David La Haye and Ève Salvail in a film that denounces sexual assault

UPDATE DAY

David La Haye slipped into the shoes of a psychopathic photographer in Frame, a psychological thriller that aims to denounce sexual assault and abuse of power in the artistic world and which also features DJ and model Ève Salvail.

In an interview with the Journal, director JP Charlebois does not hide his pride in having succeeded in convincing Ève Salvail to defend one of the main roles in his first feature film. The Quebec model, DJ and actress had already starred in a few major Hollywood productions during the 1990s (including The Fifth Element and Prêt-à-Porter) but she had no not appeared in the cinema for several years. 

According to JP Charlebois, Ève Salvail was challenged by the social impact of Frame, a thriller that takes a stand by denouncing sexual assault and violence against women.

“It's a subject that touches her so it was fun to develop it with her, says the filmmaker. As soon as we told her about the project and sent her the script, she said yes almost immediately. It was a big trip for us to have Ève (Salvail) play together with David (La Haye), two actors who had great years in the cinema during the 1990s.”

Male violence

 Scripted by JP Charlebois and Myraï, Frame features a renowned photographer (David La Haye) who behaves toxicly with the models he receives in his studio-apartment. < /p>

“He's an eccentric, smug, contemptuous, misogynist and full of himself,” explains David La Haye in a telephone interview with Journal.

< p>“When they approached me for the role, JP Charlebois and Myraï told me that my character would be the embodiment of male violence through the traits of a psychopath. It is very rare that we are offered this kind of role in Quebec cinema. He is certainly the most unhealthy and violent character I have had to play in my career.”

David La Haye adds that some of his friends even advised him to refuse the role, judging that it could damage its image with the public. But this challenge of interpreting this narcissistic character was too tempting for the 57-year-old actor.

“I think everyone has understood that I am a composition actor, that I like to play particular and different roles, he argues. Would I have refused to play the killer in American Psycho? No, on the contrary, for an actor, it's candy.”

FRAME (the movie) Teaser from JP Charlebois on Vimeo.

Hus-clos

The film, a camera shot in English, will be divided into four parts during which the photographer receives four different models. Ève Salvail plays an important role in the plot since it is she who succeeds in breaking the photographer's modus operandi in the last act of the feature film.

“Eve is the heroine of the film because it is she who will beat the big bad wolf in the end, illustrates David La Haye. At the start of the film, the photographer is arrogant, condescending and violent, but when he meets the character of Eve, an experienced model he has admired for years, he becomes like a little poodle.”

The directors of Frame are currently putting the finishing touches on their film and hope to be able to launch it at a major festival this summer or next fall. The feature film also stars Alice Messier, Rafaela Salomao, Sandrine Morin and René-Charles Audet.