Mauritian 7th art: a will
Like other islands around the world, Mauritius' film industry may be small, but it's not small. In a bid to diversify its economy, the Mauritian government is passionately committed to developing the 7th art industry, relying on its beautiful and varied natural sites, its pleasant year-round climate, its culture and art of living, its sense of hospitality, its high-level infrastructure and the know-how of Mauritians (particularly in the manufacture of sets).
Initiatives in recent years include the Mauritius Film Rebate Scheme: a measure designed to offer financial support to film productions that choose Mauritius as their shooting location. This incentive scheme offers tax benefits and a reimbursement of 30% to 40% of production-related expenses.
The island also hosts a number of 7th art events, the most regular of which is the Mauritius European Film Festival. In 2023, the5th edition has joined forces with the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival to focus on young people, with a program of 25 short films designed exclusively for this audience.
In addition to these initiatives, Mauritian 7th art also exists through several filmmakers from the island, such as Selven Naidu and his documentary series Résonances, or David Constantin, promising director of Lonbraz Kann (2014). This feature-length film had its premiere at the Festival international du film d'Afrique et des Iles and went on to tour the four corners of the globe, including the Festival du Film francophone de Namur and the Seattle International Film Festival.
Mauritius seen from the outside
For many years, the island was best known in the 7th art world for two French films. The first, made in 1978 by Georges Lautner, is called Ils sont fous ces sorciers and stars Jean Lefebvre and Henri Guybet. Julien (played by Lefebvre) is sent to Mauritius on business, where he meets Henri (Guybet). After a night of drinking, the two men desecrate a sacred totem pole. A curse follows them all the way to Paris. A few years later, Gérard Depardieu and Marie Gillain set foot on Mauritian beaches in Mon père, ce héros (1991), directed by Gérard Lauzier.
More recently, the island was thrust into the spotlight via the film Serenity, directed by Steven Knight, and featuring a magnificent line-up of actors including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane and Jason Clarke. Released in 2019, this thriller tells the story of Dill Baker, captain of a fishing vessel, whose quiet life is turned upside down by a call from his ex-wife asking him to execute her abusive new husband. From his first scouting trip in 2017, director Steven Knight, seduced by the island's biodiversity, decided to set a significant part of his shoot in the village of Trou aux Biches, where the crew even built a temporary harbor for the needs of some key scenes. Also of note in 2020 is the TV movie Trop jeune pour moi (originally called Coup de foudre à l'île Maurice), in which Hélène de Fougerolles falls in love with a 20-year-old man during a retreat on the island. In 2023, the Netflix series Kandasamys: The Baby, partly filmed in Mauritius, featured two Mauritian actors in key roles.
