After “Les Kaïra”, a great success of 2012 which launched Franck Gastambide’s career, the actor and director is waiting for 2016 to present his second production: “Pattaya”. Franck Gastambide explains why this film was the one to make, rather than “Les Kaïra 2”.
Pattayasecond film and new success for Franck Gastambide
In 2016, Franck Gastambide presented his second feature film, Pattaya. His history ? That of Franky (Franck Gastambide) and Krimo (Malik Bentalha), two city guys who dream of going to Pattaya, a seaside resort in Thailand very popular with young people from the suburbs. Or as its director says, “the paradise of the kaïras”. Coming from the milieu that he directs with humor and tenderness, Franck Gastambide mixed this inspiration with his love of American comedy, for this film which met with great success in theaters, with more than 1.9 million admissions in France.
Under the pretext of participating in the Thai boxing world championship for short people, Franky and Krimo take Karim, known as “the dwarf”, on board with them for a series of crazy adventures, with guests prestige like Gad Elmaleh, Cyril Hanouna, Ramzy Bedia, Fred Testot, Sami Bouajila or rapper Seth Gueko. Pattaya is a success, superior even to his first film The Kairathe most profitable French film of 2012. If the universe remains essentially the same, Franck Gastambide’s approach has something surprising about it.
Indeed, with a community of loyal viewers since the web-series Kaira Shoppingand then The Kaira, the young director chooses the risk. Rather than stage The Kaira 2he does not renew his trio of Kaira with Medi Sadoun and Jib Pocthier, but recomposes one with Malik Bentalha and Anouar Toubali to present an original creation with Pattaya.
“Nobody would have considered us actors…”
After The Kairathe world of cinema opens its doors wide to the film crew, notably invited to present in 2013 the César for best sound. Each on their own, Franck Gastambide and Medi Sadoun will explore other registers, the first temporarily leaving his director’s cap in the closet. The objective is clear: to pause the story of the “Kaïra”, so as not to be cataloged. Franck Gastambide explained this choice during the promotion of the film.
We wanted to do something else before doing a sequel. Otherwise, no one would have considered us as actors, but only as “Kaïra guys”. The sequel proved us right. Medi Sadoun and I had the chance to chain roles in different registers… But I think that one day, we will do a sequel. We all really want it.
Indeed, between the release of The Kaira and the one at PattayaFranck Gastambide appears in several feature films, in different genres: Long live France, The Gazelles, very first time, Made in France, Enraged and Good Luck Algeria. For his part, Medi Sadoun, unforgettable Abdelkrim in The Kairais he in the cast of the detective thriller mea culpa in 2014. The same year, he is one of the sons-in-law in the very great success What have we done to Godand also appears in The Francises.
Pattaya to confirm
For one as for the other, The Kaira has opened a new page and destinies of cinema that cannot be refused. As Franck Gastambide told us during a meeting to discuss his career, he tried out other experiences, other worlds of cinema, before finally coming back to what he was and what he loved. To know “a guy who likes popular films, who likes Besson’s films, who likes Hollywood more than New York, who likes Spielberg more than Scorsese.”
Realizing Pattaya rather than The Kaira 2, Franck Gastambide thus avoids locking himself into a role. While also reaffirming his mastery of the genre of urban comedy, where he shines. It is therefore quite logical that we find him in 2018 at the controls of Taxi 5, for which he notably finds Malik Bentalha and Anouar Toubali. A third achievement, which attracts more than 3.6 million spectators in theaters.
