In 1946, the controversial French writer Boris Vian writes his novel I Spit on Your Graves under the pseudonym of Vernon Sullivan, supposedly a mysterious African-American writer; a work against racism and Anglo-Saxon puritanism whose publication causes a great scandal.
As a poster boy for hedonism, his whole life was one big party. A journalist, filmmaker, director, producer, actor, novelist, ladies' man and prolific father... Roger Vladimir Plémiannikov, a.k.a. Roger Vadim, tried everything until his death in 2000. Portrait of a man at the cutting edge of fashion and trends.
Hôtel La Louisiane is, at its core, a film about freedom and dignity. Freedom for those who wish to live in a place where they are able to feel inspired. Dignity for the hotel owner to stand by his promise to his father and keep their mission alive: to provide an affordable sanctuary for artists and students in search of fulfilling employment, which they certainly won’t find at other hotels. Freedom, too, to be in an environment of tolerance and rid of prejudice. This film is not just a story about a mythical setting in Paris; it portrays the microcosm of a lifestyle in which collective values reign supreme. A film where what’s real and true is placed above national borders or cultural barriers.
On June 23, 1959, Boris Vian died of a heart attack while watching the film "I Spit Οn Your Graves", a frivolous adaptation of his novel of the same name, which he released under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan. Taking as a starting point this fateful date for Vian's relationship with cinema, the documentary looks back at his cinematic experiences, his appearances in several films, his friendship with director Pierre Cast and his many unrealized screenplays. From the post-war period to the dawn of the 1960s, from the cellars of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to his apartment in Place Blanche, it is about the portrait of a diverse author who loved cinema with passion.
Boris Vian was a man of many interests and talents. He played the trumpet, wrote criticism, essays, novels, poems and plays, did some painting and sculpting. Philippe Kohly chooses to recount Boris Vian’s life through his love for jazz, his quest for freedom, his taste for celebration.
Boris Vian (10 March 1920 – 23 June 1959) was a French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer. He is best remembered today for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan were bizarre parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time of their release. Vian's other fiction, published under his real name, featured a highly individual writing style with numerous made-up words, subtle wordplay and surrealistic plots. L'Écume des jours (Froth on the Daydream) is the best known of these works, and one of the few translated into English. Vian was also an important influence on the French jazz scene. He served as liaison for Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington and Miles Davis in Paris, wrote for several French jazz-reviews (Le Jazz Hot, Paris Jazz) and published numerous articles dealing with jazz both in the United States and in France. His own music and songs enjoyed popularity during his lifetime, particularly the anti-war song "Le Déserteur" (The Deserter).
By browsing this website, you accept our cookies policy.