Preview of the film “Challenger” at the UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles in Paris

Tonight, the preview of the film Challenger took place at the Forum des Halles, at UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles.

This event took place in the presence of the director and co-writer Varante Soudjian, accompanied by the main actors Alban Ivanov, Audrey Pirault, Soso Maness, as well as other members of the cast.

Alban Ivanov, the French comedian, became known in the early 2010s after being spotted by Jamel Debbouze, who made him the host of the Jamel Comedy Club, before an event that turned his life upside down.

The film Challenger tells the story of Luka, played by Alban Ivanov, a dreamer who aspires to become a great boxer. An amateur at heart, he fights small fights without much brilliance. However, one day, destiny offers him an unexpected opportunity to shine and prove that he can rise to the top.

This 95-minute feature film, co-written by Varante Soudjian and Thomas Pone, draws its inspiration from legendary boxing sagas, notably Rocky, from which it takes the codes while injecting a typically French humor.

Varante Soudjian began by making short films. The first, Au bout du rouleau (2001), focuses on a psychopath obsessed with the almost angelic beauty of a young woman, and who is convinced that this carnal attraction can only be the work of the devil… He continues with Le Tapis pleure (2002) and Second souffle (2008).

Varante was then asked to direct several episodes of Groland, Scènes de ménages, Commissariat central, Access and En famille. In 2019, he took the plunge and directed his first feature film, the comedy Walter, in which Alban Ivanov and his gang of bunglers are trapped in a supermarket by a particularly menacing security guard (Issaka Sawadogo).

In 2024, he released his new feature film, Challenger, in which Alban Ivano plays an amateur boxer who, following a stroke of luck, is propelled to the top… This comedy was born from the shared passion of the filmmaker and his co-writer Thomas Pone for the Rocky saga. For the occasion, Varante reunited with other of his favorite actors (Audrey Pirault, David Salles, etc.).

Alban Ivanov found success in 2015 with his crazy one-man show “Elément perturbateur”, where he made fun of the difficulties of everyday life by playing unsavoury characters. The same year, he participated in La Petite Histoire de France created by Jamel Debouzze. In this program revisiting with humor several key moments of our History, the comedian plays François d’Arc, cousin of Joan of Arc.

Varante Soudjian explained that the idea for Challenger was born from his love for the Rocky saga and his desire to tell a story where an insignificant character becomes a heroic figure despite the obstacles. The film oscillates between comedy and drama, a combination dear to the director who had already collaborated with Alban Ivanov in La Traversée and Inséparables. Soudjian also spoke about the depth of the character of Luka, a simple and dreamy man, confronted with his own limits, but who refuses to give up.

Alban Ivanov, perfect in the lead role, embodies Luka with a precision that oscillates between comedy and raw emotion. He tells us, in the press kit, that he underwent six months of intensive training in a boxing club in Marseille, training four to five times a week to make his character credible. This physical preparation allowed Ivanov to fully immerse himself in the skin of this amateur boxer, son of a former champion, who refuses to resign himself to failure.

Audrey Pirault shines in the role of Stéphanie, Luka’s manager, a close friend and driving force behind his career, always ready to push him further. The relationship between the two characters, tinged with tenderness and comic moments, is a real highlight of the film.

Soso Maness, a talented rapper and actor, plays Moreno, a slightly dodgy but endearing manager, whose chemistry with David Salles, who plays Jacquet, is hilarious. Together, they bring an extra touch of humor and quirkiness to this world of amateur boxing.

Challenger is above all an ode to perseverance. Luka, this boxer who dreams big despite his failures, embodies determination and the will to follow his dreams through to the end, no matter how big they may be. As Alban Ivanov explains, this character is touching because of his simplicity, his courage, and his inability to give up despite hard knocks, both in the ring and in life.

Challenger, an endearing, funny and emotional comedy, is a great success in the French cinema landscape. Don’t miss this film which, like Luka, has every chance of touching and surprising you.

The film, which will be released in theaters on October 23, 2024, promises to be a success, both for its ability to make you laugh and for the messages of hope it conveys.