It’s no surprise that there’s no such thing as chance. Gérard Depardieu, an actor if there ever was one, and Richard Melloul, a photographer, owed us a visit. 1985, first contact on the set of Tenue de Soirée, then nothing… Depardieu left for Calcutta to distribute the films of Satyajit Ray, and Richard went with him. It was the beginning of a close 30 years relationship .
Richard’s natural empathy and discretion made it easy with the not-so-easy Depardieu. Their bond, more psychological than professional, allowed the actor to reveal himself from a position at once outside and inside. When Richard asked him to do this or that, Depardieu never asked why. Maybe like in algebra, where two negatives added together become positive, acting plus acting equals, for him, acting. A delicate moment Richard was able to create, where there is no photographer, no actor, only a picture. From this relationship came a book, and now a film, which will be projected at Cannes as part of the Official Selection on May 21st, and will be shown on the TV station France 5 that same night at 9PM.
