Alexandre Astier is not close to having finished with "Kamelott"

Alexandre Astier spoke to "20 Minutes" before the release of his film "Kaamelott 1st part" in theaters this Wednesday

Alexandre Astier is serene at the time of the release of “Kaamelott- first shutter” in theaters.
He fine-tuned his film until the last second and is already thinking about the next step.

Do like Alexandre Astier, call him KV1.

Kaamelott - first part

finally comes out in theaters this Wednesday after being postponed several times due to the pandemic Covid-19.

Author, actor, composer, editor and director of this sumptuous and funny fresco, Astier has come a long way between the gaguesque five-minute episodes and the feature film.

He confided in

20 Minutes

on his evolution.

Was it hard to let go of the movie after all this time?

I fine-tuned it until the last minute or so… I had to tear it away from me like a kid's copy on one exam day.

I couldn't see myself leaving it on a shelf or in the freezer while waiting for the Covid to stop beating our feet.

The lack of time is a danger when you edit a film and it is a luxury to be able to refine and to have enough distance to resume the whole having forgotten what you have done.

We always discover things to improve.

Can we follow the film if we don't know the series?

It is obvious that the film is better understood if you know the series but it should also appeal to others.

When Knight Bohort yells "disbelievers" fans will recognize his battle cry but others will also be amused to hear him say something so quirky.

The most puzzling thing was to describe Arthur's depression because neophytes may feel that they are missing a piece of the story.

Having said that, I believe that themes like the fate of a hero, a princess trapped in a tower or a tyrant in power are universal and therefore accessible to everyone.

By racking up all the positions besides playing Arthur, aren't you afraid of sounding a little narcissistic?

On the contrary, I feared I wasn't showing Arthur enough.

He does not have the good role in

KV1.

I don't tell his story much.

He does not appear until quite late in the film.

He buckles it for a while, then he doesn't want to go and has his ear pulled before making up his mind ... He's an observing character following the wind.

I wondered if that wouldn't hurt the structure of the film.

What if the public would accept to see him so little.

How did Sting get on the project?

I had the idea of taking an English rock star to interpret the Anglo-Saxon conductor.

If he had still been of this world, I would have tried to get David Bowie.

When I thought of Sting, I told myself he had something else to do and I was about to lower my ambitions.

But he said yes and he didn't arrive with his hands in his pockets, he was focused, hard-working.

He greatly impressed François Rollin who had made friends with him in the canteen without knowing who he was and no longer dared to speak to him after having recognized him!

Can we tell people who expect pure comedy that they risk being disappointed?

My characters navigate a world of failed communication and sarcasm that I adore but which is untenable over the duration of a feature film.

Over two hours, one cannot chain jokes without interruption as in the first seasons of

Kaamelott

whose episodes lasted only a few minutes.

The public would be exhausted very quickly.

He would have indigestion.

We must take breaks to give him time to breathe, which I had already experienced in seasons 5 and 6 of the series.

How do you see good comedy?

I don't think a comedy needs to be laughed out loud during the entire screening.

But in France, we are afraid of changes in tone.

In my opinion, everything can coexist in a popular film: adventure, laughter but also more serious moments where we can allow ourselves to dig into the psychology of the characters.

Are you afraid of hostile reactions?

I have hardened with age.

I know that there are spectators who have decided to love and others who are determined to hate, even if it means refusing to admit that they were laughing!

We can't fight that, we have to admit.

What if you were unable to do the second part?

I don't want to hurt myself, but KV1 would have to be a box office disaster so I couldn't shoot the sequel.

I will not be given a present and I am aware of it.

People may think of films as products placed on a shelf.

And that one comes out from time to time!

Producing a film costs money and you only get started if the business is deemed profitable.

Is this sequel already written?

I know the outline, the skeleton, but I don't have ink with the flesh.

I'm waiting for the green light from the production house to get back to work.

Writing too early means taking the risk of being irrelevant when the time comes.

Let's say I started to open a

folder on my phone

. But there's no point in trying to steal it from me: it's very well coded.

When do you think we can see it?

The temporality is not the same as for

KV1

I was in no hurry to make the first part.

I could take my time.

There, I realize that people will wait for the rest.

So I have to go faster, especially since I left the characters in full suspense.

Having said that, I have other boats tied up in my port, other projects that could come before this one.

But not to go back on stage, because it would take me too long.

Our file on Alexandre Astier

The after "Kaamelott", do you think about it?

Surprisingly no!

Maybe because by taking the story to a lot of different formats, I never feel like I'm doing the same thing.

KV1

, I put forward the new generation, young actors that I took great pleasure in directing.

And the idea of

Kaamelott Resistance

still runs through my head to deal with the period during which Arthur disappeared ... I don't know how I will tell this story, maybe in comics.

One thing is certain, I am not done with

Kaamelott

and his universe.

Cinema

"Kaamelott - first part": We saw, we liked and we tell you why it's so good without spoiler