“Seeing myself in photographs is complicated.”
Victor Belmondo
Photographed in Paris by Justino Esteves
styling by Richard Descours
grooming by Amaury Auxiette
above: dark brown technical cotton jacket: Gucci
What is the dominant emotion at the end of the first day of shooting?
The main emotion I felt at the end of the first day of shooting was relief because I’d started by shooting a very complicated scene. It was a very technical text, a big monologue that was quite difficult to learn and get used to, so I was a bit stressed about starting with that and not having an easier scene at the beginning. Ultimately, it went very well, so I’d say the dominant emotion was relief and joy of finally being there and finally starting this shoot because we’d all been waiting for it. We were all very happy to start shooting this film. There was also the excitement and anticipation of seeing Theo (Christine) and Lou (Lampros) arrive and having my first scenes with them. It was a mixture of excitement, relief, and joy! But in the end, that scene isn’t in the film anyway (laughs).
How did you become acquainted with Gaël Morel’s work before shooting Vivre, mourir, renaitre?
I’d already seen some of Gaël Morel’s films; I’d seen his film with Sandrine Bonnaire, with Catherine Deneuve too; he’s someone with an extensive filmography. I’d also seen him as an actor in Les roseaux sauvages, so I knew who he was and what he’d done. I knew his cinema, so it’s true that I didn’t need to delve into his filmography, even if there were films I hadn’t seen and that I did watch, like Le clan. Still, I already knew who he was and his work, so it wasn’t complicated; it was more the meeting with him that was decisive and that was very strong right away. It wasn’t so much that I got to know his work but that I got to know how he worked and how he wanted us to work together. So he guided me quite a bit in terms of films to watch, books to read, he acted as a mentor in the preparation by advising me on many films that weren’t his, and books to read… that was above all the work I did with him.
“Love Letter” printed cotton and linen shirt: Baalder
“Love Letter” printed Phoenix cargo pant in cotton and technical fabric: Baalder
black grained calf leather worker boot: J.M Weston
You play the role of a photographer in this film. What do you think makes a good portrait?
I think a good portrait is one that manages to convey all the facets of a person, all their nature. If in one photo, in one look, in one instant, you don’t just get one facet of someone, but all the aspects that make them up, for me, that’s what a good portrait is all about. It’s a portrait showing the person you photograph in all their ambivalence and contradictions. It’s about capturing in an instant, in a single click, the many emotions and personality traits that make up a human being.
What’s it like to see yourself in a photo?
Seeing myself in photographs is complicated. It’s like seeing myself on screen, but it’s never a pleasure because you see all the flaws, and it’s hard to look at yourself. I’m much less comfortable in front of a camera than in front of a film, but I’m just as uncomfortable looking at myself in a film as in a photo.
western tailored coat in faux black leather and multi zip work trousers: Ouest Paris
white long sleeves cotton tee-shirt: Polo Ralph Lauren
Fendi Frame calf leather high boots: Fendi, “Be my Love” rose gold diamond bracelet: Maison Chaumet
Fendi Frame calf leather high boots: Fendi
You play the role of a photographer in this film. What do you think makes a good portrait?
I think a good portrait is one that manages to convey all the facets of a person, all their nature. If in one photo, in one look, in one instant, you don’t just get one facet of someone, but all the aspects that make them up, for me, that’s what a good portrait is all about. It’s a portrait showing the person you photograph in all their ambivalence and contradictions. It’s about capturing in an instant, in a single click, the many emotions and personality traits that make up a human being.
What’s it like to see yourself in a photo?
Seeing myself in photographs is complicated. It’s like seeing myself on screen, but it’s never a pleasure because you see all the flaws, and it’s hard to look at yourself. I’m much less comfortable in front of a camera than in front of a film, but I’m just as uncomfortable looking at myself in a film as in a photo.
shiny leather Perfecto Jacket and bordeaux brown shiny leather trousers: Gucci
shoes: Gucci Horsebit GG Creepers Moccasin
cream cashmere turtleneck sweater: Ralph Lauren
chalk white shearling jacket, decorative line details: Fendi, ginny striped jacquard pants: Alter Designs
washed black cashmere crewneck sweater: American Vintage
How did you prepare physically for this role?
To prepare myself physically for the role, I lost weight. I asked him if he wanted me to lose weight, given that my character was HIV-positive. Still, he told me it wasn’t necessary because, first of all, I wasn’t very thick in life, but above all, the character who’s sick is Samy, played by Théo Christine, and he’s the one who’s going to have to lose a lot of weight in the film. My character, on the other hand, is seropositive but not sick. The one who is ill is Samy’s character, so Gaël didn’t think it was up to me to lose weight, but I needed to in preparation, to get into character, to believe in what I was going to play. I’m not HIV-positive in life, and to get into character, I needed something to help me, so I decided to lose weight. I’ve lost quite a few kilos – I think it’s the period of my life when I’ve been the thinnest, and that helped! It also helped me to find the body of the character: I don’t move at all in the film as I do in life, and it helped me to give him this silhouette, this way of walking, and above all, it helped me to believe in everything I had to play in this film.
Are you superstitious?
It’s true that in Italy, we’re very superstitious. There are a lot of customs, and we’re made to believe very young things that make us superstitious. So I’m quite superstitious, yes, but I tend to be less so. I try to be careful.
What do you appreciate most in your friends?
What I appreciate the most with my friends is undoubtedly the moments of lightness; it’s true that moments with friends, generally, are moments when we breathe, laugh, and have a good time! And in the more painful and dramatic moments, my friends are there to support me, but if I have to say what I appreciate most in my friends, it’s certainly those moments of lightness, fun, and insouciance!
khaki suede straight-cut hand made fringed jacket: Baziszt Paris
washed cotton multi-pocket military fatigues pants: Polo Ralph Lauren, GRW boot in brown oiled calfskin and nubuck: J.M Weston
Who are your real-life heroes?
My real-life heroes are my two grandmothers. My grandmother Nonna lives in Rome, and my French grandmother Mamie lives in the south of France.
What specific aspects of French cinema do you most enjoy?
What drives me most in French cinema is discovery in all its aspects. This profession allows us to discover new people, places, and stories with each project, ways of doing things, and ways of working. It’s also a way of learning new things and about ourselves; in this case, I learned an enormous amount from this film! In a very concrete way, I learned about film photography, which was quite a fascinating job beforehand; I learned a lot about the 90s, which were the years when I was a child, and I don’t remember, so a lot of things enriched me. I discovered, more specifically, people like Guibert and Colart, so every time a film is made, it’s a new enrichment, in our work but also in the encounters and the places we go to on a shoot… So I’d say it’s the discovery that drives me most in cinema.
Who would you love to work with (actors /directors)?
So many people! The list is so long that it would be complicated to name just a few, but the biggest and most achievable dream would be to shoot with those who made me want to make films, i.e., Martin Scorcese, Robert De Niro… let’s dream!
What is your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement today is certainly running a marathon three weeks ago! (Laughs). I’m still in the process of getting to know myself, but I’d say that every day, I have the will to understand and evolve towards a better version of myself. On a more concrete note, I’ve also reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, so maybe that’s my greatest achievement! (Laughs).
What’s next for you?
Well, there’s this film coming out, and season 2 of Miskina, a series on Amazon Prime, is going to come out around the same time. Olivier Marchal’s film for Netflix, Bastion 36, in which I play an ex-BRI cop, should be out, I think, in early 2025. So is the musical by Diastème, of which I have a small part, with a great cast!
