“Above all, Bazaar is a love story”: Rémi Bezançon on the IFFR 2026 closing film

The comedy thriller Bazaar (Murder in the Building) will bring IFFR 2026 to a close with a celebration of cinema as mystery and as a playful shared experience. On the occasion of the world premiere, we spoke with multiple César Award-nominated French filmmaker Rémi Bezançon about the love for cinema that runs through his film.

Set in Paris, Bazaar (Murder in the Building) follows François, a crime novelist, and his partner Colette, a film professor, who find themselves drawn into an unexpected investigation when they believe they have witnessed a murder through the window of their apartment. “I love genre films, that’s why it was interesting to work with the tension between comedy and mystery,” Bezançon says of the lightness and intensity that define the film. 

“I wanted to make a film about cinema,” he continues — a statement of intent that infuses throughout the film. The story unfolds through a web of smart and unapologetic references to film history, from a clear nod to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, and echoes of Psycho and Bezançon’s favourite: North by Northwest. 

These references extend beyond narrative into the film’s visual language, from production design to costume, which the director notes were inspired by the cinematic universe of Woody Allen. The film invites viewers into a “jeu de pistes” – a movie-reference-treasure hunt – recognising references while remaining immersed in the mystery.Yet Bezançon insists that at its heart, Bazaar (Murder in the Building) is a romance. “It’s a film about a couple, about two people who grow closer through this investigation.” The film’s characters embrace this romantic view on cinema too, citing Godard’s observation that Hitchcock was a filmmaker of love rather than crime, and treating Vertigo as, fundamentally, a romantic film. “Above all, Bazaar is a love story,” Bezançon affirms.

“I wanted to make a film that would be a genuine pleasure for the viewer, something playful, where people can have a good time while letting themselves be carried by the story.”

Besides showing Bezançon’s deep love for cinema, it’s also a personal work. “I think that in everything I do, there’s always a bit of myself in it. There are references to the films I watched when I was younger, and inevitably, all of that finds its way into my work.” This blend of memory, cinema and life materialises in the film through the character of François, who projects himself into his books, and whose name pays homage to a teacher who had an influence on Bezançon during his youth.

The filmmaker’s ambition to make a real crowd-pleaser makes this the perfect film to close out IFFR 2026: “I wanted to make a film that would be a genuine pleasure for the viewer,  something playful, where people can have a good time while letting themselves be carried by the story.” This playful spirit runs through Bazaar (Murder in the Building) as a charming homage to the history of cinema, unfolding with agility and lightness. 

-By Paula Estany Hachuel