Tribute to Alfred Lepetit
Charlotte Rampling
•
8m 20s
Directed by Jean Rousselot • Drama • With Charlotte Rampling, Roman Polanski, Jean-Claude Brialy • 1999 • 8 minutes
Alfred Lepetit is a legendary French production assistant with more than 200 films to his credit. Well, not exactly to his credit, since he refuses to let his name appear on-screen. Charlotte Rampling sings his praises, calling him the most important person on set. Roman Polanski claims he once cancelled a production, not because he couldn’t get Travolta, but because he couldn’t get Alfred. But the man himself remains elusive: never photographed, and refusing to appear at a ceremony to honor him.
A TRIBUTE TO ALFRED LEPETIT is a breezy short mockumentary with an all-star cast paying tribute to a behind-the-scenes superhero. Set to a lively Jesse Cook score, the film alternates between testimonials to Alfred (with everyone from producers to the shoe store employee who sells him sneakers weighing in) and hilarious, frenzied black-and-white behind-the-scenes footage of a PA trained by Alfred in action.