Lea Mysius Skips the Madeleine in ‘The Five Devils,’ But Still Goes About the Search for Lost Time
26.05.2022 - 20:55
/ variety.com
Marta Balaga French filmmaker Léa Mysius follows her nose in “The Five Devils,” focusing on the sense of smell. That’s her protagonist’s special gift, one that scares her mother (“Blue Is the Warmest Color” actor Adèle Exarchopoulos) but allows her to venture beyond the constraints of time and space.Shown in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight – with Wild Bunch on board – it’s Mysius’ second feature film as a director following “Ava,” awarded at the French fest in 2017. She also co-wrote Claire Denis’ “The Stars at Noon,” presented in the main competition.“It all started when I was a kid – I was fascinated by smells,” Mysius tells Variety.“Together with my sister, we had fun making these little potions.
We grew up in the countryside, which helped us develop that sense even more. One of my friends told me that growing up in Paris, he had to ‘close off’ his nostrils for good.” Mysius didn’t want to focus on the art of perfumery, however. Instead, she came up with the little girl Vicky – played by Sally Dramé – who is trying to capture the essence of her mother, resigned into a life she didn’t quite want.“I liked the idea of having this girl bear the weight of her family’s past.
In a way, she can ‘smell’ that something is wrong. She senses her mother’s suffering.”As the film enters a more magical, darker realm, Mysius still didn’t want to waste time explaining its rules.“We don’t know what’s in that potion [that Vicky is smelling.] We don’t know why it has magic powers,” she says.“It’s a genre film, but I do believe that magic exists all over the world. Even in France! There was magic where I grew up.
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