In the film “Remove me from a doubt”, the character played by François Damiens discovers at the age of 50 that his father is not really his father and sets out to find his parent. Is the plot based on a true story?
Remove me from a doubt: dad where are you?
In 2017, director Carine Tardieu tackles the subject of parenthood in the film Take away my doubt. It brings together for the first time on screen the two Belgian actors Cécile de France and François Damiens.
The story ?
Erwan, an unwavering Breton deminer, suddenly loses his footing when he learns that his father is not his father. Despite all the tenderness he feels for the man who raised him, Erwan discreetly investigates and finds his parent: Joseph, a most endearing old man, for whom he takes a liking. As happiness never comes alone, Erwan crosses paths with the elusive Anna, whom he undertakes to seduce. But one day when he visits Joseph, Erwan realizes that Anna is nothing less than his half-sister.
A true story ?
The feature film is inspired by a true story. Indeed, at the time of movie releasedirector Carine Tardieu explained about the plot:
It was inspired by the story of a friend: on the death of his mother, this fifty-year-old Breton learns that his father is not his father. He takes the news and hires a detective who, after a few months of research, finds his biological father, an old man who also lives in Brittany. Father and son immediately take a liking to each other and form a very strong relationship, unbeknownst to the first father. Today, and a lot of twists later, my friend now has two fathers. I found his story so moving that I asked his permission to inspire me.
However, the character of Cécile de France was invented from scratch. The director wanted to add a female character to her friend’s story. And was tempted to rub shoulders with romantic comedy.
To prepare Erwan’s character before shootingTake away my doubt, François Damiens wanted to meet the man whose story is inspired. He confided in this regard:
We saw each other in Paris during the preparation of the film. His first words stuck with me: “I’m going to tell you a story that will seem perfectly anecdotal and even boring to listen to, he said to me, except that when it happens to you, it doesn’t have the same effect at all. And that’s exactly it. Listening to him from afar, you can say to yourself: “Well, it’s as if the guy had broken his leg, all you have to do is accept and move on. So, in fact, when you really put yourself in your place, the thing is enormous: at fifty, there is everything to review. We sawed off the base of the building, and we have to set it square. That’s a lot of insomnia to deal with….
