‘I practiced as a child’: Benoit Magimel recounts his brilliant rap scene in Omar la fraise

Presented at the Midnight Session at the Cannes Film Festival a week ago, Omar La Frazee is currently in cinemas. This feature debut from Elias Belkedar, who co-wrote Romain Gavra’s Athena and Antoine de Bary’s Days of Glory, reunites Reda Kats and Benoit Magimel.

Two French actors play Omar and Roger, two best friends of gangsters in exile in Algeria, who continue their shenanigans. These old-fashioned mobsters, who live by debauchery and violence, use their reputation to keep doing business.

This gangster film moves between all genres with violence, humor and tenderness and connects incredible adventures with careful staging in a sublimated environment. Strawberry Lobster is also worth it for its delicious duet, which makes this refreshing feature film all the salt.

Brilliant rap by Benoit Magimel

And we remember some already iconic scenes, including Roger’s rap scene. Benoit Magimel, introduced at the Cannes Film Festival, explained to us that the idea just came from him:

“That’s what I did when I was a kid. I was into ragamuffin. And then when rap came, it’s culture… My rap path is very close to the late 1980s.

I suggested this to the director. I said to him, “Hey, I’ve got this microphone that’s good.” And that boy is having fun, he’s all alone. This allows him to pass the time. I tried to come up with something that would make me laugh at the time, but that happens with certain people.

And yet, Roger could have other talents than rapping! Benoit Magimel wanted to add another personal know-how to his character, which was also fashionable in the 1980s:

“I love to do squats. At one point I suggested that Roger do squats, but I said if Roger does squats, we have to show him in a scene where there’s violence, raw violence, intense violence. Otherwise, it’s a puppet.

When a person is locked up, choosing that path will be painful for the rest of their lives. Thugs know what they are risking. When you’re locked up, maybe learn to scuba dive to pass the time.”

Alas, there is no squash in the lobster strawberry! But Roger suggests anthology scenes in Elias Belkedar’s film, such as the rap scene, should be remembered for a long time.

Discover the trailer for Omar la fraise, currently in cinemas:

Interview with Megan Choquette at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2023.