Once upon a time Michel Legrand

Original title:	Il était une fois Michel Legrand
Director:	David Hertzog Dessites
Release:	Vod
Running time:	109 minutes
Release date:	Not communicated
Rating:

Music is life. Michel Legrand entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 10, and quickly established himself as a gifted musician. 3 Oscars and 75 years later, he performed for the first time at the Philharmonie de Paris in front of an enthusiastic audience. From song to film, this true virtuoso has never ceased to push back the boundaries of his art, collaborating with legends such as Miles Davis, Jacques Demy, Charles Aznavour, Barbra Streisand and Natalie Dessay. His infinite energy makes him one of the most acclaimed composers of the century, whose flamboyant melodies continue to enchant us.

Sabine's Review

Once upon a time Michel Legrand is a documentary rich in archives and testimonies about this french genius composer, who died in 2019.

Michel Legrand is one of our greatest film music composers, recognized internationally. Born in 1932, this gifted artist began by arranging, orchestrating and then composing for French singers from Juliette Gréco to Claude Nougaro. He then collaborated with the greatest jazz legends, such as Miles Davis. This melodist began by composing film music for the french Nouvelle Vague, like Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda. The decisive meeting was that of Jacques Demy, with whom he created musical comedies such as Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, Peau d'Ane. He composed 200 film scores, working both in France and in the United States. He was rewarded with three Oscars, for The Thomas Crown Affair, A Summer of 42 and Yentl.

It took seven years of tenacity to produce and distribute this documentary. Director David Hertzog Dessites interweaves two stories, the biography of Michel Legrand and the last two years of his life during which he filmed the composer, from 2017 to 2019. A father and son relationship begins and he becomes one of its collaborators. The director edits the film extracts for the last concert that Michel Legrand will give at the Philharmonie de Paris. He captures his last moments on stage, giving his documentary the status of a testament film.

This rhythmic documentary, full of archives and testimonies, takes us into the whirlwind of the composer's life for two hours. It allows you to approach the creative process. If it shows a Michel Legrand, who will retain his childish soul all his life, he does not spare the composer by showing his dark side, his bad character, the brutal way of speaking to his collaborators. But the latter forgive everything to this virtuoso, whose melodies continue to enchant us.

Once upon a time Michel Legrand
Director David Hertzog Dessites
Producers Martine de Clermont Tonnerre,Thierry de Clermont Tonnerre, David Hertzog Dessites
Associates producers Valérie Abita, Naëlle Samri
Editors Margot Icher, Vincent Morvan, David Hertzog Dessites
Production companies MACT Productions, Le Sous-Marin Productions
Coproduction L’INA, Panthéon Films / Universal Music France
With Ciné+ OCS et Dulac Distribution
In association with Mediawan rights et Indéfilms 13
Distribured byDulac Distribution (France), Mediawan Rights (International)
Release date: 4th September 2024
Running times: 109 minutes
Seen on September 4, 2024 at l'Arlequin, Paris

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