Where did you get the inspiration for such a broad range of characters, from all walks of life?
That was the point of the movie. Myself and my co-writer Jean-Pierre Bacri always try to be inspired by real people. I couldn't write without a real life-model. We observed relatives and friends.
The film's story is similar to "My Fair Lady", with the twist that the rich character is learning about culture from the poor one.
We wanted to show that these days, there are different barriers in society. It's not just a question of money. You can have money without having good cultural references - good for some people anyway. It's also a question of culture. Everyone thinks they have the best taste, but we're all wrong.
The film won four Césars. How important is it to be recognised at the Oscars - by another culture, in effect?
I'm honoured and flattered, but it doesn't change much. The press is now speaking about the film, but in France, its release is already over, although it could help in other countries. It's more a question of prestige and ego.
Making your directorial debut while writing and acting in the film as well must have been difficult?
It wasn't actually that hard to act in my own movie, which surprised me. I had a great team, and I'd like to carry on doing a bit of everything.
Read our review of "Le Goût des Autres".
