The escape in the snow of the Alps between France and Italy
A film of dramatic intensity
Denis Ménochet, protagonist of The Survivors
Close-up of Denis Ménochet
We had recently seen him win a Goya Award for the magnificent Spanish drama As Bestas by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and we see him again here in a challenging role with The survivors Of Guillaume Renusson: let’s talk about the French actor Denis Menochet, protagonist in this thriller, alongside Tsar Amir-Ebrahimiof a story of survival and integration entirely shot in the snow-capped French Alps.
Written and directed by Guillaume Renussonhere in his directorial debut, The survivors tells of the antagonism that the high mountains and the anti-immigration nationalists reserve for the thousands of refugees who every year try to cross the border crossing between Italy and France in search of a better life. It is in fact along the Franco-Italian border that the widower Samuel (precisely Ménochet) with their daughter, where the two try to move forward with a peaceful life after the recent death of the little girl’s mother. The causes of this loss are a mystery, but Samuel’s reaction to this loss becomes a lively and real drama when, having gone to his chalet in Italy to free himself from some memories of his wife, he finds an Afghan immigrant hiding and seeking shelter, Chehreh (Tsar Amir-Ebrahim).
Initially reticent, Samuel nevertheless decides to help the young woman when some of his fellow villagers start looking for them. These fierce-faced nationalists, as young as they are ideologically blind, will in fact do everything to denounce Samuel and forcefully expel Chehreh, setting off in pursuit of them in what becomes a true no-holds-barred survival thriller.
The alpine landscape is in The survivors a hostile landscape, explored by Samuel and Chehreh in its most difficult dimension. It is in fact among icy nocturnal woods, large valleys and steep climbs that the two attempt, from Italy, to return to France towards the city of Briançon in search of asylum, spending days and nights with the anxiety of being captured by the three pursuers.
With The survivors Renusson builds a high-voltage film that uses the thriller genre to address a political-social theme: a combination that is as difficult as it is fortunate here, capable of speaking without mannerisms or easy talk about a topic that is more current than ever. In fact, it will be in the value of humanity and solidarity that the two, each in their own way, will find the key to survivaleffectively both finding themselves looking for a better life through helping others. No one – Renusson therefore seems to affirm – can really save himself alone.
The locations of the film The Survivors
Filming of the film The survivors took place in 2021 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regionprecisely in High Alps and on Alpes de Haute Provence, bordering to the east with Piedmont (in the provinces of Turin and Cuneo). In the massifs around Briançon, such as the Écrins massif and the Arvan-Villards massifthe peaks reach and exceed 4000 meters.
As regards the Alpes de Haute Provence, however, the high peaks culminate with theAiguille de Chambeyron (3412 meters).
It is instead around the chain of Trois-Evêchés that connect the mountains of Ubaye valley and further south i Cordoeil massifsOf Chamatteof the Great Coyer and of Castellane region. The Causses area also includes thenorthern Var plateaua Jurassic formation in which the Verdon river carved the famous gorge.
