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It all began with a family story from the little-known French region of Morvan. Vincent Robert’s family, to be precise, as his great-grandmother had been a wet nurse herself.
While investigating his own past, the seasoned writer learned more and more about what would be the grounds of “Swapped,” (aka “Sorority”) a six-part, high-end period thriller co-written with Alexandra Echkenazi that is now being highlighted by France TV Distribution at the Unifrance Rendez-vous, before heading to La Rochelle Fiction Festival later this year.
In “Swapped,” Rose (Lula Cotton-Frapier) leaves her rural home to become a wet nurse for a bourgeois family in late 19th century Paris. There, she meets midwife Odette (Barbara Probst), who warns her: she won’t be allowed to keep her own child with her. A risky solution presents itself to Rose: secretly exchange her baby with that of Hélène de Gersande (Alexia Giordano), a mother grieving the sudden loss of her infant. Rose, Odette, and Hélène, three women from very different backgrounds, will have to join forces to carve out a place for themselves in a male-dominated world, and claim their freedom.
With producer Christine de Bourbon Busset, who called upon Belgian TV power-duo Vania Leturcq and Savina Dellicour (“Pandora”) to helm the six episodes, Echkenazi and Robert set out on this risky yet captivating journey. As the series sets sail, Variety spoke with the team about the makings of this modern take on France’s untold history.
“It was Alexandra’s idea to turn the story of these wet nurses from Morvan into a TV series, something which had never occurred to me,” recalls Robert. While his great-grand mother was a wet nurse, his grandfather was a so-called ‘Petit Paris,’ a child who had been abandoned in Paris, and sent to rural families in Morvan. “I knew nothing of these customs before discussing them with Vincent,” adds Echkenazi. “Sure, I had learned about wet nursing and the fact that these women were coming from outside Paris, but I had no idea they were all coming from the same region.”
Echkenazi immediately understood the potential of this narrative around wet nurses, and their ordeal. “Beyond the historical aspect of this story, it also puts to the spotlight the difference between social status and class, but also how much the female body was exploited and controlled during these times, whatever social status you had.”
This very modern topic resonated with both writers and producer Christelle de Bourbon Busset (“HP,” “Cheyenne & Lola”), who quickly reached out to Belgian directors Savina Dellicour and Vania Leturcq to helm this project. “I fell in love with ‘Pandora,’ and we were discussing another project at the same time, which unfortunately didn’t get greenlit, but that allowed me to pitch them this idea.”
Leturcq and Dellicour were both very enthusiastic, but also a little preoccupied by the challenge of tackling a premium, limited series period drama. It is the modern, female-driven narrative that appealed to the duo. “I’ve always been interested in the way women bodies carry other women bodies in our societies,” explains Leturcq. In today’s France, wet-nursing isn’t practiced anymore, but Leturcq points out that childcare is still very much a woman’s responsibility, be it professionally or as a parent.
“Reading Vincent and Alexandra’s scenario, the writing really convinced us as well,” adds Dellicour. “Personally, I always wanted to do a period drama, I just didn’t think it would happen because of the high budgets required by the genre. But beyond that, the script featured very colorful, frustrating-yet-powerful scenes that resonated with us. Feelings of revolt and outrageous stories about how women were treated as cattle make for a strong narrative drive.”
What makes ‘Swapped’ stand out is how it manages to play on both period and thriller levels, as the series unveils its character-driven, complex plot in which female protagonists navigate the shifting tides of a patriarchal French society.
“It’s also what got France Télévisions on board so quickly”, recalls de Bourbon Busset. “We also had a global streamer who showed very strong interest in the process and loved the first episode, but they backed out for slate reasons. However, this underlines how much Rose, Odette and Hélène’s stories can resonate on a universal level.”
For the filmmakers, the period drama genre proved both a challenge and a creative opportunity. “Each element in our sets had to be carefully thought through, which forced us to think of them as painting,” adds Dellicour. “Against period clichés, we purposefully chose bright, vivid colors and made distinct creative choices, as we wanted to achieve a modern, cinematic, premium look.”
According to the team, France Télévisions wholeheartedly embraced this unusual format, high-end aim and gritty, modern take on the period drama.
Yet bringing “Swapped” to completion required dedication, risks, a hefty budget and, to add a layer of complexity, numerous babies. “In France, it’s illegal to shoot with babies younger than three months,” explains de Bourbon Busset. “So we had to shoot some scenes in Belgium to overcome this hurdle. We also used resin puppets and VFX to compose shots, but I think I speak for everybody when I say we won’t work with babies again anytime soon!”
Beyond this specific aspect, all on the team praised the benevolent and warm atmosphere in which the shooting took place. “From our cast to our behind-the-camera team, everyone invested themselves completely in the project,” underlines the directing duo. “Lola especially became friends with everyone. On the first day of shooting, even if she wasn’t on the call sheet, she came and brought cake to everyone. This set the tone for our collective journey onward.”
As producer, and even if she still has (and hopes) to recoup her investment, de Bourbon Busset couldn’t be more thankful for what she’ll cherish an exceptional, utterly rare shooting experience. “We had so much love for the project that some of the comedians asked to be auditioned, just to join us on the show. Now that ‘Swapped’ will meet international buyers and a national audience in La Rochelle, I have good faith that our story can appeal to audiences worldwide.”
France TV Distribution brings “Swapped” to Le Havre before its world premiere at La Rochelle, mid-October, where the team aims to celebrate this heartfelt, modern story with both French audience and the whole crews who helped made it come life.
English (US) ·