«The Incredible Story of Facteur Cheval»: The Man Behind the Work

Cinema Wednesdays - Hélène Lavoyer

The peaceful breath of the wind, punctuated by the birdsong that accompanies the film throughout. No image on the screen for a few seconds, only this gentle serenade that invites us to slide into the next hour and a half with curiosity, confidence and attention. Two hands plunge, palms first, into crystal-clear water against a backdrop of round pebbles. The first minute already speaks volumes about the character of Ferdinand Cheval, who would later declare that it was «at the source of life» that he drew his genius.

Hauterives, near Lyon, in the 1870s. Josef Ferdinand Cheval (Jacqus Gamblin), a widower for ten years when he met Philomène (Laetitia Casta), who was to become his second wife, lives in a region far removed from Parisian society. This inhabitant of the French countryside had no need to travel to imagine the architecture of his Ideal Palace, a work of naïve art that is one of a kind.

Daydreams of the East and the West

Behind the apparent aloofness imposed by his behavior lies an inveterate dreamer who, over the course of the five trips around the world he made during his lifetime to deliver mail not intended for him, found the time to learn to listen to nature. To live at his own pace. Nils Tavernier delicately recounts the unique life story of «Facteur Cheval,» marked by tragic events.

It was during one of his tours, in 1879, that he stumbled upon his «stumbling block». This was the trigger for this Ideal Palace with curves reminiscent of Gaudí’s architecture blended with Asian temples, filled with animal sculptures. He embarked on a project that would not be completed until 1912, after thirty-three years of work. For us watching the film, the few decades we see pass by almost unnoticed. A steady pace, yet one that seems almost powerless.

«I wasn't made for this world. I couldn't have made it without you. You found me, you gave me Alice... you even lifted me up when I wanted to croak. This palace is yours too, Philomène.»

Although a biography, Cheval's personality and the «reality» of his relationship with Philomène is a romance imagined by the director - as is the idea that he is building this palace for his daughter. As Nils Tavernier admitted last month in the columns of the daily newspaper Le Temps, We don't have any psychological descriptions of the Postman. Yet a man who for thirty years builds a palace out of pebbles is bound to have a particular structure.«

The balance is gradually created between the incredible story as experienced by the character and the episodes that mark it. The scenes are beautiful and respond to each other, with many close-ups. And Laetitia Casta plays Philomène superbly, a strong personality who dares to pierce and surprise the shell surrounding her husband's mind. The latter, played by Jacques Gamblin, is endearing, while remaining out of the ordinary, incomprehensible in his obstinacy.

Write to the author: [email protected]

Photo credit: © Praesens-Film