Adele Exarchopoulos, Souheila Yacoub: Rebels With a Cause in ‘Planet B’

French cinema rarely delves into the sci-fi genre, often dominated by big-budget American productions. Yet rising filmmaker Aude Lea Rapin took on the challenge with “Planet B,” a dystopian thriller starring Adele Exarchopoulos and Souheila Yacoub as determined rebels. The film made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, opening the Critics’ Week section.

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“Planet B” features a politically-charged storyline about climate activists imprisoned in a virtual jail, covering themes such as immigration, police brutality, the limits of radical activism, and threats to democracy. Yacoub and Exarchopoulos lead a cast that includes India Hair, Jonathan Couzinié, Yassine Stein, Paul Beaurepaire, and Eliane Umuhire.

Exarchopoulos plays Julia, the leader of eco-activists who suffer psychological torture in prison, while Yacoub portrays an Iraqi journalist living under a false identity in France. Yacoub’s character discovers a digital device that allows her to visit this virtual prison. The film, scored by Bertrand Bonello, is produced by Eva Robin at Les Films du Bal and co-produced by Orange Studio. It is distributed internationally by Studiocanal.

Exarchopoulos, known for her breakout role in the Palme d’Or-winning “Blue Is the Warmest Color,” noted the personal connection she felt with the film’s themes and Rapin’s vision. Rapin drew inspiration from recent violent protests in France, including those in Notre-Dame-des-Landes and the Yellow Jacket movement, to explore the present through the lens of a virtual prison.

Exarchopoulos finds the film’s subjects, particularly the courage of commitment and sacrifice, to be very relevant. “Planet B” raises questions about the societal and collective responses when political solutions are lacking, a timely issue framed within the science fiction genre.

Yacoub, who appeared in “Dune 2” and Noemie Merlant’s “The Balconettes,” appreciated the blend of science fiction and contemporary harsh realities in “Planet B.” She was drawn to the film’s meaningful depiction of youth-led demonstrations in France against issues like immigration laws, police brutality, and the rising far-right.

Exarchopoulos compared “Planet B” to another dystopian film she starred in, “The Animal Kingdom,” but highlighted that “Planet B” was made with a significantly tighter budget. The film pays homage to climate activists such as Greta Thunberg and Camille Etienne, emphasizing the pressing issues of political and climatic collapse.

Exarchopoulos felt exhilarated by playing a character with a level of commitment she herself lacks, reaffirming cinema’s role in raising important questions.

Initially, “Planet B” appeared daunting, given the modest budget and Rapin’s limited experience in the sci-fi genre. Exarchopoulos likened taking on this project to a bungee jump, emphasizing her strong desire to be part of it.

Yacoub found the script captivating and quickly decided to be part of the film after meeting Rapin, who had previously directed documentaries and aimed to combine personal passions with entertainment in this project.

In “Planet B,” Yacoub’s character drew inspiration from a friend of Rapin who was present on set, helping her master the Iraqi accent required for the role. Yacoub, not being Iraqi or a journalist in real life, appreciated the challenge and depth of portraying this character.

Yacoub emphasized the human flaws and mistakes of her character and Exarchopoulos’ character, finding beauty in their imperfections—traits often missing in female roles.

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Both actors have experience in major Hollywood productions, with Exarchopoulos notably voicing Ennui in “Inside Out 2.” She described how her state of exhaustion at the time of the interview for the role perfectly matched the character of Ennui.

Yacoub shared how her role in “Dune 2” opened more international opportunities, receiving more scripts and increasing her work in the U.S. Fluent in multiple languages, Yacoub has demonstrated versatility in her career.

Currently, Yacoub stars in “The Carpenter’s Son” and hopes to collaborate again with Denis Villeneuve, the director of “Dune 2.” Meanwhile, Exarchopoulos is filming “Chien 51,” a dystopian thriller about a future dominated by AI.

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