Army of Crime Interview

Born in Marseilles in 1953 to an Armenian father and German mother, Robert Guédiguian has remained politically engaged and culturally fascinated. Considering his parentage and background in Marseille’s L’Estaque area (where he led the Young Communists), it’s evident that The Army of Crime’s inter-racial and political struggle rings deeply personal. Despite this, his films rarely centralize such an obvious political thrust. Instead, he’s often considered an auteur of social realism, portraying a Robert Altman-esque range of characters for his 16 directorial films to-date.

However, as Guédiguian focuses on Marseille’s poorer and immigrant social groups (from Marius and Jeannette (1997) to The Town is Quiet (2000)), left-wing values vibrate beneath the surface, interwoven with themes of place, identity and family. The significance of family is mirrored by Guédiguian’s preference to work (mostly) with the same actors. His wife, actress Ariane Ascaride, appears in all but one of his films since his debut, Last Summer (1981).

Accordingly, in The Army of Crime, Guédiguian brings a fresh and unique perspective, imbued with his auteur touch, on a marginalized, hitherto unsung group during the dark years of the Occupation.

Cinémoi caught up with the director to get the inside story on the genesis, influences and production of his gripping World War 2 thriller.

Kate Ingram