First there was the announcement of the presence of Maribere Maureen in the cast, and in the main role. Then the poster representing her as a woman surrounded by men.

As questions abound about the mass follow-up of the condemnations of the attacks, we cannot say that the film Arlette It seems harmless.

It’s a tale with royal accents, so it stars Mariebere Morin as a public figure who becomes, with a wave of a magic wand or almost, Quebec’s Minister of Culture.

We met director Marielope Wolff.

Let’s get into the thick of it : You knew that Mariebere Maureen’s casting as Arlette would not go unnoticed. Was there an element of provocation on your part?

Marielope Wolf : zero. (laughs) Because by the time she was doing the auditions, she had already been repurposed for the projects. In fact, this project was attached to another director several years ago, and Maribere had already been contacted at that time. The role already suits him; We knew that somewhere it was Arlette. When I got on the plane, I was already told about it. And when I did the tests, it was about a year later, already a bit late. In my opinion, it was not up to me to decide. I was told she is back at work. she would glitch And her documentary, it was still her spokesperson contract which ultimately didn’t work out. So she came to audition, it was excellent, and then I re-tested it four times. This was the first time I had gone through such a long process, but the longer it took, the more unique it became. Technically, it asserted itself. Of course, there was everything else, too.

But I am not a judicially strict person; I think in a second chance. A part of me says to itself: It’s a story from the past and it’s theirs. Having said that, I didn’t think it would make much noise.

There is a fairly strong mirror effect between Arlette’s personality and Maureen’s public figure. She says in one of the stages of the movie : ” I have more friends. Everyone hates me »A sentence one could imagine was actually said…

MW : Certainly. This particularly affected me. In the audition, she said some sentences so fueled by her past that it moved me.

There is a bit of the mix between reality and fantasy that can hurt, but I was seduced, because through it there was something fragile and emotional.

themes of the film – the superficiality of the image; How it is used social networking; Comments – in her mouth she was doubly fed. It’s a double-edged sword, but I chose to at least try.

Outside of politics, it is above all a movie about the public image. Do you see this in general, and in politics in particular, very important?

MW : What women go through in politics – especially on social media – is a topic that interests me. And I wanted to put a strong woman in front, even if she would be used precisely because of her image, but she also knows how to play. It’s a movie about power games. In politics, you have to win everyone’s approval, or you lose. I love this game, and it actually reflects our community.

It’s a satirical comedy, but very objective: it’s still very difficult for women in politics; It requires courage and mental strength.

Wouldn’t the royal images covering the film contradict the idea of ​​the newsletter?

MW : The author’s suggestion was to compare the game of politics and the game of the court, and show that laws did not necessarily evolve. This is what I like the most. I love everything visual, pictures, and music. It has been a passion since childhood, and at the author’s suggestion there is something visually and musically powerful. All the music was written in the script! Marie Vince has already been Lisa Frolla’s press officer, she’s very cultured, musical, and she’s thought of everything. The opera in film, for example, represents the experience of the characters. You must be familiar with. It’s full of references to Voltaire, Louis XIV, or through in-house titles, like a little bit Favorite (Favorite).

I love these subtle analogies that require a little knowledge of culture and history, but don’t stop popular audiences from liking the film’s story.

And visually, they let me not be boring to photograph the grey, beige, and flat political environment!

The film focuses on cultural issues, through a story of a possible tax on the books. We also talk about music, opera, theater, wine…but not cinema!

MW : I know! (laughs) But we’re making a movie. I don’t know why the author didn’t choose that, actually. We had a moment in the theater, another moment we talked about the cinema, but it’s cut off… I had to choose.

But for her, the book is the heart of culture. And with the news of the last few years where we’ve been burning books, it’s been a symbol…

It was a challenge, though, because it’s a very intellectual issue, and I had to make it popular, interesting to people, and with strong enough conflicts between the heroes that everyone would be challenged.

If you became Minister of Culture, what would be your first concrete step?

MW : will not reach! (laughs) But of course it will be about cinema subsidies, in Quebec, in Canada …

As much as we have exceptional public funding for our films, as much as it is limited; Few people can make movies a year.

So that would help the cinema. How? I do not know; I have to think more (laughs).

Arlette, in theaters August 5. Trailer (Source: YouTube)