A More Beautiful Life is over: A look back at the final weeks of filming

The ax fell on May 5. After months of rumors that left little doubt about the fate of the series, France 3 has officially announced the end of Plus belle la vie. A real shock for the viewers of the channel, who have been following the adventures of the inhabitants of Mistral, a small fictional district of Marseille, for more than 18 years.

Despite a rocky start, Plus belle la vie, which initially struggled to find its audience, quickly became a mainstay of the French audiovisual landscape. Every night, Monday through Friday, nearly 5 million viewers flocked to their television screens to find out what would happen to Thomas, Roland, Blanche and the others.

But the evolution that television has undergone in recent years, with the arrival of various streaming platforms, but also with the emergence of competition, with the launch of Tomorrow belongs to us, Un si grand soleil and here it all begins, has become better. The series, whose viewership gradually fell. Newen’s acquisition of TF1, the production company of Plus belle la vie, certainly did not play in the series’ favor…

Faced with these many parameters, France 3 announced in May that Plus belle la vie will bow on November 18 with a special bonus that will bring back many of the key characters that have marked the series over the years and that will also provide. A fitting end to this now iconic series.

When filming ended last Thursday, Allocine traveled to Marseilles at the end of August to the studio of La belle de Mai to meet the actors as well as the technical teams that made Plus belle la vie come to life for the last time.

Over the years and through many interviews given by the actors, there is one word that does not stick, and that is the word “family”. Like the characters of Fast and Furious, Plus belle la vie prides itself on being a big family, its members, whether they are actors, extras or part-time workers, help and support each other.

It is certain that over the course of 18 years, very strong bonds have been formed between the various members of the team. A consistency that is definitely felt as soon as you step foot on the set. Everyone calls each other by name, jokes and tells their colleagues about their latest adventures.

And there were no recruits left. Meryl B, who made her debut on the show this summer, was welcomed by her new cast mates with open arms. “Everyone is very patient because I have no acting experience.– he told us before addingThe whole team was cool.”

There is no distinction between actors and technical teams. There is only respect, everyone treats each other as equals. During the meal, the actors, cameramen and sound engineers mingle to talk about the rain and the good weather, make jokes or even plan the next evening.

Of course, beneath those carefree airs, the Plus belle la vie stop is on everyone’s lips. Each day of filming ends with a new farewell party. It is probably Rebecca Hampton, Celine Fremont’s interpreter, who best explained the feeling that prevails in the studios.

“We are going through a moment that is fundamentally sad because every day someone leaves. It’s all the more difficult because it’s a stretch stop. We cannot say goodbye once and for all. No, it’s like a daisy where we peel off the petals every day.“

As time passes, actors and technical crews gradually leave the studio and never return. A palpable sadness that everyone seems to want to push aside to make the most of their final moments.

Plus belle la vie revolutionized the television series genre in France. If daily soap operas were (and are) legion in the United States, this genre did not really exist in France. Plus belle la vie is also the first series in the history of television to pass the thousandth episode mark on July 11, 2008.

Those who say daily rhythm, of course, say a well-established organization. Where the average French soap opera takes several months to produce around ten episodes, Plus belle la vie was filmed Monday through Friday, or even Saturday if necessary, every week, 52 weeks a year. Therefore, a well-established production network was needed to offer viewers at least 260 episodes per year.

Where a day for a movie is about 2 useful minutes, a day for a daily soap opera is about 25 useful minutes. A brutal pace that leaves no room for error and offers newcomers an unparalleled workout.

“It was an amazing school“, Aurel Vanek confided during the interview, in which he returned to his experience in the series.I filmed in the series for ten years and filmed more than two thousand episodes. I had to pick up the vocabulary of the trade quickly to understand what we were talking about, I had to learn to be extremely efficient, because time is very important on the set of a daily newspaper. It was incredible training for a young actor.“

Technical teams are also not excluded. Plus belle la vie has become a real audiovisual school for business people. Young graduates cut their teeth on the series before taking off on new projects on their own.

“There are people who came as interns and came out as directors, cinematographers or even producers.” explains Serge Dupierre (Vincent Chaumet), who witnessed the start of the series in 2004.

“Plus belle la vie is probably the best audiovisual school that France has had…“Therefore, the end of the series is a real blow, not only in terms of employment, but also in terms of training.

It is the subject of all conversation. What will happen after the end of the series? During the coffee break, everyone discusses the future, with more or less anxiety. To help with the transition, Newen and France Télévisions have created a support department to provide them with the best possible support.

But talking to people on set, we quickly learn that some will probably have a harder time coming back than others. Intermittent workers who are used to moving from shoot to shoot know that they can easily find another series to work on.

They are used to it, it is their everyday life. Some will most likely join Here It All Begins and Tomorrow Belongs to Us, two of Newen’s other series. Others will remain in Marseille, with France Télévisions having committed to continuing production in the region.

As for actors, the task seems more difficult. If they are willing to play on other programs, daily or not, the Plus belle la vie image risks being etched on their skin. Their faces are directly tied to the France 3 series…

And the intense shooting schedule didn’t make it easy for them to prepare for the sequel. If some actors chose parallel projects, for example the young Marie Malia (Lola), who is currently in the cast of Les Combattantes or Simon Erlacher (Roman Vidal), who will star in the series Amazon Escort Boys with Guillaume Labbe, others. preferred to devote 100% to Plus belle la vie.

This is the case of Caroline Ryu, who came to Mistral in 2014 as Laetitia Bellesta. “When you’re 20 years old and have your life ahead of you, you know you’re going to go back. On the other hand, when you are a little over 40, you will have to fight to get aheadHe explained. How can we return after 5.10 or even 15 years in the same series? Who would be willing to hire an actor so identified by the audience? Answer in coming months…

If many still hope that the series will survive, the closer the fateful date of the last episode airs, the more the chances decrease. On September 29, the lights went out for the last time on the sets of Belle de Mai, the moment everyone dreaded.

And if everyone realizes how lucky they are to work on such an important series as it is, it’s still sad to say goodbye. Meanwhile, Plus belle la vie continues every evening from Monday to Friday at 20:20 on France 3 until Friday 18 November.