It’s a crazy gamble that the character played by Jean-Paul Rouve in Valley of the Fools from Xavier Beauvoisdiscovered in Angoulême at Francophone Film Festival. This restaurant owner at the end of his rope decides to take part in the Vendée Globe in a boat at the bottom of his garden.
The father of a teenage daughter played by Madeleine Beauvois will experience the race virtually, as if he were really sailing the waves. “I was inspired by the game Virtual Regatta and I embroidered around it so that the hero lives an immobile journey that will enable him to rebuild his family and find himself again,” explains Xavier Beauvois. Pierre Richard as the gruff dad and Joseph Olivennes as the rebellious son complete the cast.
The essence of cinema
This story looks crazy on paper,” says Jean-Paul Rouve. Xavier made it real in such a natural way that I almost thought I was sailing.” The complicity of star sailors like Jean Le Cam and Michel Desjoyeaux, who make appearances, helped to maintain the illusion. “Basically, what the hero experiences is the very essence of cinema, where you make something real out of something fake. Making a film is a bit like the adventure he’s living on his boat,” insists Xavier Beauvois. This man, who might have been thought to be finished, regains his strength in the face of the trials he has created for himself. His isolation allows him to reflect on his past and his future, in a clever script co-written with Marie-Julie Maille.
An uncomfortable setting
The interior of the sailboat was very cramped,” recalls Jean-Paul Rouve. That’s where we shot, so I felt as cramped as in a cocoon, which helped me to project myself into my role. The viewer is locked in with him, while Xavier Beauvois makes the most of his set to create an impression of claustrophobia. “It was interesting to remain confined in this small space, while imagining the infinite sea around him,” insists the director.
Comfort in the navigator’s boat is extremely basic, which didn’t make it any easier for Xavier Beauvois to work with his camera. It really looked like what I’d seen of a real participant’s sailboat,” jokes Jean-Paul Rouve. Add Xavier and the camera, and you get an idea of what I experienced. That said, I’m not complaining: it’s an exciting role and a family atmosphere. This last element is really felt throughout the screening. “The Vendée Globe is a metaphor for a man taking stock of his life,” says Xavier Beauvois. It’s as if you’re part of the journey.
A beautiful inner journey
“We really wondered whether the public would believe it, or whether they’d stay put,” admits Jean-Paul Rouve. The enthusiastic response from festival-goers in Angoulême reassured him on this point. It’s with confidence and curiosity that we climb aboard his sailboat to take part in his inner voyage in The Valley of Fools.