Sawt Falasteen - 'Call My Agent' creators turn to cabaret with 'Ca, c'est Paris'

"Call My Agent," which satirized the French entertainment industry, and the people whose devote their lives catering to the whims and egos of movie stars, become an international hit on Netflix and drew cameos from the likes of Sigourney Weaver.

"Ca, c'est Paris" creator Marc Fitoussi hopes his new show can draw a similar global audience, while busting a few stereotypes about the "Moulin Rouge"-style shows beloved by tourists and popularized by Hollywood musicals.

"It has the same principle of going behind the scenes... taking an interest in the people in the shadows," Fitoussi, in Los Angeles to present the series at the American French Film Festival (TAFFF), told AFP.

"We wanted to tell the backstage story of a cabaret, to go against the cliches about the world of nightlife, drugs, girls who prostitute themselves," added Michel Feller, a producer on "Ca, c'est Paris" who previously lent his own experiences as an ex-agent to "Call My Agent."

"That's not the reality at all -- it's more about athletes and modern women, expressing themselves."

Filmed at Paradis Latin, the oldest cabaret in the French capital, "Ca C'est Paris" begins with manager Gaspard facing a dilemma of whether to sell his struggling burlesque nightclub.

With his wife and teenage daughter skeptical about a business that "exhibits naked women on stage in the 21st century," Gaspard hires a new, very avant-garde artistic director to modernize his establishment.

His employees include a Polish immigrant dancer whose parents believe she works at the Paris Opera, a waiter seeking a fresh start after a law-breaking youth, and a single mother from the suburbs juggling the stage and her son.

Through cabaret, the series captures "an X-ray of Paris, and even modern France," said Fitoussi.

Whether it can match the international appeal of "Call My Agent," which spawned several multinational adaptations including a British version, remains to be seen.

The series debuts on French television later this year, with international release plans yet to be confirmed.

But the new show's makers hope to capitalize on the recent spotlight provided by the Paris Olympics, where Lady Gaga memorably paid tribute to French cabaret in a widely acclaimed opening ceremony on the banks of the Seine.

"When we see Lady Gaga imitating Zizi Jeanmaire, it shows that this imagery is still popular today and can seduce the public," said Fitoussi.

K.Hassan--SF-PST