“My life, my face” by Agnès Jaoui: the whimsical portrait of the director Sophie Fillières who passed away in 2023
September 18, 2024 releases in theaters My life my face, Sophie Fillières' final film, completed after her death in July 2023. This seventh feature film, starring Agnès Jaoui, delicately and humorously tells the story of a 55-year-old woman in search of rebirth, between wanderings and reunions with herself.
Sophie Fillières, who was unaware of her illness at the time of writing, entrusted her children, Agathe and Adam Bonitzer, as well as her editor François Quiperé, with the responsibility of finalizing the film. However, My life my face is not a tribute or a testament. It is an exploration of a woman's existential crisis, divided into three acts: the bittersweet comedy ("Pif"), the tragedy ("Paf") and the resurrection ("Youkou").
In this film, Sophie Fillières demonstrates a rare self-mockery, offering a visual and verbal poetry that accompanies the heroine at each stage of her tumultuous life. “She had this incredible talent for capturing the absurdity of life while infusing unexpected beauty into each scene,” confides Agnès Jaoui, who plays Barberie Bichette, an alter ego of the director.
Agnès Jaoui, mirror of the director
At the heart of the film, Agnès Jaoui delivers a masterful performance, where she brings to life Barberie Bichette, a whimsical, fragile and resolutely endearing woman. From start to finish, the actress is omnipresent, inhabiting a complex character who navigates between bursts of laughter and existential angst. "She didn't say to me: 'you will be me', but she put me in her clothes, her rings, and even her shoes which influenced my walk," reveals Agnès Jaoui.
The film, imbued with a gentle melancholy, was shot in the director's living spaces, including her own apartment and her psychoanalysis practice. This proximity to reality adds an almost documentary dimension to certain scenes, reinforcing the intimacy of the story. "It was filmed at her home, with her friends, and the scenes with her shrink were filmed at her shrink's home, with her shrink," Jaoui says, with a wry smile.
A premonitory farewell
My life my face is overwhelming in its ability to oscillate between offbeat humor and moments of pure emotion, as in this disturbing scene where Barberie, on a train platform, says goodbye to his children before escaping to the Scottish Highlands. A goodbye as light as it is poignant, now tinged with premonition after the disappearance of Sophie Fillières.
Sophie Fillières, true to her unique style, has succeeded in distilling a free spirit and tender derision in this portrait of a woman in the midst of inner turmoil. My life my face is a story that is both whimsical and realistic, illuminated by the sensitivity of Agnès Jaoui, who pays homage to the director with admirable sincerity and accuracy.
Alice Leroy
