film to make: we had to film in the van, which was very small, and change the scenery every day,” relates Maurice Barthélemy. If the action of the novel takes place in a camper van, the director wanted to “find the van that was on the cover of the book”. An iconic yellow Volkswagen combi: “We had to find one that works and doesn’t break down,” explains Maurice Barthélemy.
“We didn’t have time to go to all the places they visit in the novel,” says the director. We filmed near Perpignan, in the Pyrénées-Orientales near Les Angles, in Corbières and on the beaches of Narbonne. The setting plays an important role, and it brings emotion. »
Fans of Mélissa Da Costa will also be able to see the author on screen. “I attended two days of filming and played a small role that Maurice offered me. “, she announces. “I thought it would be nice to make little cameos together,” adds Maurice Barthélemy. “It’s funny because I suddenly gave voice to my characters. It’s a little wink to my readers,” concludes the novelist.
