Élise is a young classical ballet dancer who has spent her whole life on stage. Shortly before a performance, he sees his partner in an affectionate attitude with another colleague, loses his concentration and does not take long to have a spectacular fall in front of the astonished gaze of the audience. The sprain you suffer needs to be treated well, with rehabilitation and rest, the doctor warns. If you want to recover, you will have to stay at least two years without dancing again. One day, the young woman observes a contemporary dance performance in the street and immediately catches her attention. Between conversations with her father and sisters and a new perspective on the future, she will learn to reconnect with her body to reinvent herself.
With Un paso adelante, which was nominated for nine César awards, the French filmmaker Cédric Klapisch combines drama and comedy in a show of fantastic choreography led by the dancer Marion Barbeau.
Where did this story co-written with Santiago Amigorena come from?
I have always liked dance and have been a spectator since I was a teenager. When I started in the world of filmmaking I filmed a lot of dance. I have shot shows in opera and contemporary dance and discovered what is behind it. I wanted to take this attraction further to make a fiction using what I personally like as a viewer and a director.
What does classical ballet mean to you? The choreographies he filmed are beautiful…
In fact, I discovered ballet very late, through contemporary dance. The most magnificent thing about the classic is its relationship with the strong geometry. You look for pause, form, draw lines, while the contemporary is much more chaotic, energetic and animalistic.
Did you always have Marion Barbeau in mind for the lead role? It’s your first experience as an actress, what was it like working there?
The question at first was whether to choose an actress who had danced or a dancer who knew how to perform. I realized early on in the casting that you couldn’t ask an actress to play this role. Marion must have been dancing for 25 years and has nothing to do with someone who has been dancing for five or seven. I saw about 20 dancers and Marion immediately prevailed. Dance both classical and contemporary. On the other hand, he knows how to act, and it has a lot to do with the fact that he loves cinema and knows what it is.
Élise’s life takes a huge turn overnight. Do you think there are always second chances in life?
I think that at first she doesn’t believe it. But resilience makes it possible to overcome obstacles and bring back hope. And then there is also the faith that it is possible to have another life, and this second life was not so far from the first. It is a progressive path towards an inner reconstruction. Something similar happened with the pandemic. People didn’t know if we would see the light at the end of the tunnel. And we saw her. Very often in moments of crisis we have the impression that bad things will last, but then we notice a little light that is growing. The movie explains this.
Élise mentions the role of women in ballet and says that they always have a tragic fate. Do you think classical dance is sexist?
Yes, it’s a bit sexist. That’s what many of the dancers I’ve interviewed have told me. In ballet it is classified by gender. It tries to separate the man and the woman, something that does not happen in contemporary dance, which is much more fused.
Does it corroborate the words of the lame woman when she tells Élise that “being well is not the usual, it’s luck”?
Yes. Feeling good isn’t just luck, it’s almost a privilege. We have seen it with the social crises in France. 60% of the population lives on the minimum wage or less and there are not that many people who have it easy. Basic things like having hot water or heating are becoming a privilege. It’s time to be aware that when you’re well, you’re very lucky and you can’t complain.
The film talks about the importance of feeling good about your body. How do you relate to yours?
[Laughter] Well, I feel older and I don’t feel so good about my body anymore. When I was young I did a lot of sports and now less and less. That’s why people like Élise, with such a wonderful body attitude, make me dream.
What project are you working on now?
I just finished the Greek salad series, which will premiere in April on Amazon Prime. I am also writing a screenplay for a feature length fiction, and in October I will direct an opera, The Magic Flute, at the Theater des Champs Elysees in Paris. I’m excited!
