Since he rose to fame with Untouchable (2011), Omar Sy has not stopped chaining projects both in his native France and in the United States. The 45-year-old French actor, who last night received the Honor Award at the RNE Sant Jordi Cinematography Awards gala, presented his new film Father and Soldier, a drama this Wednesday as part of the BCN Film Fest Set in World War I, he plays a man who enlists in the French army to try to protect his 17-year-old son, recruited against his will in the French colony of Senegal. In October we will see him back on Netflix as Assane Diop with the third season of Lupine, the successful series in which he plays a charismatic white-collar thief. And in the cinema it still has a pending release this year The Killer, by John Woo; Pins and Needles, with Benedict Cumberbatch and the action film Shadow Force.
What led you to want to star in this story in which you have also participated as a producer?
The origin of the project dates back a few years, from the film Untouchable. I met Mathieu Vadepied, who was the cinematographer, and he told me about this story. And he asked me if the unknown soldier had been a Senegalese soldier. I would never have asked myself that question. And I said: but how is it that I have never considered it? How is it that everything I've done so far has never led me to ask myself that question? And that's when I understood the need for this film. We need to consider the story of these soldiers and I thought it was important to do it. there are more novels, documentaries and works by historians who talk about that colonial past and who want to question it again, something that had not been done before. There's a void to fill
Several years have passed. Was it very difficult to carry it out?
Very complicated. In any case, the trajectory of a film is always long. A script was needed that was solid enough to take it to the big screen. Matthew told me about an idea and developing it took time. And then we had to find the financing. But the essential thing is to agree on the story we want to tell and that has taken a long process.
What was it like getting into the shoes of Bakary, that father who does the impossible to save his son from war?
It was very particular, because Bakary is a normal man with a simple life, but he becomes a superhero when he tries to save his family and his loved ones. For me this is the image of what a father has to be.
And how did your relationship with Alassane Diong, the actor who plays your son, work?
He is my nephew, therefore it was not complicated from this point of view. We know each other a lot in real life and the complex thing was discovering ourselves as actors. It is interesting work to do in depth.
The film speaks precisely about the complexity of parent-child relationships. Bakary wants to get him out of the trenches, but Thierno is willing to give his life for
Yes, the son is with another objective. He is building himself as a man and sees meaning in this war. But in the end it is a normal confrontation between father and son that would have happened too if he had stayed in Senegal.
The film is shot in French and Fula
Fula is my mother tongue, yes. In my family we speak both languages at home. I feel very comfortable.
More than a century after World War I we are involved in another war, that of the Ukraine, which still has no end. What do you think about that?
What I think has earned me a controversy in France. And it is that a century has passed between one war and another, but I have the feeling that war has never left humanity. There have been big wars in Europe and we have had conflicts left and right in the world and I am equally as surprised and uneasy about the wars in Africa or the Middle East. It amazes me that people care about the war in Europe and not all the others. It's the same humanity, isn't it?
How has the reception of the film been in France?
We are happy because it has had some success as a war film and in another language. It is a way of recognition and, above all, of interest in the history of the country because we explain a bit of French history and this shows that people want to know
The film is a tribute to the unknown soldiers
And there are many. Definitely
It has been 12 years since the premiere of Untouchable, the film that gave him international fame. Did you imagine on the set that you would become a worldwide phenomenon?
Never. It was something unthinkable. It was the first film in which I had an important role and that was enough for me. Nobody could imagine what was going to happen. Even if I had dreamed of it today it is far beyond what I could have even dreamed of.
Do you usually turn down many projects?
Exactly. If now I can choose what I want it is thanks to this film.
What did you think of the American remake with Bryan Cranston?
I was surprised in a good sense of the word. She was modest but they knew how to handle her well and all the actors are very good.
He has worked in Hollywood productions such as the X-Men saga or Jurassic World: Dominion in small roles. Do you dream of a main character?
I would love for it to arrive soon and, in fact, I am working on it. I love acting.
What do you know about Spanish cinema?
I know Almodóvar and I like his cinema, which is the Spanish reference for the French. But his stories are so anchored in Spain that I don't know if he would enter his universe. He would be a little rusty (laughs).
Do you see yourself directing in a few years?
It's something I'm beginning to wonder. There are some stories and things that I would like to do and I don't know who I could entrust them to as a producer. So it is possible that this forces me to accelerate the step to the direction.
Are you more comfortable in drama or comedy?
I like a good balance between both genders.
