The surprise was total. To the point that Monia Chokri remained in a state of shock for several minutes when she learned on Friday evening that her comedy Just like Sylvain won the César for best foreign film, beating the film by a wide margin Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan.
• Also read: “Simple as Sylvain” by Monia Chokri was named best foreign film at the César, ahead of “Oppenheimer” by Christopher Nolan
“I couldn’t move at the time. Actually, I didn't understand it. It took me a while to notice [de ce qui arrivait]», confided the Quebec director to the masses of French cinema on Saturday, a day after her triumph at the César ceremony.
We can understand his surprise. In the days leading up to the ceremony, Monia Chokri was told several times by her French press representatives that “Simple Like Sylvain” would need a small miracle to win the César for best foreign film. Especially since the famous American-British filmmaker Christopher Nolan would be present in the hall to accept a lifetime achievement award.
Now the miracle happened.
“I knew my film was popular in France,” she says. I felt it because several people had told me that they voted for me. But in my eyes it was so absurd to win against Nolan, who was also in the room, that I didn't believe it. But it happened and it’s great!”
As Monia Chokri accepted her award on stage at the Olympia in Paris, she made the room laugh by addressing Christopher Nolan directly and telling him she was “so sorry.” Did she have a chance to talk to him after the ceremony?
“No, so my only interaction with him in my life was going to be, 'I'm so sorry, Mister Nolan,'” she says, laughing.
“My life is beautiful”
In her speech, the Quebec director also underlined her gratitude, saying that the life she is leading is bigger than the one she dreamed of.
“When I said that, I was of course referring to everything that happens to me, but I also wanted to say that my life is beautiful. I work with my best friends. Three of them [la productrice Nancy Grant et les actrices Magalie Lépine-Blondeau et Nadia Tereszkiewicz] sat in the same row as me on Friday.
“It is extraordinary to experience this with such close people. I'm healthy, I'm happy, I'm doing what I love in life. That’s what I was thinking about when I said my life is big.”
Despite not getting much sleep last night, Monia Chokri says she has enough energy to party with her friends on Saturday evening. But starting Monday, she'll get back to work, in this case writing her fourth and next feature film.
“At the moment I'm living in Paris because I'm writing my next film. I have a pretty boring life. I just write, go to the pool to swim, and have dinner with my boyfriend in the evening. “It's a very relaxed life, but one that I really enjoy leading,” she breathes.
A French #MeToo
In addition to the triumph of the film Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet, winner of six trophies, the 49th edition of César was marked by the speech of the actress Judith Godrèche, who in recent weeks has become one of the leading figures of the #MeToo movement, which is currently shaking up the French cinema world.
Monia Chokri says she was touched by Judith Godrèche's speech, but also by those that followed, including Justine Triet's.
“I found the speeches interesting because they were moderate,” notes the Quebec director.
“There was something other than the very vengeful French tone. I thought it was very nice, this greeting with words and that it ends with Justine Triet, who dedicated her last César to all women. It was pretty nice. In my opinion it sets the right tone for the current turn in the world of French cinema.