Simenon plays Simenon:
first photos of the filming

For the first time, cinéma is going to broach "The Case of Simenon," the most prolific and most read author of our time. Near Vevey, in the château of Echandens, the Vaud residence of the author of Maigret, perched above Lake Geneva, J.-F. Hauduroy – former assistant to Jacques Becker – is filming "Simenon plays Simenon" with the author himself, filmed in real life, in his daily setting. This medium-length film will reveal the birth of a Simenon hero, as well as the genesis of the novelistic creation of this extraordinary writer, who has published 185 books, been translated into 23 languages, and had 52 film adaptations of his works. Simenon will explain with regard to his facility, "For me, to write is a physical need, irresistible, which gets under my skin." In front of the camera, the author of "Strangers in the House" shows himself to be also an excellent actor. In playing his true role, under the eyes of his wife and children, he stays perfectly himself. He asks for retakes of the sequence just filmed if he isn't satisfied. It's only when J.-F. Hauduroy calls out: "Très bien!" that Simenon allows himself a smile beneath his heavy tortoise-shell glasses, while drawing on his almost legendary pipe.

in L'Illustré