Pascal Brouard is a hedonist who likes to make good television. race around the world inspires him for documentaries and travelling. It was 1996.
Born in France into a family of winemakers, he directed the Papilles series and offered us the documentary series La vigne est belle earlier this year. A trip into the heart of Quebec’s vineyards. He has also directed Curieux Bégin for a dozen years. That means he knows the art of the table and good wine. For “Let’s drink another on TV5”, which he co-directs, he discovered cultures and societies through what is drunk there.
Photo courtesy of TV5
Pascal Broard
What do the drinks of a country say?
Much is said about living together. Let’s drink another is a documentary series that tells a lot about people and countries. I had the opportunity to shoot in quite festive countries: Spain, Italy, Brazil, Mexico. We’re not just talking about wine. It’s much wider. It’s about coffee, mezcal, ayahuasca, emblematic drinks. You learn a lot about life. We are not involved in political issues, but it allows us a historical, economic, social and societal perspective.
Which moment influenced you the most during these meetings?
The longest section in the series is about ayahuasca. For me this is the strongest moment. I’ve wanted to think outside the box and document ayahuasca for a long time. vanessa [Pilon, qui partage l’animation avec Valérie Chevalier] and I’ve talked a lot about it. She wanted to try it on and take part in the ritual. We were gathered with 400 Brazilians on garden chairs for communion. The Church and its Padrinho welcomed us. It is used in particular to treat addictions.
I also remember shooting at a small mezcal producer at 5am south of Mexico City. Everything was made in a very artisanal way by people who lived very rudimentarily. We were shocked to find that one of their bottles was being sold at the airport for $300. It reminds us that unfortunately organic is not necessarily fair trade.
Is it easy to connect with people who aren’t used to the camera?
As a former Race Around the World I’m used to it. You don’t point your camera right away. You don’t want to look like a picture thief. We are interested in the person first, then the topic. It often happens that I share something Quebecois with them. For example, I often bring maple syrup with me. Then we take the time to explain the schedule and actions. But loving people is the first condition to do this job.
How does an episode play out?
We have six days of shooting in one country. We shoot with our protagonists for five days. The sixth day is devoted to creating images. It is important to calculate the distances and travel time between cities. It usually takes 4 to 5 hours to shoot a segment. Difficult is leaving people who often have a meal planned for us that could last three hours! We are a very small team: a cameraman who also does the sound, the moderator, a “fixer” and me. This is filming that is demanding and requires the ability to quickly turn back if plans change. It happened to us in Brazil when our coffee guest had to leave for a funeral!
Are there any global trends in beverages?
What is obvious and has nothing to do with the pandemic is a return to local products. you see it everywhere We feel the value and importance of family transmission. We shot in Italy with three young people, friends who decided to return to their home region to launch cocktails inspired by TV series like Stranger Things, using local products like olive oil or truffle oil. There is a desire to reinvent itself and to highlight the terroir.
let’s drink somewhere else
Tuesday 7 p.m. on TV5 or tv5unis.ca