Blast from the Past: Movies about Actors and Acting Schools
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi directed Forever Young (French: Les Amandiers) comedy-drama, which is a semi-autobiographical account of her experiences as a young actress in the 1980s.
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Theatrical release poster
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Set in the late 1980s, the film follows a group of young actors who enter into Les Amandiers, the prestigious acting school founded by Patrice Chéreau and Pierre Romans.
Over the course of a few months, these young people bare their souls, form new friendships and fall in love, discover the joyous and painful realities of love, and come of age quicker than they had anticipated, all events set against the backdrop of a changing culture.
Greeted with positive reviews upon premiering at the 2022 Cannes Film Fest (In Competition) Forever Young (not a very apt or accurate title) was only moderately popular at the box-office.
Controversy
In November 2022, the newspaper “Le Parisien” reported that Sofiane Bennacer, the film’s male star, had been indicted for sexual and physical abuse against multiple women. In response, the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma removed Bennacer from their annual Revelations List, and multiple cinemas cancelled their screenings of the film.
The women also denounced director Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, alleging that she had created an atmosphere of omertà on the set. Bruni Tedeschi admitted to being aware of the rumors surrounding Bennacer, but decided to give him the part anyway.
Bennacer denied the abuse allegations, posting on his Instagram account: “Does the presumption of innocence still exist? Or are we in a state of lawlessness, a state where a simple baseless accusation can destroy someone’s life?” Bruni Tedeschi, who at the time was Bennacer’s partner, denounced the allegations as a “media lynching.” Carla Bruni, the younger sister of Bruni Tedeschi, also denounced the allegations on the grounds of “presumption of innocence.”
Cast
Nadia Tereszkiewicz as Stella
Sofiane Bennacer as Étienne
Louis Garrel as Patrice Chéreau
Micha Lescot as Pierre Romans
Clara Bretheau as Adèle
Vassili Schneider as Victor
Eva Danino as Claire
Oscar Lesage as Stéphane
Sarah Henochsberg as Laurence
Liv Henneguier as Juliette
Baptiste Carrion-Weiss as Baptiste
Alexia Chardard as Camille
Léna Garrel as Anaïs
Noham Edje as Franck
Suzanne Lindon as The Waitress
Franck Demules as The Guardian
Isabelle Renauld as Chéreau’s Assistant
Sandra Nkaké as Susan
Bernard Nissille as Gaspard
Lolita Chammah as Costume Designer (non-speaking)
Credits:
Directed by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
Written by Noémie Lvovsky, Caroline Deruas-Garrel, Tedeschi
Produced by Alexandra Henochsberg
Cinematography Julien Poupard
Edited by Anne Weil
Production: Vitam Production, Agat Films, Arte France Cinéma, Bibi Film
Distributed by Ad Vitam Distribution
Release dates: May 22, 2022 (Cannes Fest); Nov 16, 2022 (France)
Running time: 125 minutes
Box office $1.9 million
Films by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
It’s Easier for a Camel… (2003)
Actrices (2007)
A Castle in Italy (2013)
The Summer House (2018(
Forever Young (2022)
