For filming purposes, Jean-Marc Barr dove into the fascinating world of cave diving! Instead of sticking to a few superficial techniques, he devoted a year and a half to training with Rémi Bouchard. Here is the story of a remarkable adventure.
A Long-Term Project
The story begins in 2018, when director Philippe Martin-Lacroix, a diving enthusiast, embarks on the creation of a short film. His goal? To link the plot of his film to cave diving. After conducting extensive research, he notices that Rémi Bouchard and Plongéesout, the association of underground divers of which he is president, are often mentioned. He then decides to seek their help.
Philippe Martin-Lacroix has been carrying this project for several decades. In the ’80s, he became friends with Luigi Casati, a renowned Italian cave diver. Luigi was the partner of Jean-Jacques Bolanz, a prominent figure in Swiss underground diving. After hearing Luigi’s anecdotes about Jean-Jacques, Philippe envisions a scenario where Bolanz would be the central character. However, Jean-Jacques’ tragic death in a cave in Greece pushes Philippe to abandon his project.
Years pass, but the idea remains alive in his mind. In 2021, he sends the script to Rémi, asking him to assess the French caves suitable for filming. After some exchanges, the funding is finally secured in January, with a shoot date set for June!
Discovering a New World
Jean-Marc Barr, contacted several months earlier by Philippe, finds himself cast as the lead actor. A question arises: will he be able to perform the underwater scenes himself, or will he need a double? Although he played Jacques Mayol inThe Big Blue, Jean-Marc is far from an experienced diver. He took a course in California in his youth but has only completed about twenty dives, never exploring underground depths.
« It’s a world I knew absolutely nothing about, » confides Jean-Marc. « One of the joys of being an actor is experiencing completely new things. » The script’s sequences are already complex for a seasoned diver. For a novice like him, the learning will be demanding. He will need to become familiar with suitable equipment: six cylinders, an underwater scooter, and an Ariadne’s thread in flooded galleries. Rémi proposes a ten-day program to see how Jean-Marc will adapt. Enthusiastic about escaping Paris during the pandemic, Jean-Marc commits.
Did you enjoy this excerpt?
Read the full article.
READING TIME ≈ 8 min
Dive into the heart of the PLONGEZ! Magazine
To enjoy this article and its exclusive content, a modest contribution is required.