Arte starts broadcasting the series Tomorrow’s World this Thursday, October 20 at 8:55 PM. In this highly successful French fiction, now available on Arte.tv, viewers dive into the 1980s, when hip-hop was experiencing its first hours in France.
To navigate this fast-paced environment, the community follows the adventures and experiences of a group of likable and up-and-coming youngsters led by Bruno Lopez and Didier Morville, the future of the legendary rap group NTM, Cole Sheen and Joey Starr. Actors Anthony Bajon and Melvin Boomer slip into the shoes of the protagonists, who were still only teenagers at the time.
With AlloCiné, the acting duo returned to this ambitious project. Anthony Bajon (of Earth, Athena) and Melvin Boomer (of Breakdancing World) in particular detailed the colossal amount of preparation they did to best portray the iconic artists.
Were you familiar with the world of hip-hop and NTM before you took part in The World of Tomorrow?
Melvin Boomer: Yes, because as a dancer I know this culture, past and present. These weren’t the sounds I was used to hearing at all, but we often danced between them. Here was the learning side for me.
Anthony Bajon: I think I’m the least hip-hop guy on the show! I didn’t grow up with these basics, but I discovered them thanks to Melvin and the directors, thanks to the archives, thanks to work… I also watched videos, read articles. Having Melvin was also really cool because he was able to shape who he is, his identity. He was very hot and always challenged me. I forced myself to die trying to obey me and vice versa.
How were you originally introduced to your characters Joystar and Cool Shen?
MB: In fact, they were not described that way to us. Instead we went looking for ourselves. And we realized the complexity of these characters, who are, in fact, primarily Didier Morville and Bruno Lopez.
AB: We also discovered them through the script: who they were, their identities, their sensibilities. Then, once we met them, in real life, I think it was a different turn. We saw that they spoke like this, looked like this, walked like this, behaved like this…
What was it like to work with Joystar and Cool You, the real heroes of this story?
AB: We worked with them a lot. They were very thorough and demanding, which is normal. We also used YouTube archives. We watched a lot of clips, a lot of interviews, and it really helped shape the characters.
Did you learn to dance, rap, graffiti for the series?
AB: Yes, because we have to be very precise. For break steps or graffiti signatures, respect for the artists was essential. We couldn’t do anything.
MB: The guy put his signature on the wall and come on, don’t learn to do that… it would be disrespectful. We were not rappers either, and there was a lot of knowledge. We worked a lot.
AB: Actually, there’s dancing, rapping, and captions, but that’s only 10% of the series. It is gestures, their movement and speech that required us to do important and difficult work. We tried to pull each other up, modestly.
MB: True, it’s more part of the series, these little details that we don’t realize.
Did you enjoy immersing yourself in the 1980s with these clothing styles and sets?
AB: I think we’re all fans of the clothes on the show (laughs). I was disappointed with some of the pieces that Melvin had because my character was more straight and classic. Beyond the clothes, navigating the culture of the time, seeing how they were checking each other out, for example… it made us laugh a lot.
MB: There are things that change and there are things that come back today. Me, all Joey’s clothes, they’re in my closet! I took it all back. (laughs)
Hip-hop was born to convey a message, it was a culture with political value. Is this still the case in your opinion?
AB: It’s still so relevant. We realize that the innovations remain the same and the obligations remain the same as they were then. There are still guys who portray this reality.
Why do you think the government was so repressive when this movement emerged?
MB: fear of the unknown It was a form of revolution.
AB: Suddenly there is a movement with people who are very committed and we don’t know what they want. He shouts, sticks things on the wall, wants to talk… I think the government was afraid and found the coming of this whole generation very dizzy.
Art appears as a means of survival in the series. It is what allows you to change your destiny, to exist differently, to express yourself… Does art still have this function today?
MB: It is what allows me to vibrate and live, me. Today we are going to have a boy on stage and he will conquer the whole crowd. Because art is important. Now some people want to lock everything up because art speaks and says something. And if you say too much, it’s bad for some people… So we tighten the screw and that’s sad.
Source: allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
