My Coluche, by Michel Denisot: an intimate portrait
Personal reminiscences, recollections by close friends, perspectives from young artists, with Mon Coluche à moi (My Coluche), Michel Denisot presents a three-part nostalgia-driven portrait. . This is the presenter’s second documentary for Cannes Classics, after La Saga Rassam-Berri, le cinéma dans les veines in 2023. An interview with the person who interviewed Coluche under water at the Festival, in the Martinez pool.
Why Coluche?
It all began when I met with Romain Colucci, his eldest son, who asked me to write an introduction to a collection of his father’s quotations. As I was writing it, I realized that I had some very personal things to say. I was fairly close with Coluche in the last three years of his life, which had also been documented visually. But that didn’t seem like enough for me; there had already been quite a few documentaries about him. So I got in touch with contemporary artists and comics, Michaël Youn, Jérémy Ferrari, Jérôme Commandeur, Soprano, to understand what he represents today. And for the third part, I only wanted to work with people who hadn’t known him, to get a present-day outlook. Specifically from women, since it was a time when misogyny was fairly widespread. Even if Coluche was not a misogynist, some of his jokes would perhaps not be acceptable today.
Did you discover anything while working on this film?
Yes, I was really struck by his legacy. Harlem Désir told me that at the time only two celebrities had a real impact on French opinion: the President and Coluche. Because he was free, independent and he didn’t answer to anyone. His comedy was never just surface level, it always contained some depth. It was more than just comedy. He launched his charity, Restos du Coeur on a whim one afternoon on Europe 1 radio, but it came from the heart and he was serious about it.
How do you personally remember him?
It’s very personal. We had some common childhood things. We both lost our father at a young age and were raised by our mother in hard times. Coluche failed his primary school certificate and I failed the baccalaureate exam three times. However, we both knew very well what we wanted to do in life. When I told him that, he didn’t respond. We just sat there in silence.
Has he influenced current generations?
What resonates today, are not his skits, but his social commitment, the way he defended those who were left behind. That’s why he ran for President. He had made a list of all the people no one ever championed and talked about it with everyone. He also showed how far you could go, that there were no boundaries, that comedy could be harsh. Comedy should be disruptive. And then his life was cruelly cut short, on the road between Cannes and Opio…
