Indochina (movie)

Synopsis

This is a slice of the history of French Indochina from the 1920s – 1950s through a colonial French family exploiting rubber plantations , immersed in the Vinh uprising and the mutiny of Yên Bái in 1930 until the Accords. from Genevaof 1954 which ended the French presence in Indochina. Inside this historic setting, a love story unfolds between the heiress of this family, Éliane, and a lieutenant of the French navy. He will then opt for the Vietnamese nationalists, for love for a Vietnamese princess (Camille, adopted daughter of Eliane) became a communist in the French prisons. The head of the French colonial security will “suicider”.

Technical sheet

• Director: Régis Wargnier , assisted by Thierry Binisti , Philippe Charigot , Emmanuel Hamon and Jacques Cluzaud
• Scenario: Catherine Cohen , Louis Gardel , Erik Orsenna , Régis Wargnier and Alain Le Henry (uncredited)
• Director of photography: François Catonné
• Music: Patrick Doyle
• Editing: Geneviève Winding
• Language: French , Vietnamese
• Format: Color Eastmancolor – Stereo Dolby Sound – 1.66: 1 – 35mm
• Duration: 2 h 40
• Filming locations :
  • Malaysia : George Town and Ipoh
  • Vietnam
  • Switzerland : Geneva
  • Boulogne Studios

Distribution

• Catherine Deneuve : Eliane Devries, heir to the colonial family plantation of rubber trees
• Vincent Pérez : Jean-Baptiste Le Guen, Lieutenant of the French Navy
• Jean Yanne : Guy Asselin, head of the French colonial security
• Linh Dan Pham : Camille, Vietnamese princess, adoptive daughter of Éliane
• Dominique Blanc : Yvette, wife of Dominique
• Alain Fromager : Dominique, foreman of the plantation
• Eric Nguyen : Thanh, Vietnamese student returned from France in Vietnamese nationalist
• Carlo Brandt : Castellani, Corsican inspector of the French colonial police (Sûreté)
• Jean-Baptiste Huynh : Étienne (adult), son of Jean-Baptiste and Camille
• Nguyen Tran Quang Johnny : Stephen (baby)
• Hubert Saint-Macary : Raymond
• Henri Marteau : Émile Devries, father of Éliane
• Gérard Lartigau : the Admiral
• Andrzej Seweryn : Hebrard
• Mai Chau : Shen
• Chu Hung : Sao husband
• Thibault de Montalembert : Charles-Henri

Before and after the film

• It was while listening to the music of the movie Henry V ¹ that Régis Wargnier decided to entrust the soundtrack of his film to the Scottish Patrick Doyle , composer almost beginner at the time. This collaboration will be repeated on five other films.
• Catherine Deneuve find Jean Yanne six years later for the filming of Stepmother of Gabriel Aghion (released in 1999 ). In this film, they embody a divorced couple .
• Dominique Blanc and Vincent Pérez will meet five years later in front of the camera of Patrice Chéreau for the filming of Those who love me will take the train .

Distinctions

Awards

• Cesar Award for Best Actress – Catherine Deneuve
• Cesar Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Dominique Blanc
• Caesar of the best photo – François Catonné
• Caesar of the best sound – Dominique Hennequin and Guillaume Sciama
• Caesar of the best decor – Jacques Bufnoir
• Premio Goya for the best European film in 1993
• Oscar for the best foreign film

Appointments

• Caesar of the best film
• Cesar Award for Best Director – Régis Wargnier
• César of the best female hope – Linh Dan Phan
• Cesar Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Jean Yanne
• Caesar of the best music written for a movie – Patrick Doyle
• César for Best Editing – Geneviève Winding
• Caesar best costumes – Pierre-Yves Gayraud and Gabriella Pescucci
• Oscar for best actress – Catherine Deneuve

Notes and references