On the occasion of the closing ceremony of the Russian film festival on Sunday evening, the people of Nice were able to attend the screening of the film “Rasputin.” It was a way to pay tribute to the actor Gérard Depardieu, who is highly controversial in France.
Between political maneuvering and a tribute to Russian cinema, the average spectator could legitimately feel lost. The evening could have been so much simpler. At 7:30 PM, the Apollon hall at the Acropolis palace was full. Many came to see the actor from “Going Places,” others for the film, and quite a few out of a passion for Russian cinema. By 8:00 PM, Christian Estrosi and Gérard Depardieu finally arrived. The audience was already growing impatient for a screening that should have begun half an hour earlier. Subsequently, the mayor of Nice took the floor and praised his “friend Gérard.” However, there was a major drawback—the speech was long, too long. So much so that the audience gathered in the hall attempted to interrupt the praise of the “son of Nice” with applause.
Gérard Depardieu himself was no longer listening, occupied with chatting with Nicolas Borodatchev, director of Gosfilmofond. Quickly, the crowd resumed chanting “the film, the film” together, but to no avail, and the mayor continued to the end of his speech. The screening eventually started at 9:00 PM, not without a prior presentation of the feature film by Gérard Depardieu. The audience gave a standing ovation to the actor from “Les Misérables,” proof that his popularity still endures in his birth country.
The man who embodies Rasputin wishes to obtain an Algerian passport, his seventh: “That will spare me from asking for visas since I consider myself, I repeat to you, a free man,” he stated to the JDD. On the occasion of his comment, he did not mention these subjects. The actor preferred to speak about his love for Nice and Russia: “The Russians are a theatrical audience, people you learn to love, and they are immense. Next year, I want to return to Nice but with a festival on the folklore of Mordovia, my region of residence.” The audience applauded and could finally watch “Rasputin” featuring Gérard Depardieu. A mediocre film, an unfortunate symbol of the Russian cinema that deserves much better. A film that mirrors the evening: disjointed and lacking a guiding thread.
