Le Grand Débat, their fourth collaboration, recreates a televised debate in preparation for the second round of the presidential elections, comprising a collage of archives from debates taking place between 1974 and 2017.


A televised debate is about much more than showing us the final stage in reaching voters. In fact it is an extraordinary dramaturgical event channeling both individual and collective emotions, a rather nervewracking performance featuring the audible breathing of its protagonists, an atypical drama where we know the characters, the set, even the direction, but which happens live in front of us, the audience. 

The mechanism of the TV studio set and the codes of the live broadcast are brought to the stage. Sat opposite each other at a table, two actors Emmanuelle Lafon and Laurent Poitrenaux, reenact these fragments before the eyes of the audience and the cameras. This final debate, a mixture of rhetoric and adrenaline, has a filmic language all of its own, in addition to its own editing principles, decor and media-based history. 

In the company of the film-maker Louise Hémon, Émilie Rousset has been creating, since 2015, the “Rituels” series, an evolving collection of films and performances which probe the rites of our society by drawing upon the respective codes of theatre and documentary cinema.  With its extremely codified rules, this event is a true ritual of modern times. But is it a ritual for democracy or for the television? The dividing line is a very fine one indeed.

Duration: 1h05

Designed, written and staged Émilie Rousset and Louise Hémon
With Emmanuelle Lafon and Laurent Poitrenaux and the voice of Leïla Kaddour-Boudadi
Visual and lighting design, Marine Atlan
Cameramen.woman, Marine Atlan and Jean-Baptiste Bonnet alternating with Fanny Mazoyer and Alexandra de Saint Blanquat.
Scenography,  Émilie Rousset and Louise Hémon, alternatively with Fanny Mazoyer and Jean-Baptiste Bonnet
Editing, Carole Borne
Scenography, Émilie Rousset and Louise Hémon
Music, Emile Sornin
Make-up and hairstyling Angèle Micaux
Video, sound Romain Vuillet
Stage management, light Jérémie Sananes
Lights Clarisse Bernez-Cambot Labarta
Administration and production Les Indépendances – Colin Pitrat et Hélène Moulin

Production John Corporation
Coproduced by Festival d’Automne à Paris

With the support of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès dans le cadre de son programme New Settings
With the support of the DICRéAM et de Hors-Pistes / Centre Pompidou
Action granted by the Région Île-de-France

This show benefits from the support for re-staging from the Drac Ile de France

John Corporation is sudsided by the Ministère de la Culture – DRAC Île-de-France et by the Région Île-de-France.

Premiere on December the 10th of  2018 at the Théâtre de la Cité internationale (Paris) with the Festival d’Automne à Paris 

Photographies
© Philippe Lebruman