NEWS: DECEMBER 2023

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In an interview with online magazine Baz'art, Vincent discussed the birth of his latest film, "Une Affaire d'Honneur" -  "I always dreamed of making a film where we put combat at the center, almost making a European-style martial arts film. I had done research a long time ago but at that time I was not yet a director. And I hadn’t found the period, how and what to tell. Time passed. Then came the filming of 'J’accuse'. Jean Dujardin had a duel in this film. He said to me: 'Vincent, you've played in "La Reine Margot", "Fanfan la tulipe", "Le Bossu", etc. You should make a film about the duel!" It was a real turning point for me. I found a gateway that immediately gave me the keys to this period: the book 'L'art du duel', written by Adolphe Tavernier, a French fencer and writer, founder of the magazine L'Escrime in 1881. It was a real sesame. In this manual, there is all the protocol for preparing for a duel, physical training, choice of terrain, fighting with swords, foil, sabre, pistols, etc."

The last photo shows Vincent with wife Karine and his film's lead actress Dora Tillier. The first three photos of Vincent are exceptional capturing the IMDB's description - "Handsome, soulful-eyed, exotic-looking leading man, Vincent Perez is known for his grand and glossy French pictures, exuding a sexy stare and irresistible charm that has swept Gallic women off their feet for over two decades."
 

Vincent ends the interview discussing honor and dignity and defending it in "a world of bashing on certain social networks, which I consider to be the sewers of society." Yes, how true!

This photo is from the December 25th edition of France's daily newspaper, Libération. Vincent is described as "an intuitive, perfectionist and attentive being". I don't particularly like the photo but their description is right on. In this interview, we discover some new facts about this "sharp soul". He has not yet acquired French nationality but promises to do so. He was 27 when he learned that he and his brother did not share the same father. He speaks with great tenderness about his 83-year-old mother, who now suffers from Alzheimer's. He enthusiastically recommends visiting the Gorée Island in Senegal. He shares how he created Rencontres 7e Art Lausanne and how he relishes the fact that the Swiss Cinematheque keeps its archives in the place of his origin next to the soccer field where he played right winger. And he explains how he "opened himself to an invisible world", nourishing his need for spirituality with an Orthodox priest, Buryat Buddhists or Siberian shamans.

Here is an excerpt regarding his film, "Une Affaire d'Honneur":

"With his wild locks and a frown of determination, the actor has long displayed his flamboyance in swashbuckling films. The forehead is broad, the hair is similar to a musketeer's... Working alongside fencing masters, Perez, a regular jogger, developed a passion for the choreographed aesthetics of fencing. Frustrated that the discipline only exists on the margins, he made it the subject of his film. And feminized it, lending the foil to Marie-Rose Astié de Valsayre, a pioneer of emancipation, portrayed on screen by Doria Tillier."

In a Paris Match interview dated December 26, Vincent said it took time before he had a desire to direct. He said, "More than twenty years. It was my time in screenwriting that led me to directing. But I still like acting, I enjoy it even more. From Chéreau to 'Fanfan', from Hollywood to directing 'Peau d’ange', I think that at some point we no longer really understood my journey. Me included. I went through periods of reconstruction, personal and professional. Today, with photography, writing, directing, I find the deep core of why I do this job. And reflecting on his start with Patrice Chéreau, he commented, "I was lucky enough to be able to enter his world. Working with him transformed you. 'Those who love me can take the train' is surely one of my greatest acting experiences. Or rather as an actress... [Laughs.]

Vincent spoke to Paris Match in a touching interview published yesterday. He shared intimate details about his professional life, his latest film and especially his unwavering love for his wife. The interview began with a discussion about "Une Affaire d'Honneur" and he highlighted the importance of the contribution of his wife, who co-wrote the film's screenplay. He confided that he could not have made the film without her collaboration, saying, "She is my partner, we love working together." He continued, "Karine has what I don’t have: literary qualities and a sort of human intelligence." In this interview, Vincent also related how his wife was his best friend before their marriage, a solid base which strengthens their union. He described himself as a fulfilled man, both personally and professionally.

In a Madame Figaro interview printed on December 15, Vincent was asked what interested him in the art of fencing. He replied, "It's a discipline that I discovered at the very beginning of my career, when I played Laertes in Hamlet, at the Palais des Papes in Avignon, a production directed by Patrice Chéreau. For four months, we rehearsed the sword fight scene between Hamlet and my character. The power issues crystallizing there captivated me, and I began to study the history of fencing. In my film, which is set at the end of the nineteenth century, this kind of challenge was still tolerated, even though the world was changing in parallel with industrialization. I'm fascinated by the major turning points in history, but what interests me most is to make feature films of the period. The past reveals something of the present. Initially, I wanted to make a film focused on the codes of masculinity and virility during this period in order to understand how the heritage we carry within us has evolved."

When questioned about whether a model of virility was imposed on him when he was younger, he responded, "I had the example of my father, a gentle but authoritative man, whom I greatly feared. I was terrified of disappointing my father. Then, my masculine identifications came to me through cinema and the meeting with a Swiss painter who was a second father to me. His name was Pierre Gisling. He was the one who opened the doors of art to me and gave me wings. He taught me how to draw because I wanted to become a painter, and then he encouraged me to do photography, which I still do today. Art was an escape for me. It was the place where you no longer had to fit into a male prototype from another era. These shackles didn't suit me, and I needed to get rid of them at a very young age. I was feminine, sensitive, and I wasn't interested in power games between boys. So I felt isolated. I locked myself in my imaginary world, which always saved me."

Marie Deshayes of Femina asked Vincent "Was playing the antagonist an obvious choice?" He answered, "I didn't want to act, but my wife said to me: 'If you make a film about duels and you don't act, I'll leave you.' I had to live the dream to the end and it also allowed me to get closer to my actors. Doria Tillier, Roschdy Zem, Damien Bonnard and Guillaume Gallienne were fantastic, despite the intense pace, because we shot in just thirty-nine days. As an actor, I have always loved movement, physicality, choreography. I played around thirty duels in the cinema... Michel Carliez, fencing master on "Une Affaire d'Honneur", I knew him on 'Cyrano de Bergerac'. We followed each other and we had the common dream of making a film about duels."

Vincent was also asked about his daughter, who had a small role in his film. He proudly said, "Iman is a model, very graceful, and she has, I believe, real cinematic charisma." Here are a couple photos of Iman in her costume, looking very lovely.

On December 11, a preview of "Une Affaire d'Honneur" was held at the UGC Normandie cinema in Paris. Vincent, Karine and Iman were present along with Noham Edje, Roschdy Zem, Doria Tillier, Guillaume Gallienne and Damien Bonnard.

The Royan Society Film Festival offered a preview, out of competition, of "Une Affaire d'Honneur" on December 7. Vincent and Karine were present. The film will officially be released in France on December 27. Vincent's role in the film was described as "an irascible colonel, thirsty for duels, rival of the fencing master remarkably played by Roschdy Zem."