Nicolas ALTMAYER has been one of the leading producers of French cinema for some twenty years.
In partnership with his brother Eric Mandarin Filmshe initially produced comedies, working on several occasions with Fabien ONTENIENTE, James HUTH, Michel HAZANAVICIUS or Rémi BEZANÇON (ESRA 1998). But in recent years, the Mandarin has expanded to include films by François OZON and more recently to Bertrand BONELLO. Rather than repeat a generic description of the state of production in France, Nicolas ALTMAYER responded with great precision to questions from the students (who were quite numerous in the amphitheatre that day), and went into great detail about the work carried out with a number of filmmakers, such as HAZANAVICIUS and BONELLO. In each case, he went into detail about working methods, financing difficulties and so on. But our guest was not one to mince his words, and also confided in us about the failures. Whether it's box office flops that are, in the end, exactly the films he wanted to make (Philibert) or films he considers artistically unsuccessful but which are not commercial flops (People, De l'autre côté du périph), but which were painfully delivered. Generally speaking, Nicolas ALTMAYER explains that he likes projects that start with an idea (and no more), so that he can be involved from the script stage, then at every stage of the film's development, right up to its release. Many of Mandarin films are producer-driven, initiated by the ALTMAYERs, rather than auteur films (like OZON). Both OSS were launched before Michel HAZANAVICIUS was hired to direct. Nonetheless, he is now the main designer... and a third installment would be inconceivable without him.
