The film's main character Agathe lives in Paris, works in a bookstore and is an author with writer's block. She receives an invitation to a stay at a kind of Jane Austen retreat in England, where she is supposed to get her writing started again.
There she meets a relative of Austen and sweet feelings arise, at the same time as her boyfriend back in Paris longs for Agathe.
Humor and feminism
Laura Piani says that she started reading Jane Austen as a teenager – then mostly interested in the romantic theme.
Then I rediscovered her when I was older, I saw the humor, feminism, politics. She asked questions that are not so different from the ones we ask today. Questions about alone time, about whether to have children or not, about what you do to fulfill your dreams.
And she went against what was then the archetype of the male hero. Her Mr Darcy is a man who has had his heart broken and who does not feel comfortable in society. At that time, such a description was something strong.
Piani's favorite among Jane Austen's books is "Persuasion", the last one the author wrote.
It's the most intimate, it's about her own life. She wanted to have her own space, but could at the same time feel that the train might have left.
Me too movement
There are many Jane Austen societies in England, but since she wanted to create her own image, Laura Piani did not visit any of them.
Instead, I visited many places where Jane Austen had lived or been.
In France, the me too movement started surprisingly late compared to the rest of Europe. What would Jane Austen have thought of the movement?
She would have loved it. This is what she wrote about in her books. She fought for women.
Became directorial debut
Laura Piani wrote the script for the film and then decided that it would be her directorial debut.
As a screenwriter, you hand over the project. Now I could be involved all the time in what was a team effort, she says.
Prior to the premiere in France, she traveled around with her film to show it and meet the audience.
It was wonderful. There is such an atmosphere when you see a romantic comedy together.
Gunnar Rehlin/TT
Facts: "Jane Austen ruined my life"
TT
Script and direction: Laura Piani. Main roles: Camille Rutherford, Pablo Pauly, Charlie Anson. Swedish cinema premiere: 22/8.
