“She’s almost like a Hitchcockian heroine”: Isabelle Huppert on La Syndicaliste

Beloved French actress Isabelle Huppert (Elle, The Piano Teacher) is in her element in a new political thriller from Jean-Paul Salomé (Arsène Lupin, Mamma Weed), La Syndicaliste or The Sitting Duck, charting the true story of Irish-born trade unionist Mauven Kearney, a woman who fearlessly stood up to male power in the nuclear industry. 

Salomé was inspired to make the film after reading investigative journalist Caroline Michel-Aguirre’s book about Kearney, the head union representative of a French multinational nuclear powerhouse who became a whistleblower after denouncing top-secret deals. She stood up to government ministers and industry leaders to bring the scandal to light and to defend more than 50,000 jobs. Things took a darker turn when she was violently assaulted in her own home. A further twist in the tale came when the resulting investigation found Kearney go from victim to suspect.

The Upcoming had the privilege of a sit-down chat with the screen legend during the Marrakech Film Festival. She shared how she felt a spontaneous connection to the character, guided by her own imagination, and was only lightly influenced by the real-life persona of the woman she portrays, focusing on making her suspicion both understandable and credible. Huppert spoke fondly of working with director Salomé, whom she collaborated with previously on Mama Weed, noting his habit of exploring characters who find themselves in unusual or displaced situations. The actress also discussed the theme of women who refuse to be seen as victims – a narrative that resonates strongly with the film. While acknowledging that many areas of cinema have evolved, the actress noted that the crucial moments happening in front of the camera remain largely unchanged.

Sarah Bradbury

La Syndicaliste is released in select cinemas on 30^th June 2023.

Watch the trailer for La Syndicaliste here: