Ottawa, 5 February 2014 – On the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Marguerite Duras, the Théâtre français presents L’homme atlantique (et La maladie de la mort), with Anne-Marie Cadieux, Marie-Thérèse Fortin and Jean Alibert. Directed by Christian Lapointe, it will be presented at the NAC Theatre from February 19 to 22, 2014, at 7:30 p.m.

 

On a film set, the female director improvises a scene with an actor and actress. It involves a man who pays a woman for her services to “try it, to try love”. They do not leave the room for days, while outside is the sea and the sound of the wind and the waves.

 

How to remove Marguerite Duras from her myth? How to render her amazing vitality, her sensuality, her absolute modernity? “What interests me about Duras is how her writing involves play,” explains Christian Lapointe. “I realized that British and German writers (…) writing on the spot with actors who are inventing the story, had been pioneered by Duras in 1981.” By using the techniques of theatre – rehearsal and improvisation – and of film, the director penetrates into the fragile gap between fiction and reality. He gives to Duras, played by Marie-Thérèse Fortin, a carnal voice that evokes the infamous Durassian tone, languid and monotonous.

 

“I have always had a desire to create a presence magnified in absence,” notes Christian Lapointe. “In La maladie de la mort, a woman is present all the time, and when she disappears, desire appears. In L’homme atlantique, the more the man is absent from the film, the more we see him. For me, what Duras does best is talk about desire and death at the same time, and it is disturbing because real desire leads to a feeling of mortality, and that’s something we’d like to ignore.”

 

With two top Quebec actresses, a veteran French actor introduced to Canadian audiences in the theatre plays of Wajdi Mouawad, and a fearless, visionary director, this play promises to be an unforgettable Durassian evening.

 

What the Critics Say

The director presents an entrancing interpretation of this impressive diptych ( consisting of La maladie de la mort and L’homme atlantique), two complementary works that, by constantly distancing the spectator, take him hostage for a moment but also give him the keys to enter deep into meaning.” 

Lucie Renaud, Jeu magazine

 

L’homme atlantique is an inspiring piece that admirably combines literature, acting and cinema. Full of questionings, it blossoms in our minds like a flower for days afterward, so much so that we’d like to see it again the next night, and again the night after that.

Ariane Cloutier, mamereetaithipster.com

 

Christian Lapointe’s gamble with Marguerite Duras has paid off. He has managed to completely absorb her work into the present moment and has made it submit to his theatre, or is it the other way round? 

Quentin Margne, inferno-magazine.com

 

 

Texts: Marguerite Duras // Directed by: Christian Lapointe // Cast: Jean Alibert, Anne-Marie Cadieux and Marie-Thérèse Fortin // Assistant Director: Alexandra Sutto // Dramaturge: Sophie Devirieux // Set Design: Jean-François Labbé // Lighting: Martin Sirois // Music: Mathieu Campagna // Video: Lionel Arnould // Costumes: Mylène Chabrol // Produced by: Théâtre Péril // Co-produced by: Théâtre français du CNA, Festival TransAmériques and Recto-Verso

 

Two events to honour two anniversaries

2014 marks both the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Marguerite Duras (1914-1996) and also the 30^th anniversary of the publication of her novel L’amant (Prix Goncourt 1984). The Théâtre français is presenting two activities to celebrate these milestones.

 

Screening of the documentary Marguerite, telle qu’en elle-même

The Théâtre français and the Alliance française of Ottawa are joining forces to present the 2002 documentary film Marguerite, telle qu’en elle-même, directed by Dominique Auvray and produced by Dune Productions and ARTE France.

 

Thursday, February 13 at 6 p.m. at the Alliance française of Ottawa (352 MacLaren St., Ottawa). Free admission / Information: 613.234.9470. Limited number of seats. Length: 61 minutes

 

Reading of excerpts from L'amant by Marie-Thérèse Fortin

The Théâtre français and the Espace René-Provost of the City of Gatineau’s Service des arts, de la culture et des lettres will present a public reading of excerpts from Marguerite Duras’ seminal novel L’amant, featuring the actress Marie-Thérèse Fortin. A discussion with the audience will follow.

 

Tuesday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Espace René-Provost (39 Leduc St., Gatineau (Hull). Free admission / Reservations: 819.243.8000