Yahoo Lifestyle ‘The Spanish Apartment’ Director Cedric Klapisch Explores Youths and Womanhood in Studiocanal’s ‘Colours of Time,’ Partly Set in 19th Century Paris
Cedric Klapisch, one of France’s most celebrated filmmakers who notably directed cult French movies such as “The Spanish Apartment” and “Peril Jeune,” will once again explore youths in his next movie, “Colours of Time,” but this time in 19th century Paris.
The movie, budgeted at 15.6 million euros ($16 million), is being represented internationally by Studiocanal which unveiled a trailer to distributors during the Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous With French Cinema.
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The film weaves coming-of-age tale and family drama, starring a cast of up-and-comers such as Suzanne Lindon, Abraham Wapler, Zinedine Soualem, Paul Kircher and Vassili Schneider, alongside seasoned actors such as Sara Giraudeau, Cécile de France, Olivier Gourmet and Vincent Macaigne.
In “Colours of Time,” four cousins leading very different lives discover they share a mysterious family history. “In 1895, their ancestor Adèle, then aged 21, leaves her hometown to search for her mother in Paris. She discovers a city on the cusp of modernity, bustling with new-found avant-garde creativity, with the rise of photography and the birth of Impressionist painting. As her descendants retrace her steps, they unravel Adèle’s surprising past.” The script was penned by Klapisch and Santiago Amigorena, who collaborated before on several films, including “Peril Jeune,” “Ce qui nous lie,” “Deux moi” and “En corps.”
Klapisch said in an interview with Variety during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous, that “Colours of Time” marks one of his most ambitious films, not only because of its production value but also for the complexity of its narrative structure which intertwines two timelines, 1895 and 2024.
He said he was primarily “interested in following the journey of a young woman in 1895, juxtaposing her experience and preoccupations with that of her present-day descendants.”
Klapisch previously charted the destiny of a fictional male hero, Xavier – played by Romain Duris — at the ages of 25, 30 and 40 years old in “The Spanish Apartment,” “Russian Dolls” and “Chinese Puzzle” which constitute a trilogy.
In “Colours of Time,” the director shifts to a feminine perspective. Adèle is played by Lindon, who broke through in “Spring Blossom” which she wrote, directed and starred in. The critically-acclaimed movie was part of the Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection in 2020.
Through the story of Adèle, who is 24, Klapisch said he was interested in highlighting how women have been empowered by social and cultural shifts, gaining more rights and opportunities over time.
“Women faced such limited opportunities and economic hardship or societal pressure in that era” which Klapisch said was marked by a “male domination.” “While there may have been a superficial sense of gallantry toward women in the past, the reality was far different,” he says. The film, however, shows that the intimate feelings of flirting and falling in love have remained the same.
Klapisch also highlighted that some female artists did break through at the time, notably Berthe Morisot and Suzanne Valadon, who challenged societal norms and carved out a space for themselves in a male-dominated art world. “They were bourgeois women who had to fight because it was really complicated for them to exist in the midst of a very masculine world.”
Ultimately, the film looks at the impact of the past on the present through a time-jumping technique.
The abandoned house where the family gathers thus serves as a “physical and symbolic bridge between the two time periods,” said Klapisch who explains his film is meant to look at “family bonds and artistic revolution, particularly the impact of impressionism and photography, as well as societal change.” Similarly, the generational blend of the cast in “Colours of Time,” “mirrors the film’s temporal scope,” he said.
Klapisch said “Colours of Time” also combines his passion for the French capital, which he portrayed in movies such as “Paris,” and his fascination for the end of the 19th century which he was able to recreate the past using advanced visual effects and AI.
“This period went through a revolution not only technological and in terms of sciences because a lot of things were invented at that time but also it was also a revolution for art — there were so many innovations that had a transformative impact on society and daily life,” said Klapisch, who mentioned the popularization of photography by the late 19th century which is presented as a pivotal moment in the film.
“Photography revolutionized art, as painting was no longer solely relied upon to depict reality and this shift paved the way for artistic movements like impressionism,” Klapisch said, before adding that a famed impressionist painter is also portrayed in the film.
“Colours of Time” reteams Klapisch with his longtime producing partner Bruno Levy via their banner Ce Qui Me Meut. Studiocanal is co-producing and will distribute the film in France, on top of handling international sales.
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