Laure Calamy in "Antoinette in the Cévennes" by Caroline Vignal -

Julien Panié / Diaphana Distribution

  • The heroine of "Antoinette in the Cévennes" leaves with a donkey in the footsteps of her lover.

  • Laure Calamy had, in fact, two donkeys who took turns to play Patrick, her four-legged companion.

  • She was particularly fond of one of these cute animals.

Antoinette in the Cévennes

by Caroline Vignal allows you to discover two strong personalities.

Laure Calamy, revealed in the

Ten Percent series

, vibrant with energy and fragility, and Jazou who embodies the donkey Patrick, her adorable four-legged companion who shares her thoughts on life and loves.

This comedy haloed by the Cannes 2020 label is not to be missed.

To join her lover (played Benjamin Lavernhe, excellent as an unfaithful husband overwhelmed by events), this teacher decides to take a hike on Stevenson's Path with the sometimes stubborn but cute donkey.

“In fact, there were two donkeys, explains Laure Calamy to

20 Minutes

.

The first was called Pedro and had a volcanic temperament between Jean-Paul Belmondo and Vincent Cassel.

The second one called Jazou had a depressive and touching side which evokes Bill Murray.

He ended up having the limelight.

"

A new star

The two animals resemble each other so perfectly that the viewer cannot distinguish Pedro, in charge of the stunts, from Jazou with whom Laure Calamy has had a special relationship.

“At the end of his days of filming, everyone applauded him like a real actor, remembers Laure Calamy.

It looked like he had sensed that we were going to part.

He licked my leg and arm for a long time to say goodbye and I burst into tears ”.

Laure Calamy found Jazou during the promotion of the film.

"I would have liked him to be able to speak human language to express himself in turn, even if it means accepting the risk of him speaking badly about me," she jokes.

View this post on Instagram

What a lovely team!

#LaureCalamy, @benjaminlavernhe and Patrick got together during the # AntoinetteDansLesCévennes press day 🎤 See you at the cinema on September 16!

A post shared by Diaphana (@diaphana) on Sep 7, 2020 at 6:56 am PDT

A happy donkey

If Antoinette is sometimes a little abrupt with her traveling companion, Laure took great care of Jazou under the supervision of the trainer Emilie Michelon, trained at Bartabas.

“Like children, the animals are very supervised and only run for a few hours a day,” says Laure Calamy.

Jazou was in no way brutalized, but he sometimes looked at us surprised as if he wondered what we were doing.

The actress admits that her partner with big ears could have a bad temper.

“A donkey is as independent as a cat,” she explains.

Humans have decreed they are dumb out of spite because he does what he wants.

"

Donkey and confidences

In sublime and often steep landscapes, the heroine tells about her Patrick with tender eyes and silky coat who bries with conviction to comment on her words.

“I like the singular humor of this comedy showing how much an animal can help to heal, especially since the presence of a donkey has a flavor of childhood.

Antoinette loves Patrick as we love a comforting grandfather, ”says Laure Calamy.

Antoinette is in great need of comfort, especially when she meets her lover's wife, embodied by an Olivia Côte to the best of her talent.

No donkey in Cannes

Selected in Cannes,

Antoinette in the Cévennes

could not be screened there because of the cancellation of the festival canceled by the Covid-19.

“Of course I felt a pang in my heart when I found out, admits Laure Calamy.

But the Cannes label is a nice sign of recognition and the fact of not going there avoids a lot of stress.

Laure Calamy will not go up the Cannes Marches with Jazou but she has already taken back, without him, the paths of the sets to continue the shoots that had been put on hold due to the pandemic.

Cécile Ducrocq for

Une femme du monde

and Sébastien Marnier for

L'Origine du mal

will occupy him for the months to come.

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When Laura Calamy played football in "A beautiful team" 

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Laure Calamy was overwhelming in "Only the Beasts"

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