Arriving in front of the Senate, our favorite spy gets off his motorcycle, limping slightly. His serious accident on the Montlhéry circuit in Essonne in September left its mark. Mathieu Kassovitz, 56, is not the type to complain, even with his busy schedule. As a screenwriter and director, he is preparing the adaptation of The Beast is Dead, the comic strip created during the Nazi occupation in 1944 by Edmond-François Calvo, on a screenplay by Victor Dancette. The director of La Haine is also finalizing the musical comedy adapted from his film which will be released at the start of the school year. “Finally, my documentary on cannabis is released on France 5 on April 2 and Frères by Olivier Casas with Yvan Attal is released in cinemas on April 24,” he adds, rolling a cigarette.
Despite his phone vibrating constantly, Mathieu Kassovitz took an hour for a cause close to his heart. On television sets, with politicians, he has been fighting since 2014 to improve the distribution of unsold food. “In 2015, our petition in France was signed by 200,000 people and that at European level by 1.6 million citizens,” says the actor.
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Accompanied by musician Youssouf Soukouna and LR deputy mayor of Courbevoie Arash Derambarsh, Mathieu Kassovitz was interviewed by senator LR Marie-Do Aeschlimann, member of the Social Affairs committee. Gray sweater, dark jeans and tennis shoes, he is the only one who has not put on a suit. While Gabriel Attal and the ministers took over the premises for the question session with the government, he discovered, impressed, the gilding, the tapestries, the statues and the main staircase of the Luxembourg Palace. “It’s very beautiful, France knows how to do it,” he said admiringly.
Facing the senator, Mathieu Kassovitz has 45 minutes to convince of the need to change the legislation. “In France, the law passed in 2016 must be improved because it is not well applied, there is no monitoring,” insists the actor, author and director. This law requires supermarkets of more than 400 square meters to return their unsold food to the associations of their choice. The success is there: more than ten million meals have been distributed and donations have jumped by 22%. But today, as the call for help from Restos du Cœur proves, it is no longer enough at all.” “We must save the Restos du Cœur which are dying, this association is today part of French society. If we lose it, we lose our identity,” he says.
In front of the senator, he unfolds his arguments, asking that supermarkets be affected from 200 m2, that the fines be heavier for brands that do not respect the law. Ten million tonnes of unsold food are still thrown away in France. “I would like the government to create a body to control food donations, it would be very innovative. Restos du Cœur have the capacity to do this. They know where donations are lacking, where more redistribution associations are needed. They could take charge of all the recovery of food waste, grouping donations into large deposit centers from where they would be directed to smaller associations. We could also use La Poste. They are as close as possible to the French, have plenty of cars and employees who know the terrain perfectly. Today, some large stores prefer to sell their unsold items to consumers at low prices because they do not want others to make a profit in their place. Other companies buy back their stocks of expired products and sell them profitably in discount chains. There, anyone can do their shopping there. This is not the spirit of the law which was passed to help the most deprived.”
“I grew up in precarious conditions but I was never hungry,” says Youssouf Soukouna, originally from Bobigny. When I was growing up 40 years ago, people weren’t afraid to reach out. Today, they are ashamed and feel stigmatized if they go to the soup kitchen. Between students and middle-class people, you can’t imagine the number of French people who need help to have enough to eat. It’s an invisible downgrade because they are so self-conscious that they no longer dare to reach out. Perhaps we should stop asking people who come to collect bags for food for their identity.” According to him, hunger in France is not at all a problem reserved for the suburbs. “In the neighborhoods, as they say, mutual aid is there. All doors are open, a natural system of support exists. Hunger does not exist there. I wouldn’t say the same about certain bohemian neighborhoods like the Marais.” Marie-Do Aeschlimann agrees. “It’s a double whammy, being hungry and ashamed to ask for help,” she believes.
The 45 minutes have passed. “Thank you for involving me in your approach, Mathieu, you are a good person,” she says before asking: “Can I kiss you?” Mathieu Kassovitz smiles. Suddenly in front of us, he becomes Malotru again, this spy with a tender heart from the Bureau des Légendes, the cult series by Éric Rochant.
