INTERVIEW
"It's a festival I wanted in every city in France, but it was not possible," regrets Michel-Édouard Leclerc. Not possible this year because of the health crisis linked to the coronavirus, but the "Festival Culturissimo chez vous", which the entrepreneur came to speak on Thursday on Europe 1, has existed since 2014. Concerts, readings ... The organization of this festival had to be rethought, but the president of the supermarket chain is very enthusiastic: Culturissimo has once again been able to count on the generosity of artists who are very loyal to it.
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Readings recorded before technicians
"We recorded under confinement conditions" explains Michel-Édouard Leclerc, guest of Culture Médias. The filmed readings were recorded at the Parisian Theater of Porte Saint-Martin. "They played in front of technicians with very few people in the theater, each seat was cleaned, it was a lot of selflessness on their part," he continues.
While unfortunately many festivals are canceled, we decide to keep the #FestivalCulturissimo ... online. It starts tonight ! # MerciLesComédiens # MerciLesMusiciens # MerciLesTechniciens # CultureChezNoushttps: //t.co/4QxJOM7Mntpic.twitter.com/ESMbO4x9JU
- Michel-Edouard Leclerc (@Leclerc_MEL) May 15, 2020"They give themselves to the public"
Tété, Ours, Lucienne Renaudin, Baptiste Hamon, Camille and Julie Berthollet, Barbara Carlotti ... The concerts were recorded from the artists' homes. The festival started on May 15, and the performances, concerts, public readings are posted on the culture.leclerc site as and when, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
"We have the generosity of very loyal actors", adds Michel-Édouard Leclerc, citing in particular Hippolyte Girardot, Stéphane Freiss, Dominique Pinon, Irène Jacob, Judith Henry, but also Nicole Garcia and Clotilde Courau. "They come to all the festivals and give themselves to the public", continues the president of the E. Leclerc centers, which have 220 cultural spaces all over France. "This shows, on their part, a desire to reach out to the public. This year, it is by digital means, but usually, they come to our provinces to read very beautiful texts".
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For this 2020 edition, Olivia Ruiz is staging in another exercise than that for which the singer is known. No concert for the Carcassonnaise, but a reading of her first novel, La commode aux tiroirs de couleurs . In this autobiographical book, the narrator inherits after the death of her grandmother, a dresser that as a child, she had coveted so much. This year, "she doesn't sing, but she writes admirably well", poses Michel-Édouard Leclerc.
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"It's podcast, but the festival is alive"
In total, 26 concerts and 26 readings will be broadcast. "It's podcast, but the festival is alive," insists the guest. On May 15, the Tryo group opened the ball, each member playing from home, mosaic on the screen.
For the last days of the festival, Alain Souchon is scheduled for June 8, Jean-Louis Aubert, on the 12th. For the occasion, everything will be set up in the Leclerc cultural spaces. "We will do our utmost to thank them, even if they are not doing it in a commercial interest", assures Michel-Édouard Leclerc. "The recording conditions were incredible, but it was consistent with their tours which had to be canceled," he continues. Also, completes the entrepreneur, the different artists "needed to bring their project to life, it was important for them".