With “La Traversée”, Varante Soudjian brings together Alban Ivanov, Lucien Jean-Baptiste and Audrey Pirault in the same boat. A French comedy that forges links between different social classes through a journey on the Mediterranean Sea.
A more complicated crossing of the Mediterranean than expected
The French director Varante Soudjian persists and signs in the register of comedy. After his first two feature films entitled Walter and Inseparablethe filmmaker had the good idea of bringing together a small group far from the mainland. With Crossinghe wishes to take students in difficulty as far as possible in a new environment.
Thus, the film follows a group of out-of-school teenagers followed by two educators. Together, they board a catamaran to cross the Mediterranean Sea. On board, to steer the boat, a skipper and also a former BAC cop gives them a nightmare, and vice versa.
Aside from a few scenes, particularly the introduction, the entire main plot of the film takes place aboard the catamaran. It is by exploring the shores of Marseille that Varante Soudjian decided to shoot in real settings. From now on, the director knows the complexity of filming at sea. He explained to the press the difficulties of filming depending on the weather:
When we shoot in Marseille, the mistral accompanies us. It happened that the skipper told us “there’s not enough wind, we can’t take out the sails” and fifteen minutes later “There’s too much wind, it’s blowing at 20 knots. We’re going back to port. End of daytime !” It is the most complicated micro-climate in the world.
Varante Soudjian: “If I had to do it again I would do it again”
When the sea is rough, filming stops. Whether it is to multiply the plans of the boat, or to film its characters, Varante Soudjian must therefore be patient.
In the world of cinema, it is said that you should neither shoot at sea, nor in the mountains, nor with animals. I think I got into this film because I didn’t know the sea well. I had been warned, it was worse than I had imagined. However, if I had to do it again I would do it.
On the catamaran, in the bay of Marseille, only twenty people can board. First there are the actors Alban Ivanov (the skipper), Lucien Jean-Baptiste and Audrey Pirault (the two educators), as well as the group of young people ranging from Lucie Charles-Alfred to Mamari Diarra.
The captain is obviously part of the crew. It remains so some places for the technical team, between the director, the cameraman, the chief operator, the boom operator or even the sound engineer. For the latter, the work is incredibly difficult, as Varante Soudjian further explains in the press kit:
For the sound engineer, it’s hell! He must also manage the whistling of the wind, the slapping of the waves, and the cry of the seagulls whereas in the open sea where the action is supposed to take place, there is none.
Authentic and unforgettable
But at the heart of all its sea filming complications looms an unforgettable adventure. Everyone helps each other and, like the film, each actor learns from the others. Between novice actors and those more experienced, a team cohesion is created over the days. According to Alban Ivanov, the feature film remains authentic and faithful what they experienced on set:
This film gives off positive vibes – it is very human, very poetic. And what we see in the image reflects what we experienced.
Crossing can be seen as an initiatory journey for this group of young people, and a lesson in life and humility for the skipper. And for educators, the determination they have to help these teenagers in social and professional difficulty is felt on the screen.
Crossing hits theaters this Wednesday, June 29.
