A young man's search for recognition in a blasé world is the tragi-comic basis for Jean-Pierre Améris' Les aveux de l'innocent. Serge Perrin (Bruno Putzulu) travels from the provincial town of Saint Etienne to Paris in order to realise his dream of becoming an actor, only to discover that the capital city reserves its glory for a select few. Alone, homeless and crestfallen - his thirst for kudos unsated - he confesses to a murder he did not commit. His crime is, of course, that he is innocent in the ways of the world.
Améris' inspiration for the film came after reading about a similar real-life incident; he was struck by "an overriding impulse to make a film about [the event] that just wouldn't go away". It appealed to his belief that life is a 'human comedy', where "the pathetic frequently stands side by side with the absurd". Serge Perrin is a fighter and Améris' admiration for him is obvious: "He intends to do everything he possibly can to avoid an existence that is dreary and meaningless… He longs for an adventure in which he can play the leading role."
Anonymity and isolation are the themes of Les aveux de l'innocent and the time spent researching it in prisons was a revelation for Améris. "I was dismayed to note that in the case of many delinquents, it [prison] is the only place they seem to find some kind of social life," says Améris. "With a roof over their heads, enough to eat and work to do, inmates are no longer able to live on the outside because there has never been any room for them out there."
The movie attempts to capture the sincerity of emotions through the authenticity of the scenery and milieux; "when reality is so basic, so crude, faking it is out of the question," opines Améris. This sentiment, in part, explains his insistence on filming entirely on location in Paris, Lyons and Saint Etienne (including the nearby La Talaudière Penitentiary), and his use of many non-professional actors. Made on a budget of FFr60 million (US$11.75million), Les aveux de l'innocent will receive its world premiere at Cannes.
Geoff Smith
Prod Co: Cie Lyonnaise de Cinéma
Prod: Daniel Charrier
Dir: Jean-Pierre Améris
Scr: Jean-Pierre Améris, Caroline Bottaro, Hugues Pagan, Jean-Louis Benoit
Ph: Yves Vandermeeren
Prod des: Jean-Pierre Clech
Costume: Daniele Colin Linard
Music: Pierre Adenot
Editor: Daniel Charrier
Cast: Bruno Putzulu, Elisabeth Depardieu, Jean-Francois Stevenin
Running time: 90mins
International sales: Cinexport
