Lara Fabian and Jean-Philippe Dion: a relationship of trust

Lara Fabian knew she could trust Jean-Philippe Dion the first time she met him. It was in Brussels, in 2013. The host had interviewed him for Unlimited access. Seven years later, the singer remembers this moment, when a documentary around her and produced by Dion is about to be released. “I looked into his eyes and listened to my heart,” says Lara Fabian at Newspaper. It is difficult to explain. It’s like having a friendly crush on someone. “

Jean-Philippe Dion also keeps fond memories of the report produced for TVA, which had rallied 3.5 million viewers on TF1 when it was picked up in France.

“The current had passed,” indicates the vice-president, content and strategy, at Productions Déferlantes. Lara had agreed to bring up her eating disorder, a topic she had never talked about publicly before. “

Longing for truth

History repeats itself on a larger scale in Lara, a one-and-a-half hour film intended for Club illico, recounting the career of the artist, who in January celebrated his 50^e anniversary in the heart of a world tour.

At first meeting production of the documentary, a few days before starting her ambitious series of shows, the Belgian-Canadian diva displayed her colors: she wanted truth, honesty and authenticity.

“I knew exactly what I was getting into,” she said in a telephone interview. I had no problem crossing that line. Because it was my wish. I didn’t want to show anything made up, licked and hyper-controlled. For me, it had no interest. “

A merry go round tour

Lara shows us the star with or without make-up in different contexts and moods: unhappy with the technical problems behind the scenes of the concert she is giving at the Beacon Theater in New York, in Sicily during her Christmas holidays, or even at home in Montreal, making pancakes for Lou, her 12-year-old daughter, and Gabriel Di Giorgio, her partner.

Since Videotron has imposed an embargo on certain portions of the film, you will have to wait until October 16 to know some of Lara Fabian’s shocking revelations. A few days before the launch, that’s probably why the latter claims to have a “lump in the stomach”. She compares her feeling to that of the top of a roller coaster.

“When I’m done on the merry-go-round, I know I’m going to feel more free,” she said.

Among the segments of the documentary that can be rumored, let us point out this broken-down conversation captured in Europe, when Lara Fabian, who produces her own tour, learns that she has been the victim of fraud, or when she mentions her mother, who died degenerative disease close to Alzheimer’s in 2019.

Watching this segment of the documentary was no picnic for the singer-songwriter.

“It’s one of the great pains that refuse to be erased, but which end up being a part of you”, she philosophizes today.

Exceeded expectations

By his own admission, Jean-Philippe Dion did not believe that Lara Fabian would engage as much at the start of the adventure.

“I had questions, areas I wanted to explore… but honestly, she surprised me. She kept her word. She did not dodge any question, ”insists the host.

Once the post-production of the documentary was finished, in the spring, Productions Déferlantes sent the final cut to Lara Fabian.

The main interested party watched it as a family, and despite some rather sensitive passages, she did not want to cut anything. “After the movie, my daughter said to me, ‘I didn’t know you went through it all. I now understand better who my mom is. ” It overwhelmed me to hear that. ”

The documentary also allowed Lara Fabian to confirm certain things about herself, including some behaviors that she wants to change.

“I am sometimes hard on myself. And this harshness can be my worst enemy, ”she observes.

The real Lara

The next director of Star Academy wish that Lara allows people to discover its true nature, the one we don’t always have the chance to see in the spotlight.

“I was very moved when I realized that they had called the documentary Lara. Because that’s who I am, Lara. “

“When I finished the film, I thought: I’m pretty strong. And I have a whole journey, anyway. “

► The documentary Lara lands on Club illico on Thursday.