Wonder Boy (2019 film)

Wonder Boy (French: Wonder Boy, Olivier Rousteing, né sous X, transl. Wonder boy, Olivier Rousteing, parents unknown) is a 2019 French documentary film directed by Anissa Bonnefont covering the personal and professional life of Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of Balmain, as he searches for his biological parents. The film was first shown on the television channel Canal+ on 16 October 2019 and was released in French theatres on 27 November.

Wonder Boy
FrenchWonder Boy: Olivier Rousteing, né sous X
Directed byAnissa Bonnefont
Produced byAnissa Bonnefont
StarringOlivier Rousteing
CinematographyThomas Brémond
Edited byGuerric Catala
Music byYndi Ferreira Da Silva
Production
companies
  • Stella Maris Pictures
  • Box Fish Productions
  • Sultan Pictures
  • Canal+
Release dates
  • 16 October 2019 (2019-October-16) (Canal+)
  • 27 November 2019 (2019-November-27) (France)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench

Production

Anissa Bonnefont first met Olivier Rousteing when he bought a residence from her mother, where they bonded over their experiences with parent abandonment as children.[1] Bonnefont encouraged Rousteing to search for his biological parents, which he had earlier hesitated to do, and persuaded Balmain to allow her to make a film on the search with certain terms: "no posing" from Rousteing, full access to Balmain, and control over the final cut. She financed the production cost herself, raising €1.1 million (US$1.2 million) of funds from a variety of sources, including the French government. Balmain assisted with the licensing fees for the soundtrack during post production. Filming began in 2017 and took around one-and-a-half years to complete; Bonnefont stated that the relationship between her and Rousteing "became like brother and sister" during production.[2]

Release and reception

After test showings and a private screening for Balmain shareholders in June 2019, the film was broadcast on the television channel Canal+ on 16 October before being released in French theatres on 27 November.[3] It was made available for streaming internationally on Netflix on 26 June 2021.[4]

Reception of the film was positive, with critics praising the "peek behind the curtain" into Rousteing's emotions and loneliness behind the public image of his life.[5][6][7]

Wonder Boy was nominated for the César Award for Best Documentary Film at the 45th César Awards, ultimately losing to Yolande Zauberman's M.[8]

References
  1. "Anissa Bonnefont • Director of Wonderboy". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  2. Friedman, Vanessa (25 September 2019). "The Truth About Olivier Rousteing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 April 2023 – via NYTimes.com.
  3. Telestar.fr (27 November 2019). "Wonder Boy : que vaut le documentaire sur Olivier Rousteing ? - Télé Star". www.telestar.fr. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  4. Pener, Degen (2 July 2021). ""I'm Going to Break That Image": Balmain's Olivier Rousteing Reveals the Heartbreak Behind the Glitz in New Doc". Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  5. Mintzer, Jordan (6 December 2019). "'Wonder Boy' ('Wonder Boy: Olivier Rousteing, né sous X'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  6. "'Wonder Boy': The Brilliant Fashion Designer Olivier Rousteing Searches for His Birth Mother". Hollywood Insider. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  7. "Review: Wonderboy". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  8. Roxborough, Scott (28 February 2020). "'Les Miserables' Wins Best Film at Cesar Awards, Polanski Takes Best Director". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
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