With "Radioactive", which hits theaters on Wednesday, Marjane Satrapi stages the life of Marie Curie. In "It happened tomorrow", Sunday, on Europe 1, she came to talk about her relationship to the famous scientist, who has always aroused her admiration, to science, which interests her a lot, and to her main actress, Rosamund Pike.

INTERVIEW

If we judge a film by the yardstick of the love that the director may have had about him, his characters or his actors, then, without a doubt, Radioactive is a good film. Marjane Satrapi, who signs a biopic of Marie Curie, does not hide her admiration both for science, for the famous double Nobel Prize scientist, and for the actress she chose to embody him in. screen, Rosamund Pike. The one who is also a designer, and broke into the cinema in 2007 with the fabulous Persépolis, spoke about it on Sunday at the microphone of Patrick Cohen, on Europe 1.

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Marie Curie, "I understand her"

Marie Curie, "concentrated woman, who does not compromise, whole, very intelligent, very scientific, very in love", was "one of the female models to follow" by Marjane Satrapi. "Since my childhood, my mother's life plan was for me to become an independent woman," says the filmmaker. She also studied physics and mathematics, before opting for art. She too came from another country, Iran, in her early twenties in France. Marie Curie, she left her native Poland at the age of 24.

"I am at ease" to bring the life of Marie Curie to the screen "because I [understand] it", explains Marjane Satrapi. And what does it matter that Marie Curie may have had a bad temper. "No genius is really convenient. However, this lack of convenience is easily accepted in a man, a little less in a woman."

"I needed an intelligent actress"

Steeped in admiration for the scientist, the director sought an actress up to the role. "Marie Curie was one of the most intelligent people on Earth. I needed an intelligent actress and Rosamund Pike is superior intelligent. And then she has something fierce about her." During her first meeting with the actress, seen in particular in David Fincher's Gone Girl , Marjane Satrapi saw "a huge brain". "On two very beautiful legs, but a huge brain that knew everything, asked all the right questions." Rosamund Pike even took chemistry lessons to prepare for her role. "It was wonderful to work with her. Difficult, but magnificent," says Marjane Satrapi.

"Science is nothing more noble"

Beyond the biopic, the director wanted to integrate into her film a discourse on science, which fascinates her but cannot, in her opinion, depart from a sense of ethics. "Science is the response of humans to the world around them. Instead of being afraid, not understanding, humans are trying to understand the mechanisms of nature. Science is therefore the expression of curiosity, there is no "There is nothing more noble. Afterwards, it is misused. With radioactivity, you can cure cancer or make the atomic bomb. It is important to approach these subjects."