The Libertine
Synopsis
France, late 18th Century The State, in alliance with the Church, has forbidden the publication and distribution of Diderot's Encyclopedia Meanwhile, the author and his family are hiding with some friends at Baron d'Holobach's château, overseeing undergroound printing of his work. As he struggles with the "Morality" chapter of the illicit Encyclopedia, Diderot…. His mistresses, his suspicions wife and his daughter's sensual explorations. The arrival of beautiful, mysterious Madame Therbouche, closely followed by that of Baron d'Holbach's senten… brother, the Cardinal, do nothing to simplify this lascivious community's life. Or Diderot's, for that matter….
Credits
Director (1)
Actors (17)
Production and distribution (4)
- Executive Producer : Bel'Ombre Films
- Co-productions : TF1 Films Production, Josy Films
- Film exports/foreign sales : Newen Connect a TF1 Group Company
- French distribution : Pathé Films
Full credits (20)
- Executive Producer : Gaspard De Chavagnac
- Screenwriters : Gabriel Aghion, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
- Director of Photography : Jean-Marie Dreujou
- Music Composer : Bruno Coulais
- Assistant directors : Thomas Tréfouël, Yann Cuinet
- Editor : Luc Barnier
- Sound recordist : Brigitte Taillandier
- Costume designer : Olivier Bériot
- Author of original work : Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
- Associate Producer : Pascal Houzelot
- Assistant Operator : Renaud Chassaing
- Camera Operator : Germain Desmoulins
- Production Manager : Patrick Lancelot
- Press Attachés (film) : Dominique Segall, Laurent Renard
- Continuity supervisor : Suzanne Durrenberger
- Production Designer : Dan Weil
- Art Director : Hervé Babaud
- Sales Agent : Patrick Binet
- Sound mixers : Guillaume Leriche, Jacques Thomas-Gérard
- Still Photographer : Arnaud Borrel
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Technical details
- Type : Feature film
- Genres : Fiction
- Production language : French
- Production country : France
- Original French-language productions : Unspecified
- Nationality : 100% French (France)
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About
I’d always dreamed of doing a costume film. I briefly appeared in Gérard Jugnot’s “Without Fear or Blame” (1988), but it was just a walk-on part. It’s funny, because when we were shooting “Fils de français,” Fanny Ardant told me she couldn’t understand why I was never offered the role of an aristocrat. She had a premonition, maybe. After always having been cast as working-class, thanks to Gabriel Aghion I suddenly found myself projected into the character of Baroness d’Holbach. And what a character! She’s totally unconventional. Hidebound, she certainly isn’t! Gabriel and I fleshed out the character together, sometimes right there on the set. For instance, in the film I sing alittle song which we improvised just ten minutes earlier, to the tune of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” It had us in stitches! That’s what I love about making movies: having that liberty and lightness. Josiane Balasko, actress (from an interview in Unifrance Newsletter No. 22)
