IFFI-2008 - International Film Festival of India

COMPETITION
CINEMA OF THE WORLD
IFFI-2008
France
Life Artiste / La Vie d'Artiste
2007, 35 mm, Colour, 107 mins, French
Director
Marc Fitoussi
Screenplay
Marc Fitoussi
Cinematography
Pénélope Pourriat
Editor
Serge Turquier
Music
Tim Gane
Seán O'Hagan
Cast
Sandrine Kiberlain (Alice), Émilie Dequenne (Cora), Denis
Podalydès (Bertrand), Valérie Benguigui (Solange), Grégoire
Leprince-Ringuet (Frédéric)
Production Design
Emmanuel de Chauvigny
Costumes
Anne Schotte
Production
Haut et Court
Festivals & Awards
London
Ostensibly a frothily good-natured French social comedy, this film bristles with
trenchant observations and sometimes cruel verities about the frustrations of creative
pursuit. Interlocking narratives see three characters pursue their solitary aspirations to
artistic excellence. Alice has found considerable success providing voice-overs for
Japanese anime, but fears that legit recognition in the acting world is slipping out of her
grasp. Cora is a would-be chanteuse working as a karaoke hostess, who reveres the
tradition of French chanson, but cannot find her place in the 21st-century pop universe.
And Bertrand is a teacher obsessed with completing that elusive second novel, and
prepared to compromise himself horribly in the hope of reviving his flagging muse.
Disaster, humiliation and bad judgment await all three characters round every corner, but
Fitoussi guides his trio to eventual self-knowledge with compassion and satisfying
mischief.
Marc Fitoussi has directed several movies during his career. Some of them are:
Éducation anglaise, L' (2006), Bonbon au poivre (2005), Illustre inconnue (2004),
Sachez chasser (2002) and Ma vie active (1999).
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