‘You can still enjoy it, even if you’re not the best’: Life lessons from the cast of Prodigies

What would you do if your greatest passion was slipping away from you? For some giving up would be the easier way out, but what if the fight to hold onto that passion was the very thing that made you stronger?

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In the new French film, Prodigies, twin sisters Claire (played by Camille Razat who’s best known for her role in Emily in Paris) and Jeanne (played by Melanie Robert) face the unimaginable. In the film, the two are united by the same passion: the piano. Coached by their father since young, both of them join a prestigious music university run by the intractable Professor Klaus Lenhardt. However, while they were preparing for their performance, the twins discovered that they were suffering from an incurable illness which affected their ability to use their hands. At this point, most of us would have thrown in the towel, but for the twins, instead of giving up, they chose to persevere and reinvent themselves as pianists to continue chasing their dreams.

At the heart of Prodigies is the complex relationship between twin sisters Claire and Jeanne, which drives the emotional core of the film. Onscreen, the two deliver powerful performances as sisters. Camille Razat also shared candidly that she and Mélanie Robert have been friends for over 11 years, which made working together feel “effortless and natural”. Claire is seen as the ambitious and confident twin, while Melanie portrays Jeanne who is a little more introverted and is often seen being overshadowed by her twin sister. Their conflicting dynamics as twin sisters shed light on the real pressures of family expectations and personal identity as twins – which adds an authentic layer to the story.

The film is a dramatic biopic that’s based on a true story that draws on the lives of twin sisters Audrey and Diane Pleynet to explore the challenges of two virtuoso pianists.

To find out more about the film, we had an exclusive interview with Camille Razat, Melanie Robert and Franck Dubosc, a veteran actor and director who plays the twins’ dad in the film. They reflected on the emotional depth of their roles, the challenges they faced during production, and the universal messages of perseverance and sisterhood woven into the story.

CAMILLE RAZAT

Coming from Emily in Paris, which had a lighter tone, how did stepping into a more dramatic role like Prodigies challenge or enrich your acting process?

“Well, I guess that’s what comes with being an actor. You get to play different roles and that’s what’s interesting about our job. I would hate to be pigeonholed and play the same role over and over again. Playing Claire is closer to who I am as a person so it was easier than playing Camille because playing Camille in Emily in Paris requires a type of acting because it’s exaggerated and over the top and that’s what makes it funny. So I like playing different characters for different reasons.”

The relationship between Claire and Jeanne is central to the story. How did you and Mélanie Robert build the dynamic to convincingly portray twin sisters with such deep connections?

“We’ve been friends for like 11 years in real life, so she’s basically my sister so it’s not something that we had to create – it was already there. But we did have to rehearse for quite a long time to play the piano. For eight months we rehearsed the piano but for our relationship, it was just natural.”

The film shines a light on resilience in the face of adversity. Did this story inspire you personally?

“The three of us can say yes to that, because as actors you have to have some resilience to do that job, because you have to work a lot, learn so many things, and do so many castings before you eventually get one project. And even after getting the project, sometimes the project doesn’t get the financial support, so it doesn’t mean we get to do it. So of course, the three of us understand the resilience that this job is demanding.”

Were there any particularly memorable or unexpected hurdles during production that left a lasting impression on you?

“There are so many things and that includes even before the shoot. So this movie is about a rare degenerative disease that’s incurable and right before the shoot, we found that Fédéric Potier, the director, who was like a son and a father, found out that he had throat cancer. And so he had to go for surgery right before the shoot. And then we had to postpone the movie for quite a long time. But everyone was okay with that, including the producer and actors. And it was sad because he was sick and we were playing roles that were also sick so that was very intense. However, after his surgery, he came down to the set every day despite his cancer.

On a lighter note, during the shoot, we laughed so much because the movie was dramatic, there was tension throughout the whole movie, and everyone on set loved to joke between scenes. I have known Melanie for 11 years so we love to joke so of course, we naturally work well together, and also Isabel who plays our mother, is amazing – she has this dry sense of humour that I adore and we love to laugh actually which bonded us even more. During the shoots, we tried to make it light and joyful so everyone enjoyed their time and was in a good mood. And it’s definitely made it to my top 10 for sure.”

MELANIE ROBERT

Music plays a pivotal role in Prodigies. Did you have any prior experience with the piano, or was this a skill you had to develop for the role?

“I never played the piano before, so it was my first experience. It was like learning a language but I enjoyed it so much. It’s a beautiful instrument and I find it very peaceful especially when you have a piano at home because I had to train.

I enjoyed playing it every day and it didn’t feel like work to me. In fact, I played the piano with my headphones so I didn’t disturb my neighbours. We had a piano coach who trained us for eight months to learn the technique and also to synchronise playing together with Camille as twin sisters. But I don’t play the piano in my free time because I don’t actually have the space in my flat to have one however, it’s on my bucket list and I’m very interested in learning more about playing the piano.”

The film addresses themes of determination and vulnerability. What do you hope audiences take away from Jeanne’s journey?

“It’s really about the twin sisters who play because of their passion for piano. We stuck together even if there were so many times people like her teacher tried to build competition between them. But they still stuck by each other and most importantly it was about the love shared between the two sisters.”

Prodigies is about music, perseverance, and sibling bonds. What message do you hope audiences connect with, and how does it reflect universal human struggles?

Melanie: “The message is more on perseverance, you have to carry on fighting for your dreams and what you want despite the difficulties you face like the disease, so that’s one of the universal messages from the film.”

Camille: “And especially, in our society, everything is so competitive, you have to be the best. But it’s not true. You can be passionate about something even if you’re not the best and still enjoy it, and that’s the best value. And that’s worth what it is. You don’t necessarily have to be the best.”

FRANCK DUBOSC

As a veteran in the French film industry, what drew you to a role in Prodigies, and how did you approach your character?

“Firstly, it was because of the script and the story. Secondly, it was new for me to play a dramatic role. What I loved is that I got to play a part in this beautiful story even if I’m not playing the first role but mainly because I got to play something in a story I liked.”

Prodigies is a story steeped in musical and emotional depth. How did the collaborative process with the directors shape your performance?

“The directors knew exactly what they wanted. And after the first scene, it was easy to see that they wanted something very straightforward. I spoke with them about why they wanted me to be a part of this film and they wanted me to have a more emotional character and it was quite easy for me to see their direction. Plus, I didn’t really have to play the piano like the girls so I just had to listen to the piano, which was honestly, not difficult. But I tried to play a subtle character and it’s not so difficult.”

Transitioning to your directorial project, How to Make a Killing, can you share how your dual roles as actor and director have influenced your creative outlook?

“I’ve done three films and I was in all of them. But for the first time, in this film, I was not always in it. I’m in the film half of the time. It’s more difficult for the others because when they play with me, they always have the director in front of them. I would always say “Don’t worry I’m the character, I’m not the director,” but that’s not true. I’m always the director and I always have eyes on the acting which is difficult for them and not so much for me because I wrote the script and I know exactly what I want. What I do, with my experience, is that I let the other actors do their scenes before me. That way, when I’m acting, I’m not thinking about their acting. I remember in my first film, I was doing a scene with another actress and it was my turn to act, and I was just thinking of her acting.”

Prodigies is now screening at The Projector and selected Shaw Theatres for the French Film Festival, and in all Shaw Theatres from December 5.