And what Fever on Canal+?
The story of Fever begins at the French football awards ceremony. A star is waiting there: Fodé Thiam (Alassane Diong). The Racing champion is the big favorite of the ceremony. However he slips. There he gets up, headbutts his coach and calls him “dirty tubab” (“dirty white” in Wolof), before leaving the scene. The club’s president, François Marens (Benjamin Biolay), will therefore have to manage a crisis that will soon extend beyond the world of football. To do this, he employs a team of communicators, including Sam Berger (Nina Meurisse). The latter, specialized in sociological analysis, did not take long to see worrying signs emerge that made her think French society could fall into chaos.
This is exactly what the series will underline during the first season, which shows the extreme fragility of the construction of our society, which could collapse due to of a seemingly harmless trigger. In fact, everyone on social media is taking over the Fodé Thiam case. Whether they are political figures, football specialists or activists. This is also the case with Marie Kinsky (Ana Girardot)a controversial neoconservative and former associate of Sam, who speaks on the news every night and who manipulates crowds to divide them.
After Black Barona fascinating and worrying look at French society
Carried by a solid cast, but especially by Nina Meurisse and Ana Girardot (the latter is excellent in the role of an angelic “bad girl”), Fever and obviously one of the best Canal+ proposals of the last years. At the same time, we expected nothing lessEric Benzekri, the creator of the series. After years of writing political speeches, the latter decided to launch himself into the series. Since 2010 he has participated in the first season of Brothel for Canal+. But it’s with Black Baron (created in collaboration with Jean-Baptiste Delafon) that the screenwriter has truly left his mark, offering a fascinating dive into the French political environment between 2016 and 2020.
Fever is his new creation for the crypto channel (with the collaboration of Laure Chichmanov and Anthony Gizel) and the continuation of his previous work with director Ziad Doueiri (The insult, Black hearts). So he’s an important part of the team Black Baron to those who reform Feverwhich in addition to being a fascinating fiction, it is of a realism that sends shivers down the spine.
As for Black BaronThe goal of Fever is to tell the state of France today, with all its complexity, and in particular the impact of television and social networks on society. Ultimately, football is just a pretext to address a broader topic. Although, in reality, this environment is often at the center of debates (on racism and identity crisis). And Eric Benzekri, a football fan, did not choose this sport by chance.
I’m 50 years old, in 1998 I was 25, and it was France Black Blanc Beur. I believe that since then there has been a slight evolution in the vision we have of the unifying character of the sport. But above all I wanted to tell how through football we have an understanding of society.
A series (too) close to reality
As Olivier Bibas, creative director of Canal+, explained during a press conference on the series, what emerges Fever “it is the question of coexistence and what constitutes society“. Except that Eric Benzekri’s talent is to fully address serial fiction with everything expected of it: engaging or charming characters, twists, pace, drama, laughs, etc. Despite having this hook in reality which, over the course of the episodes, makes the show disturbing, or even scary when we think about what could happen in France today. In France, but not only, as explained by Ziad Doueiri, originally from Lebanon and having obtained American nationality:
Maybe for you La Fièvre is a series that represents France, because it is set in France. But what really touched me is that his topic applies not only to this country, but everywhere. I could transpose this story to Lebanon or the United States. Cross borders.
Which Eric Benzekri translates so well with Feverthis is this environmental concern (through Sam who sees the apocalypse coming) in front the increase in extremism and violence. The screenwriter underlines on the one hand the political reuse of different sides, which despite their oppositions can lead to the same thing. We see this with Kenza Chelbi, who tries to involve Fodé Thiam in her fight against systemic racism, but who ultimately only creates further divisions within the population and basically plays into Marie Kinsky’s hands. On this broad representation of the political spectrum, far from glorious FeverEric Benzekri explains:
Across the political spectrum the idea of catastrophe is put forward. From left to right, roughly speaking, we are told, “We are all going to die, and to avoid that, we must do what I say.” I think it’s an anxiety-provoking level of discourse, which makes discussions and ways to fix things very complicated. I don’t think you can build a better world when you say you’re doing it to avoid a catastrophe.
Politics, communication and social networks
Furthermore, the screenwriter perfectly deciphers the power of images by representing them these communication experts, whose role is to manage any crisis. They are neither good nor bad, but they know how, in a certain sense, to manipulate opinion. It’s inside Fever, they do it very well with Racing president François Marens, from the first moments of the series.
All the communicators I met confirmed to me that when leaders are immersed in a media crisis, they are afraid. Their first role is therefore to reassure them. Hence all these agency phrases like: “Fear is healthy, it forces you to act.” And these details are as studied as rolling up your sleeves for a photo. In fact, even in the crisis, it is the spectacle that dominates.
A show that also takes place on social networks, an essential element of the series and which Marie Kinsky will use in a formidable way throughout the episodes. It is then this ease in manipulating a thought that is worrying. As demonstrated by Charlotte Pajon, a feminist influencer who, driven by her subscribers and by the fear of no longer existing in this virtual world, will end up acting against her principles.
I think there is a need for control over this virtual world. It prescribes our life and we don’t realize it. Everyone is in their own category and only shows one side of their identity. If we start creating our own algorithms that put us in bubbles, we will all become Charlotte Pajon, who will end up doing something that is completely contrary to what she stands for. That’s what’s crazy.
Fever you can discover it on Canal+ from 18 March.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
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