Warning, spoilers. The following article will reveal the main plot elements of “Under the Grip”.
The French film Sous emprise, directed by David Rosenthal, is based on the true story of Francisco Pipin Ferreras and his wife Audrey Mestre, a famous couple in the world of free diving, an extreme sport in which divers descend tens of meters. oxygen. However, in 2002, Audrey Mestre drowned while trying to break the record in the Dominican Republic: indeed, the compressed air bottle, controlled only by Ferreras, used to inflate the balloon and allow it to rise to the surface, was completely empty and that was it. Then it is impossible for it to quickly rise to the surface.
The film tells the story of “Pascal Gauthier” and “Roxanne Aubrey”, a fictional version of the couple. Gaultier, played by Sofiane Zerman, is portrayed as abusive and jealous of the success of Aubrey, played by Camille Rowe, and strongly implies that she sabotaged the compressed air tank. Released on September 9, 2022, Under the Grip was the most popular non-English movie on Netflix for several weeks.
As reported by Variety , Francisco Ferreras officially filed a defamation lawsuit on Wednesday, claiming that the film portrays him as a murderer. The feature also shows Gauthier suffocating Aubrey during sex and the two characters fooling around, leading to a confrontation before the fatal drowning.
“I don’t know how people can do that– said Francisco Ferreras. “They manipulated history. They told them as they wanted. It really hurts. As the film progressed, I began to ache and ache. Everything was very disturbing. Imagine – without knowing it – that you are watching a movie that talks about your life and your story with your deceased spouse, and it will amaze you.“
Since the feature film’s release, she says she’s been bombarded with accusatory comments on social media, continuing: “Audrey was staged as if she was lying to me. He was an angel.“
“Inspired by true events”?
While Under the Influence also claims to be “based on true events” and contains a disclaimer stating that it is a “work of fiction” and that any resemblance to real people is coincidental, at the end of the film, however, a photo of Audrey Mestre is shown, with a brief note of her death .
Writer David Rosenthal told Variety in an interview that the film was reviewed by lawyers before production, and he doesn’t think Francisco Ferreras has a case against them.
“It is a fiction of stories that have been very well known to the public – from documentaries to numerous articles and books about it.David Rosenthal said. “What I wrote is fiction, with fictional characters…I’m sure he’s trying to make money here against Netflix.“
The couple’s story has indeed been told many times and in many ways over the past 20 years. An ESPN documentary has already been critical of Ferreras and raised concerns about safety standards during the fatal dive. Ferrera’s former business partner Carlos Serra also wrote a book condemning Ferrera and holding him responsible for Audrey Mestre’s death.
A project with James Cameron
Francisco Ferreras has always maintained that his wife’s death was a tragic accident, relying on an account that attributed the malfunction to technical factors. He also wrote his own book: moreover, at one point there was talk of making a film, and he was then working with James Cameron on a project in which we could see Jennifer Lawrence in the role of Audrey Mestre. Francisco Ferreras will also try to release his own documentary on the subject.
His lawyer, Alexander Rufus-Isaacs, said in a statement that the makers of Under the Grip had engaged in “clear and vile defamation”.
“Filmmakers cannot make a film based on a real situation and simply change a few names and disguise it as fiction to escape liability for defamation. I am surprised that the defendants’ lawyers did not strongly advise them to do so. I can see a jury awarding Pippin a very large sum.“
Netflix declined to comment. That’s why we have to follow the case.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
