Premiere - F*ckin' Fred, a legend in the making: a look back at his preview event in Paris

By Mulder, Paris, Le Grand Rex, 22 february 2025

All the scenes in this documentary are completely true but also completely false. A phrase that perfectly sums up the spirit of F*ckin' Fred: Comme un Léopard, a unique cinematic work, presented with great fanfare on February 22, 2025 at the Grand Rex in Paris by Amazon Prime Video. This preview brought together a crowd of curious onlookers, Orelsan's fans and hybrid format enthusiasts, who came to discover the new project by Clément Cotentin, brother of the rapper and director of this unconventional film. With F*ckin' Fred, Cotentin plays with narration by merging documentary and fiction. The film depicts an eccentric character, the result of a delusion that has taken on an unexpected scale. In 2019, during the Épilogue tour, Orelsan and his entourage humorously created this character, a sort of wacky alter ego who stands out with his style and outrageous attitude.

Over the years, F*ckin' Fred has established himself as an underground legend. Some see him as a reference to the figure of the outsider, the extroverted character who transcends the limits of reason to better embody a deeper truth about the world of entertainment and its excesses. The film explores the power of virality and modern storytelling, how a simple joke can overflow and turn into an uncontrollable phenomenon. Jonathan Cohen, who plays F*ckin' Fred, fully embraces the character, delivering a masterful performance that oscillates between unbridled improvisation and deliciously outrageous acting. His performance plays with the limits of the absurd, giving F*ckin' Fred an almost metaphysical dimension. Orelsan himself is not to be outdone and actively participates in this delightful mise en abîme, playing on his own role with self-deprecating humor.

Clément Cotentin structures his film like a puzzle, combining authentic archive footage, interviews and acted scenes that disrupt perceptions. The influence of the mockumentary is evident: one thinks of the work of Christopher Guest (This is Spinal Tap), the comical and absurd vein of Sacha Baron Cohen, or even the documentary aesthetic of Banksy (Exit Through the Gift Shop). Where the film stands out is in its desire to explore both the story of a fictional character and the way in which an idea can evolve within a community. Cotentin thus questions the construction of modern myths, how figures born of pure chance can become firmly rooted in popular culture. F*ckin' Fred, like other figures from the web or the world of entertainment, illustrates the public's ability to take ownership of a character and transform him into something larger than life.

During the evening at the Grand Rex, the film received an enthusiastic response. Jonathan Cohen, Orelsan and Clément Cotentin were present to accompany the screening and gather the audience's impressions. The spectators, divided between laughter and astonishment, praised the film's ability to surprise, confound and amuse. With F*ckin' Fred: Comme un Léopard, Clément Cotentin has created a work that is as iconoclastic as it is intelligent, which will undoubtedly find a wide audience among fans of the rapper as well as lovers of original comedies and innovative formats. A cinematic offering that is part of a desire to push the boundaries of reality, with humor and ingenuity.

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Photos and video: Boris Colletier