To see at the cinema: Is the novel of honor Roshdi Zem inspired by a true story?

What is it about?

Paris 1887. At that time, only dueling was used to protect one’s dignity. Clément Lacazé, a charismatic fencing master, finds himself in a spiral of devastating violence. He meets Marie-Rose Astier, a feminist ahead of her time, and decides to teach her the difficult art of dueling. They will face provocations and join forces to defend their honor.

Seven years after filming Alone in Berlin, Swiss actor and filmmaker Vincent Pérez returns to direct, an honor filled by Roshdi Zemm, Doria Tillier, Guillaume Gallien and Damien Bonnard. His 4th feature film this time is set in France and is a period film with a backdrop of dueling and fencing.

The case of honor combines both real and fictional facts. Vincent Perez, who co-wrote the screenplay with Carine Silla, claims he did extensive research to substantiate his remarks as accurately as possible.

“Through fascinating research into all the real and unusual stories surrounding the duel, I finally came up with a character who would be the backbone of my story: an ex-soldier, quiet, rather tough, who embodies the idea of ​​the Master’s nobility. weapon and which has the form of immaterial purity. I imagined that this man, devastated by the destruction of 70 years and the death of many of his friends, who had gone through horrors, would in his own way become a kind of “samurai”.“And let’s add:”When “my” Clement Lacazette was completely “drawn”, I realized that he looked like the ideal hero of my childhood..

If Clément Lacazé, the main character of the film, played by Roshdi Zemi, was born from the imagination of Vincent Perez and Carine Silla, this does not apply to all the characters of the film. Like Ferdinand Massat, played by Damien Bonnard, who really existed? “He really made fun of women and really struggled. His misogyny, like that of many of his colleagues, would be unthinkable today“, – specifies Vincent Perez in the press conference of the film.

But the main “discovery” of the film is the character played by Doria Tillier, in this case Marie-Rose Astier de Valseire. Vincent Perez’s film gives a lot of space to this character, again based on real events. Disturbed by its modernity, the screenwriter took more space than expected in the finished film.

“He was a musician, composer, widower and was an ambulance driver during the 70 years war. Despite the hardships of her existence, she devoted her (multiple) talents to demanding women’s rights and equal pay. , the right to vote, etc. Which was incredibly daring in the late 19th century. When you read his writings, today you would say the writings of a woman! In a macho, strict and patriarchal society, he dared to embody the future.”

Spoiler:
At the end of the film, Vincent Perez leaves the audience and points to the established facts of the film, namely Marie-Rose Astier de Valseire. The duel lasted more than a millennium in France, falling into disuse after World War II. Marie-Rose Astier de Valseire fought many times with the sword… but also for equal pay, access to all studies and professions for women, and women’s right to vote. “She fought all her life against the law that forbade women from wearing pants… a forgotten law that was only repealed in 2013.”

An Affair of Honor hits theaters this Wednesday, December 27, 2023.