This Thursday, September 14, the pre-release of Thierry Thomas’s documentary took place in the auditorium of the Matisse Museum in Nice. “Nice, the Artists, and the Azure” is presented as a true ode to the beauty of the Azurean capital.
This pre-release was an opportunity for the Matisse Museum to introduce its new director, Aymeric Jeudy. He expressed his admiration and friendship for the director Thierry Thomas. Primarily a director for television, especially for Arte and France 5, Thomas spoke of his passion for pictorial art. A passion he long hesitated to film for fear of how it would look on television.
Indeed, he notes that he belongs to a generation that struggled with adjusting television settings. A poor setting choice could obliterate the colors and light of the paintings. Therefore, the advent of increasingly advanced televisions changed the mind of this seasoned director. The documentary film that will air tonight at 8:05 PM on Arte thus showcases “Nice, the Artists, and the Azure”.
An Ode to the Beauty and Light of the City of Nice
The following quote from the French painter Henri Matisse resonates throughout Thierry Thomas’s documentary. It is as if the director wanted to depict what the painter felt when he was in Nice:
“When I understood that every morning I would see this light again, I could not believe my luck. I decided not to leave Nice, and I stayed there practically my entire life.“
Henri Matisse
Chronologically, the documentary highlights the creation of the myth of the Côte d’Azur. It recalls that initially, it was the “winter visitors” who contributed to the creation of this myth. Indeed, wealthy Italians, English, and Russians would spend the winter at the Bay of Angels. Throughout the documentary, the beauty of the Azurean capital is explored. The role of artists and the wealthy in creating the city’s splendor is accentuated. The many palaces and acclimation gardens are striking examples. Additionally, often criticized for its superficiality, the city of Nice has also suffered from this reputation as a dreamlike Eden, entirely desired and constructed by human society.
From Matisse to Renoir, including Ernest Pignon-Ernest, they all highlight the identity and particularism of the city of Nice. Its late attachment to France seems to largely explain why the Côte d’Azur is not Provence. Moreover, various archival images join forces with artworks to ultimately form a true documentary film on “Nice, the Artists, and the Azure”.
Discover this documentary by Thierry Thomas tonight at 8:05 PM on Arte.
