Basse Normandie

In Mazuy’s filmography, Riding Dostoievski is her film “based on true events.” Such is the case that she herself and Simon Reggiani, her actor husband, are not only co-directors, but also the stars. Together, they capture the Reggiani’s preparations for a one-man show in which he has to perform on a horse most of the time. At the same time, the government of Lower Normandy, which promotes the project, expects to gain political interest by staging the play during a fair, only in Paris and in front of a crowd of farmers. Riding Dostoievski captures the obstacles Reggiani finds during his path, which include a not-very-cooperative crew and a bad-tempered horse. An intriguing mix, absurdist at times, of filmed theater, documentary, mockumentary and breaking-in lesson. Further proof of the versatility and freedom which which this remarkable French filmmaker shoots.