“Adele Exarchopoulos Looks Like Jeanne Moreau”: Passages of Ira Sachs, Jules and Jimmy from 2023, to see in cinemas

What is it about?

The story of two men who have been together for fifteen years and what happens when one of them has an affair with a woman.

Presented at the Berlin Film Festival and recently at the opening of the Champs-Elysées, Ira Sachs’ new film Passages hits theaters this Wednesday. The story of this love triangle is carried by an excellent trio of actors: Adele Exarchopoulos, Franz Rogowski and Ben Whishaw.

While in Paris, director and co-writer Ira Sachs spoke with AlloCiné and agreed to talk about his inspiration for the film.

When presented with the idea that this love triangle led to the shape of the 2023 version of Julie and Jim, Ira Sachs replied that he accepted the comparison, which also echoes his cinephilia. The American director does not hide his admiration for Francois Truffaut’s cinema. He still specifies that he loves another Truffaut film the most, in this case La Peau douce.

” Soft Skin is one of my favorite movies. It’s also a love triangle like in Passages. Which is a great structure for a movie. » and add: “This Truffaut film was a failure at the box office. And he explained that it was because it was a story that started off bad and went from bad to worse. My film is not like that, but it is true that the novel ends quickly. »

On the subject of Truffaut’s cinema, he continues: When I think of Jules and Jim, I think Jeanne Moreau. For me, Adele Exarchopoulos is really Jeanne Moreau. It exudes the same, and is very down to earth. It is a combination of the Goddess side and the Earth side. These two actors are quite unique. »

Ira Sachs also invoked other moviegoer memories for her new film, even if she admits that not all of these references are necessarily conscious. ” When the movie pops into your head, it’s like they’re family after a while; They are part of your imagination. They then belong to your story and what you are in conflict with. »

“The fact of filming here in Paris and having Adele, I couldn’t resist the history of French cinema. I have benefited from it without being directly involved. It’s not important to me that the viewer can detect the references, but it was part of my language and my enjoyment.. »

He follows: ” My chief cameraman and I talked a lot about Pialati. There is also Cassavete, who had a similar place. » The opening scene of Passages also directly references Maurice Pialat. “There is a documentary about Pialati, which is called Love exists. It is the making of the scene in which we see the film being made police. We see it in action. Pialati objects to the extra and we see Depardieu laughing in the background. »

Another important reference of the film leads us to the cinema of Chantal Akerman. Ira Sachs came up with the movie Me, You, Him, Her on the way to filming quite a few sex scenes in the movie. ” For me, sex scenes are about rhythm. Viewers meet him face to face, in a rather memorable way. And that then belongs to the movie memory. There are scenes where duration is important, and in particular the sex scenes, during which the audience is both inside the scene and kept outside. Its access point is limited. You are in the room, but not in the account! But you are in the room! Something is happening between the two people you are observing. how I you he he. Chantal Akerman shows herself very freely in this film. It is very inspiring. »

Ira Saks answers to the question that she reveals herself through this film: ” Yes, I would say that. I made this film with some freedom because I felt that it would probably not be possible to make such a film in the future. So, as soon as I got the chance, I wanted to trust my instincts.. »

Why does he have the feeling that such a film could no longer be made? “ The pandemic has affected. It was a challenge for the film industry. Globalization has a place in cinema as well. It has to be broad in purpose, to be general, and to me this film is the opposite of broad and general. Rather, I tried to make a special and intimate film. “And to conclude:” It really is a movie about pleasure. Even suffering becomes pleasure. »

Interview and translation by Brigitte Baronet, Paris, Wednesday, June 21, 2023