Black-and-white film portraying the love life of young Parisians

Paris, one of the most colorful cities in the world, has been captured in a black-and-white film. “Paris is a beautiful city, but it is also a stuffed city. I chose to film it black-and-white because I wanted to show the side of the city that is least like Paris,” Jacques Audiard, the director of the film “Paris, 13th District,” which opens on May 12, said in a video interview.

Audiard won the Palme d’Or in Cannes for his film “Dheepan,” which tells the story of an immigrant in Paris, in 2015. In 2009, his film “A Prophet” won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.

The “Paris, 13th District” is different from his previous works, which dealt with violent crimes. The film depicts love stories of four men and women in their 20s and 30s living in the 13th District, where racial and cultural diversity is particularly noticeable in Paris.

The film portrays four young men and women, including Emilie, who casually have sex with men she meets through dating apps, and Camille, who is not interested in serious relationships. To depict their candid and unstoppable love life, the main characters often appear naked. The director said he does not think the film is obscene or anything because young people often find sex partners through dating apps and it was necessary to accurately capture their love life in order to show what they talk about after having a physical relationship.

The film is based on three short stories, including, ”Killing and Dying” by American cartoonist Adrian Tomine. Celine Sciamma, who won best screenplay at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” participated as a screenwriter. The film is drawing more attention as it is collaboration between two French masters.

“This is a film about people, who find a gap between who they think they are and who they really are, looking for their real-self. As the actors and the staff were happy while filming the movie, I hope that the Korean audiences feel the same joy we felt while making the movie.”


Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com