Charles Aznavour was the kind of figure for whom, sooner or later, a grand, ambitious biographical film would inevitably be made. And now, for the centenary of the great Armenian-perhaps the greatest French artist-the film Monsieur Aznavour is hitting the screens. With biographical films, questions often arise about the authenticity of the events portrayed. This time, however, doubts seem unnecessary. The film’s producer, Jean-Rachid Kallouche, is Aznavour’s son-in-law, married to his daughter Katia, and the concept was even discussed with Aznavour himself before his passing. As we know from his acting career, Aznavour had a keen sense of good cinema.

The choice of directors, Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade, was met with some skepticism. While they are not complete novices, they have not yet reached the pinnacle of filmmaking. Nevertheless, the screenplay was also entrusted to them.On the other hand, the fact that Tahar Rahim believed in the project enough to take on the lead role speaks volumes. Rahim’s casting as Aznavour did spark mild controversy, particularly among Armenian audiences online, who questioned why an Armenian actor wasn’t chosen to portray the Armenian-born Aznavour. However, such concerns were unfounded. Rahim is not only one of the most sought-after and accomplished stars of contemporary French cinema (A Prophet, Napoleon, The Mauritanian, among others), but this is not his first time portraying an Armenian character. A few years ago, German director Fatih Akin cast him in the lead role of The Cut, a drama about the Armenian Genocide.

According to early reviews from France, Rahim’s performance is the film’s greatest strength. After months of preparation, he meticulously reproduced Aznavour’s gestures, voice, and overall aura. Moreover, in some scenes, Rahim performs Aznavour’s songs himself—a crucial element for a biographical film about a singer.The Armenian aspects of Aznavour’s life are not overlooked either. Early in the film, the protagonist is shown in an Armenian environment, alongside French Resistance heroes Missak and Mélinée Manouchian, with Armenian dialogue heard on screen. All these characters, including the young Vaghinak-Charles, are portrayed by actors of Armenian descent (for example, Narine Grigoryan plays Aznavour’s mother).

Prepare to relive all the well-known and lesser-known moments of Aznavour’s life, accompanied by some 30 of his iconic songs. And here’s an important addition: the film will be presented to Armenian audiences not in Russian dubbing, nor even in the original language, but with an Armenian voiceover.For instance, Aznavour will speak on screen with the voice of Horen Levonyan, while other characters are voiced by actors such as Samvel Topalyan, Babken Chobanyan, Sos Janibekyan, Narine Grigoryan, and others.