- The 6th season of Skam France is currently being broadcast on France.tv Slash.
- This season follows the fate of Lola, a teenage girl faced with addiction problems following the death of her mother.
- David Hourrègue, the director since season 1 of the adaptation of the Norwegian hit, returns for 20 Minutes on the way the creators of the teen drama approached this delicate question.
Nothing will ever be the same! In season 6 of Skam France currently broadcast on France TV Slash, Daphne, a pillar character of the previous five seasons, and his younger sister, Lola, a new recruit to the adaptation of the Norwegian hit, face the death of their mother. After harassment, racism or even disability, French fictionestablishes itself a little more in the yard of large series by approaching with accuracy and delicacy the question of mourning.
"Talking about important themes is the very object of Skam, " sums up David Hourrègue, who has directed them since season 1. A theme already addressed in masterpieces such as Six Feet Under or The Leftovers and more recently in Sorry for you loss , 13 Reasons Why or Kidding . A theme that Skam France appropriates with what makes its strength, namely placing itself at the level of its characters, without caricature or excess. Why does "Skam France" mourn so well?
"This theme is just as important, if not more important, than that of the addictions which result from it," explains David Hourrègue. “At the start, we wanted to talk about what we had spotted in many of our spectators, who came to talk to us at the end of the screenings. Namely, this tendency to self-destruct in these ages where one is very fragile psychologically, "he continues.
"The loss of a pillar of a family reveals the flaws"
And from self-destruction to mourning, there is only one step. With Niels Rahou, collection director of Skam France , “We quickly agreed that what had upset us when we were younger was the loss of a close relative, when we is supposed to be full of life and to embrace life. "A moment also when" emotions are felt 1,000 times ".
And to add: “The loss of a pillar of a family reveals the faults of this family. It was interesting that the two sisters were brought to face demons, their own pathology through this ordeal. "
"I only looked for what I could feel myself"
If the creators of Skam France consulted psychologists on the mechanisms of self-destruction, they relied on their personal experience on the issue of mourning. "I only looked for what I myself felt when I lost this parent," says the director.
"Everything is called into question when you realize very early on your own mortality, especially if it is one of your parents, the person who gave you life," says the director.
With remarkable attention to detail, the series retranscribes the mourning daily life of the two sisters from Lola's anger at her mother's funeral to Daphne's sadness when she empties the cupboards through the denial of Lola's grief during the sessions at the shrink or the distress of the "extremely fallible" father. "We wanted to show how everyday life, certainties are shattered from the moment you lose a stronghold as strong as a mother," comments the director.
"Some keys to a brighter future"
Addiction, self-destruction and mourning are therefore the guiding threads of this sixth season, which however succeeds in not being overwhelming. "Mourning can be very frightening, just like disability and handicap could have been in the past season," says David Hourrègue.
Despite these heavy themes, the series never sinks into pathos. "We give a path to acceptance of this dark reality and some keys to a brighter future," notes the director, "emphasizing cohesion, solidarity, and listening. Lola can count on the support of Maya and her adopted big brother Eliott, Daphne on that of Basile and the rest of the crew . “Lola and Eliott recognize each other in their internal battles. Their relationship is very oxygenating, ”underlines David Hourrègue.
The joie de vivre that emerges from the series also stems from the energy of the new crew formed around Lola. The discovery of the URBEX and cinephilia thus illuminates Lola's daily life. A paradox for two activities which are generally practiced in dark places. “The video club becomes a cocoon for Lola. Eliott takes her under his wing, ”comments the director.
"We are talking about a world that ends in this season"
“We are talking about a world that ends in this season. The video club will probably be closed in six months or a year, "he continues. This closing world is also that of the original crew . "We close with one generation while launching another," confirms David Hourrègue.
This mourning season takes on a meta dimension here. “There was a very special atmosphere on the set, both that of an end and at the same time full of life with the desire, the doubts and the weaknesses, the emotions of this new generation. It was a very emotional season, ”adds the director. And to conclude with a nice note of hope for fans of the series: "At the end, we will have a pretty incredible picture of all these mixed generations. "
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