Movies in the castle: Monsieur Aznavour
On Friday, July 18, at 8 p.m., "Filme im Schloss" presents the German version of the music film "Monsieur Aznavour" about the French chansonnier Charles Aznavour.
Paris in the 1930s. When little Charles takes part in a play for a few coins, he discovers his talent for the stage and decides to become a singer. The conditions for this are extremely poor: with no money, the son of Georgian-Armenian immigrants and an unusual voice, no one believes in his success. Driven by unbridled ambition, Charles spares neither effort nor risk and when the chanson icon Edith Piaf becomes aware of him, fame seems within his grasp.
"Monsieur Aznavour" tells the spectacular life story of this exceptional artist in five chapters, each titled with Aznavour's song titles. It is the story of a charming up-and-comer who began as a poor outsider and became a representative, a world star of French chanson and "savoir vivre2". Aznavour grew up as a child in the Latin Quarter. He was repeatedly subjected to severe discrimination, hostility, exclusion and outright racism. With songs such as "La Bohème" and "Emmenez-moi", he became the world-famous chansonnier of French music. Although he is not particularly tall, his looks not exactly handsome and his voice not full and round, Aznavour managed to hold his own as a chansonnier for decades. Tahar Rahim, known from Jacques Audiard's prison drama "A Prophet", embodies Aznavour as an adult with casual elegance. Although the actor does not sing himself, he sensitively and confidently recreates the witty stage performances, portraying him as a driven lyricist. With well over 1200 songs that have been interpreted in countless languages, Charles Aznavour (1924 to 2018) has inspired generations. "Monsieur Aznavour" received four nominations for the French César Awards in January 2025, and the film won in three categories: Best Actor Tahar Rahim, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
Biopic with Tahar Rahim as Charles Aznavour, Bastien Bouillon, Marie-Julie Baup
Director, screenplay: Mehdi Idir, Grand Corps Malade
Producers: Jean-Rachid Kallouche, Arnaud Chautard, Éric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer for Mandarin et Compagnie, Kallouche Cinéma, Pathé, TF1 Film Productions, Logical Content Ventures
Camera: Brecht Goyvaerts
Chansons: Chales Aznavour
France, Belgium 2024
133 minutes, extra length, eight euros
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