Making of Les Amants du Pont-Neuf

1987

Leos Carax starts working on a script with the provisional title L'amour de la fille et du garcon

1988

The producers Alain Dahan and Philippe Diaz ( the same ones of Red Blood ) fix budget as 32 million franks and takes weeks as 20 ( 3 on the real Pont Neuf ,brought by Paris' Major, Chirac from 25 July to 15 August, the remaining at Lansanguers, near Montpellier where's been built a bridge reproduction ). Associated producers are Antenne2 and Gaumont. But the last one sets as condition for its contribution the film's end.

Summer 1988

All is almost ready when Dennis Lavant breaks his left thumb's tendon and remains unable two months long. Paris municipality doesn't give any extensions. Assurances are asked to bring 25 million franks as damages or, alternatively 9 million franks to enhance the buildings at Lansanguers so that the whole movie should be recorded there. Assurances accept, but the budget is understimated: it's necessary to remove 250000 cube meters of land to create the false Seine, elaborate 12000 plane-tree branches, build a natural-sized copy of the bridge, reproduce the facades of the houses, of the Monnaie, of the Samaritaine, of the Conforama. At last there's to obey to Carax' caprices when he notes that his Pont Neuf is one meter higher than the original one.

Autumn 1988

Floods move constructions' foundations making the set dangerous.

15 December 1988

The assurances retire, paying a 14 million franks forfait. New interruption after some takes done in Paris ( but it's just 30 minutes of film ), and failure application for Diaz.

February 1989

A couldburst blows upon Lansargues, breaks the bridge's parapets and damages palaces' facades.

June 1989

After the troupe, still hopeful has taxed themselves to make watch over the abbandoned set, comes in scene the swisse producer Francis van Buren who with Dominique Vignet founds a society with a fullmeaning name ( "Pari a' deux": double bet ) and procures new 18 million franks. During the set reparations, a worker falls down from a scaffolding and the Work Inspectorate stops the enterprize.

25 July 1989

With difficulty the takes restarts, but the "bet" appears lost soon.

September 1989

Von Buren pays some expenses and retires from the enterprize. The Minister of Culture Jack Lang, who sees in Carax an ensign of the great european cinema intervenes, but to find a solution ain't easy neither for him.

March 1990

In the movie's defense comes the newspaper Le Monde. A new successfull producer, Cristian Fencher, sells his movie collection and with the recovered money ( 65 million franks ) finances the movie completion.

28 August 1990

Takes definitevly start. They're still 18 weeks long with a total expense of 130 million franks ( 30 million dollars about ).

24 December 1990

On Christmas Eve last ciak is beaten. Soon later the set is burned up. It keeps burning for a whole week.

May1991

There's still the hope ( invain ) to end film editing in time for the Festival of Cannes. But to guarantee a continuity to the film ain't easy and the appointment blows.

October 1991

In only 5 days 90000 spectators decree the movie's success. Raise the polemics about the wasted money, about how many small quality movies could have been made with it. But the Cahiers du Cinema dedicate to Les Amants du Pont-Neuf a 96 page special number preising it into the history of cinema. The issue shows on third page a spot of the river navigation company "Les vedettes du Pont-Neuf" and a new turistic location adds to the many attractions present in Paris...