Visions of Seven - Youth through the Eyes of French Filmmakers 2006 / La meilleure façon de marcher / France 1975
A boys’ summer camp provides the backdrop for a hidden, simmering drama about a relationship between two young teachers. Claude Miller’s debut is dominated by excellent performances from Patrick Dewaere and Patrick Bouchitey, who also appeared in Karlovy Vary as a director (Cold Moon, 1991).
Philippe is the son of the director of a boys’ summer camp and here, he heads a group which is putting together a theatre performance. His wards and, above all, he, himself, are different from the others, who take part in various sporting activities. His colleagues never miss an opportunity to take the mickey out of Philippe, and one of them, Marc, delights in arranging some coarse and humiliating surprise for him at any given moment. And not just because Marc once caught him dressing up in women’s clothes; the main reason is revenge for the fact that he feels an attraction towards Philippe. For Marc, who builds his reputation upon his muscles and the intelligence of an aggressive manipulator, this idea is unbearable. He plays with the timid and defenceless Philippe like a cat with a mouse. The atmosphere in the camp begins to thicken gradually and the hidden drama eventually comes to a head at the final farewell masked ball. This effective study of two opposing characters is reinforced by outstanding performances from the cast.
89 min / Color, 35 mm
Director Claude Miller
/ Screenplay Claude Miller, Luc Béraud
/ Dir. of Photography Bruno Nuytten
/ Music Alain Jomy
/ Editor Jean-Bernard Bonis
/ Producer Annie Miller
/ Production Les Films de la Boissiere
/ Cast Patrick Dewaere, Patrick Bouchitey, Christine Pascal, Claude Piéplu
/ Contact Les Films de la Boissiere, Pyramide International
Claude Miller (b. 1942, Paris) studied at the IDHEC (1965) and then gained experience as an assistant to major directors (M.Carné, M.Deville, J.-L.Godard). He also produced films by F.Truffaut for seven years. He made several short features, before debuting in 1975 with The Best Way To Walk (La meilleure façon de marcher). Miller has made around 15 films, often with some of the best French actors (Patrick Dewaere, Isabelle Adjani, Gérard Depardieu, Miou Miou, Romy Schneider). He is involved in various genres, yet he always strives to achieve a precise, psychological study of his characters or to capture a specific social problem. Select filmography: This Sweet Sickness (Dites-lui que je l’aime, 1977), The Inquisitor (Garde a vue, 1981 – the film won three Caesars), The Accompanist (L’accompagnatrice, 1992), Betty Fisher and Other Stories (Betty Fisher et autres histoires, 2001) and Little Lili (La petite Lili, 2003).
Les Films de la Boissiere
1, quai Gabriel Péri, 943 40, Joinville-le-Pont
France
Phone: +33 1 451 127 27
Fax: +33 1 451 129 78
E-mail: [email protected]
Pyramide International
32 rue de l’Echiquier, 750 10, Paris
France
Phone: +33 142 960 220
Fax: +33 140 200 551
E-mail: [email protected]
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