This is a French comedy that will spark debate this year! We will explain why!

The Alpe d’Huez Comedy Festival ends this Sunday, January 12th. About thirty short feature films were screened there, including 10 competitive feature films.

Ranging from cop comedies to family comedies, including romantic comedies, this highly eclectic selection was a great overview of comedies that will be talked about throughout the year and possibly meet a large audience during their release. with this festival label. Alpe d’Huez is particularly associated with the success of films such as All That Shines by Leila Becht and Geraldine Nakache, or L’Ascension by Ahmed Silla.

The prize list was revealed yesterday evening, namely Avignon by Johann Dionne (3 prizes, including the main prize) and Le Respondeur by Fabien Gaudet (Audience Prize).

But we wanted to focus on another award-winning film of this 2025 vintage: A Mix of Genres (formerly known under the title “Pourvu qu’il se soi”) stood out thanks to the prize for its leading actor’s interpretation. Benjamin Laverne (recently seen in the hit film En fanfare).

A comedy inspired by the #MeToo movement

Directed by Michel Leclerc, this film will undoubtedly be one of the most talked about French comedies this year. Its release has just been announced: it will be in theaters on April 16.

As its name suggests, The Mix of Genres crosses genres. There’s burlesque, Francis Weber-style situation comedy (the big blonde with black shoes was the inspiration), police comedy, and finally a more public register, depending on the topics it deals with. Why will this film cause a reaction? Precisely because of the topics it deals with. Let’s be honest: Feminism and Me is also central to this film, and the idea of ​​using it as an excuse for comedy might raise questions.

The description, as reported on AlloCiné, has already been followed by a response on social networks.

Here is the official pitch for the film:simone (Leah Drucker), a police officer with conservative ideas, infiltrates a feminist collective, the Hardies. She investigates activists she suspects of complicity in the murder of her abusive husband. Through contact with them, Simone gradually opens up to feminist ideas. However, its cover is thin. And the Hardys, guessing that there is a mole in their midst, begin to suspect him.

To distract herself from this mess, Simone finds nothing better than to accidentally accuse a man of sexually assaulting her. Now, Paul (Benjamin Laverne), this man he blames, a failed actor who lives in his wife’s shadow (Julia Piaton), is the most gentle and harmless man. Simone, devastated by what she has done, tries to make amends for her crime, but it is too late: the accusation becomes public and Paul becomes the target of the collective.“

The film’s director and co-writer, Michel Leclerc, is widely known for the surprise success of Le Nom des gens, a comedy with Sarah Forestier that came out 15 years ago. He already had quite spicy humor based on modern themes.

The movie is much more complicated than that

AlloCiné was able to speak with Michel Leclerc the day after the first public screening of his new film to find out more about his approach. For people wondering that we could make a comedy about this subject, at the risk of discrediting the movement myself, here’s what Michel Leclerc had to say:

“I like this phrase that a friend told me: It’s better to start from a cliché than to return to it. So yes, I’m actually starting from the cliché that is the false accusation story and meI know this can be controversial.

I think the movie is much more complicated than that. The film depicts different points of view embodied by different characters on this topic of feminism. I think the film provides a basis for debate.

This is a film that I hope will spark debate. That’s what it’s really made for.”

That’s how I’ve always seen cinema, that is, approaching the subject and trying to express it with different characters, from different points of view, so that everyone can position themselves in relation to the film.

I really hope that this will be a film where each viewer will come away with a different idea and maybe leave wanting to talk to their neighbor to find out who they feel closest to, if there is someone who hit them or not. And I’m in favor of the fact that when I watch a movie, it brings me back to something, maybe a question, a debate. This is the movie that was made for it. And which is primarily a comedy. I hope so Let’s have a nice time. And then, I hope, it’s a film that sparks debate. It’s definitely built for that.“

He continues: “It is a film with an inverted front, that is, where a female character played by Leah Drucker, who has taken a place in a man’s world – and who has all the stigmas of masculinity – is opposed to a male character (Benjamin Lavernhe), who has quite a few characteristics that belong to women. Both stand facing each other and meet halfway. This is also interesting, it throws things back.”

What was the starting point of the idea for this film?

What was the starting point of this project? Michel Leclerc explains that his questions led to this idea for the film.

“When there’s a subject that’s hard for me to think about, it inspires me, in this case, for a man like me to cross this movement about it, from an angle exactly like mine, and try to think about things, to know how I react to all these questions, to know what kind of man I am.

To try to build a film around, for example, a male character that I wanted to be a gentle character, modeled more on – which is obviously my case – Alain Souchon and Michel Berger than Stallone or John. Wayne. See what it does to me.

I wanted to make a man like me afraid of talking about feminism

That’s why I wanted to talk about it. Knowing that obviously no one is expecting me on a topic like this, obviously I know and I know that we might get hits. But I realize you always have to face your fears too. So I wanted to confront the fear of a man like me talking about feminism.”

We’ll have more of this interview as we get closer to the film’s release on April 16, 2025. This first article aims to accompany the first reactions generated by the film at the Alpe d’Huez Festival and thus explain the intentions of Michel Leclerc. .

An eclectic cast full of surprises

The film’s cast includes Lea Drucker and Benjamin Laverne in the lead roles, as well as Judith Chemla, Julia Piaton and Mela Bedia.

Two personalities from the music world also appear for the first time in a feature film: Vincent Delerme appears on the piano and sings in the main scene of the film. And in a few scenes, we’ll also be able to recognize a well-recognized face of the Star Academy Class of 2024-2025 viewers: Marguerite Dedeyan.

An appearance of a young actor known to Star Ac viewers!

How did Margarita from Star Academy appear on the screen? Michel Leclerc spoke to AlloCiné about this.

“It’s quite funny because he was the assistant of the person who played the supporting roles. He spoke to the actors and actresses we were casting. I thought he delivered the lines really well and was a really good actor. That’s why I offered him such a role.

I had no idea she was going to star academy because it was before that. But I immediately noticed that he had something special, a special charm and a special lightness. Especially for some comedy. So I actually chose that, not knowing that he was going to star academy. He is a good actor, of course. He really has a sense of rhythm.

I got along very well, he is very funny.“

Michel Leclerc’s mash-up of genres hits theaters on April 16, 2025.

Comments collected on the 2025 Alpe d’Huez Festival