“Rebels or the art of hustling”. The title of this collection of France 5 documentaries seemed to call for Béatrice Dalle. The new issue, broadcast this Friday at 10:45 p.m., is dedicated to him. But in the eyes of its director, Elise Baudouin, “rebels” is “too nice” a word to designate the star: she believes that “indocile” suits her better because “she doesn’t stay still”.
The documentary, lasting one hour, is the result of conversations between the two women, which began more than a year ago. Béatrice Dalle is the only one to speak in voice-over. She reacts to archive images, personal photographs, television interviews, making of filming…
There is of course a question of 37°2 in the morning the cult work of Jean-Jacques Beineix who revealed it in 1986, of his unwavering bond with Dominique Besnehard, who discovered it and remained his agent for twenty years, or of his favorite role, that of the anthropophagus of Trouble Every Day by Claire Denis. The actress doesn’t give up. She admits to having “been addicted to the hero for ten years” and specifies: “it didn’t stop me from filming, it didn’t stop me from anything”. When the documentary touches on an area that she considers too private, such as her relationship with director Jim Jarmusch, which she describes as “poetic, so brilliant, so shy”, she modestly cuts it short: “it was complicated between us, “So much has happened, I don’t want to talk about it.”
His response to PPDA applauded by the cameramen
Regarding her childhood in Sarthe, she reveals having been sexually assaulted by her grandfather when she was 6 years old. ” When we [sa cousine et elle] told the women in our family about it, we were called liars. I said, “You don’t believe me? OK. I’ll continue on my way.” » “I don’t like the idea of being a victim,” she adds.
At the end of the 1980s, in a Thierry Ardisson show, Serge Gainsbourg told him “you have wicked eyes”. She smiled, taken aback. Off camera, she says, she blurted out to him: “You know, I’m 20 years old, and all of a sudden you’re speaking badly to me. I find that a bit pointless. » He then apologizes to her and suggests that she “meet up on an LP”. Answer: “never, I’m not a singer”.
In 1992, in the 20 hours from TF1, Patrick Poivre d’Arvor pushes her to her limits by alluding to her conviction for jewelry theft. “And you, do you regret certain letters you sent me? », she replies at the end of this sequence passed down to posterity. “He was contrite,” recounts Béatrice Dalle in the documentary. Afterwards, all the cameramen applauded me. Everyone congratulated me, including François Mitterrand. »
“Nothing to worry about”
We may regret not hearing the star discuss, for example, his theatrical career or his friendship with Virginie Despentes, but we cannot criticize the documentary for being hagiographic or complacent. At the beginning of October, when the result was previewed in Paris, Elise Baudouin warned: “Béatrice preferred not to see the film until this evening. She therefore gave up the opportunity to change the slightest comma, this proves her taste for freedom, for freedom of expression. »
In any case, from the first minutes of this commented portrait the main person concerned assures: “I have never done anything in my life of which I am ashamed. » Three words come back frequently in his mouth during an hour: “nothing to worry about”. The word that would best describe Béatrice Dalle would undoubtedly be “unapologetic”, an English term which does not really have an equivalent in French or, rather, which should condense several translations: without apologizing, unrepentant, without complexes.