Moi, Pierre Rivière… (1976) by René Allio.
“This film means a lot to me on many different levels. On the one hand, it’s because Nicolas Philibert and I found all the non-professional actors for the film: we’re the ones who looked for them, we’re the ones who chose them, and we’re the ones who introduced them to René Allio, since he was trying to get backing for his film at the time, which was very complicated, and for which Michel Foucault’s help was crucial. It was a very important experience, because first off, Nicolas and I stayed in Normandy a long time, and the people who acted in the movie, country folk from Normandy, became friends for the most part and have remained so. This is very unusual, since in theory, we were completely different, even though in reality we weren’t different at all. Also, René’s film is absolutely fantastic, because of what it’s about, of course: the story alone is extremely interesting. But even more so because the performances – especially the performance by Claude Hébert, who plays Pierre Rivière – are absolutely unforgettable. It’s a great movie moment and I think that when you see this film, you’re glad you’ve seen a film, and for me there’s nothing more satisfying than coming out of a movie and thinking, “I’m glad I saw what I’ve just seen.” Nothing’s more discouraging than to see bad movies and this one, on the contrary, is exciting for these reasons, and because you can watch it several times, following different paths, and following each of the actors. Something incredible happened in this magical encounter between René Allio, the region, and the men and women who made the film. Pierre Rivière is a great film.”

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