{"id":230120,"date":"2026-02-06T14:04:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T13:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/?p=230120"},"modified":"2026-02-06T16:37:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T15:37:35","slug":"blog-bazaar-closing-film-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/blog-bazaar-closing-film-interview","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAbove all, Bazaar is a love story\u201d: R\u00e9mi Bezan\u00e7on on the IFFR 2026 closing film"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The comedy thriller Bazaar (Murder in the Building)<\/strong> 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 C\u00e9sar Award-nominated French filmmaker R\u00e9mi Bezan\u00e7on about the love for cinema that runs through his film.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Set in Paris, Bazaar (Murder in the Building) <\/strong>follows Fran\u00e7ois, 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. \u201cI love genre films, that\u2019s why it was interesting to work with the tension between comedy and mystery,\u201d Bezan\u00e7on says of the lightness and intensity that define the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to make a film about cinema,\u201d he continues \u2014 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<\/strong>, and echoes of Psycho<\/strong> and Bezan\u00e7on\u2019s favourite: North by Northwest<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These references extend beyond narrative into the film\u2019s 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 \u201cjeu de pistes\u201d \u2013 a movie-reference-treasure hunt \u2013 recognising references while remaining immersed in the mystery.Yet Bezan\u00e7on insists that at its heart, Bazaar (Murder in the Building)<\/strong> is a romance. \u201cIt\u2019s a film about a couple, about two people who grow closer through this investigation.\u201d 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<\/strong> as, fundamentally, a romantic film. \u201cAbove all, Bazaar<\/strong> is a love story,\u201d Bezan\u00e7on affirms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Besides showing Bezan\u00e7on\u2019s deep love for cinema, it\u2019s also a personal work. \u201cI think that in everything I do, there\u2019s 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.\u201d This blend of memory, cinema and life materialises in the film through the character of Fran\u00e7ois, who projects himself into his books, and whose name pays homage to a teacher who had an influence on Bezan\u00e7on during his youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The filmmaker’s ambition to make a real crowd-pleaser makes this the perfect film to close out IFFR 2026: \u201cI 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.\u201d This playful spirit runs through Bazaar (Murder in the Building) <\/strong>as a charming homage to the history of cinema, unfolding with agility and lightness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

-By Paula Estany Hachuel<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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