Frères, in theaters on April 24, tells the true story of two little boys, Michel and Patrice, ages 5 and 7. In 1948, their mother abandoned them and ran away to the forest. They survive there for seven years and form a bond that will unite them forever.
True or embellished story?
To make this film, director Olivier Casas based himself on the story of Michel de Robert, who survived in the forest with his brother in the 1950s. South-westThis story has been called into question, leading to controversy.
Two brothers survived near Les Boucholeurs, a former sweatshop village located in the commune of Chatelain in Charente-Maritime. According to the Sud Ouest investigation, several major inconsistencies call into question the story, especially the chronology of the facts.
According to the newspaper, Olivier Casas contacted the Rochelles specialist during his American stay in Charente-Maritime in order to prepare a feature film. We were then in 2020. Relatively unbelievably, this man quickly discovered problems with the chronology of events, namely the existence of an American base established in 1956, not 1951, which did not match the facts.
He expresses his doubts to the film crew; This story does not hold water for him. “I’m a diplomat, so I tell them it’s not compatible. But they didn’t listen to my arguments. They wanted to know what suited them. And what I told them didn’t suit them.”he emphasized in the columns of Sud Ouest.
Therefore, the production will continue to work without the help of this person. Moreover, according to the newspaper, “No one has ever heard of such an adventure at Boucholeurs.” moreover, “What is the probability that two children aged 5 and 7 will survive that many years in the forest?” None, rate the survival specialists contacted by Sud Ouest. Moreover, how did no one notice for so long?, the residents of the region are surprised.
The director defends himself
The media was able to speak with director Olivier Casa, who defends his vision. “It is clear that I did not shoot a documentary film. This is a story inspired by real events and there are scenes that come and go depending on the production. We left out some parts for financial and timing issues.explains the film director.
Of course, I haven’t made a documentary.
“I didn’t have the financial means to shoot at the American base. I scouted the Rochefort Aviation Museum and the association was ready to launch the planes. It’s a death in the soul that we didn’t restore the entrance to Croix-Chapeau. It’s not an artistic choice, but the film, therefore, neglects a little help from children.Olivier Casas admits.
The spectacular dimension of their survival was never my driving force, nor was it Michelle’s.
“Michel de Robert still has memories of people who were less harsh on them, who were able to help them. But the film project was not the desire to toughen their lives. The spectacular dimension of their survival that “never existed”. My driving force was and Neither did Michelleadds the director.
The latter, who has known Michel de Robert for more than 20 years, believes his friend’s story. Why did no one notice the presence of the two brothers? According to the filmmaker, “They were seen, of course, but no one cared because there were others. Michel and Patrice were seen by a lot of people who didn’t ask questions.”Olivier Casas points out.
It’s crazy, already at that time we didn’t exist for anyone, and now they tell us that we didn’t exist, we weren’t even in Buchol to delete something again.
The director believes that he has “Enough elements of verification, people corroborating this story, that they have no doubts about the truth of the facts.” For his part, Michel de Robert said that he was very hurt by this controversy: “It’s crazy, already at that time we didn’t exist for anyone, and now they tell us that we didn’t exist, that we weren’t even in Buchols, that the new time was destroyed.”
Frères, hosted by Mathieu Kasowitz and Ivan Attal, has attracted more than 500,000 viewers since its release. Rated 4.1 by AlloCiné viewers, Olivier Casas’ drama was well received despite controversy over the liberties taken with the real facts. If you want to make up your own mind, the movie is still in theaters.
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.
