Melissa da Costa’s bestselling novel is adapted into a film by Maurice Barthelemy and broadcast on Netflix and TF1. But is his tragic story adapted from a true story?
On January 27, 2025, Netflix subscribers and TF1 viewers can discover All the blue of the skya TV film co-produced by the two broadcasters and eagerly awaited by the public. Indeed, it is the adaptation of Mélissa da Costa’s best-seller published in 2019, which also appears on the list of the 25 favorite novels of the French, according to a consultation established by France Télévisions and the BBC and whose results were unveiled in December 2022. The adaptation of this novel which moved thousands of readers is produced by Maurice Barthélémy (RRRrrrr!!!, Low Cost…) and carried by two well-known actors from the small screen: Camille Lou and Hugo Becker, who had already appeared in the series I promise you.
The public can discover the story of Emile, almost thirty years old, who discovers that he suffers from a disease similar to Alzheimer’s, who decides to give up everything to live out his last months far from the hospital. He embarks on a road trip with Joanne, a stranger who is fleeing an unspeakable sentence. Mélissa da Costa never confirmed that the story of Emile and Joanne was inspired by a true story. On the other hand, when asked about her inspirations at a press conference, the author specified that she began writing this novel at the age of 17, to “write a beautiful love story in the form of a journey, an escape, a ode to freedom.”
On the other hand, if Emile and Joanne do not exist, she was inspired by a personal experience to paint the characters with more authenticity: she was able to accompany elderly characters, some of whom had Alzheimer’s but also their caregivers, during vacations with The Little Brothers of the Poor. This may have helped him portray Joanne and Emile’s relationship. However, the illness from which Emile suffers is fictitious: Alzheimer’s is a disease which mainly occurs in elderly people, but it can manifest itself in certain very rare cases from the age of 30, according to the Pasteur Institute of Lille.
What is the plot of All the blue of the sky ?
Emile learns that he has an orphan disease similar to Alzheimer’s and that he only has a few months left to live. He decides to leave everything to go on the roads in an old motorhome with a stranger, Joanne, who responded to his classified ad. Their journey will shake up their certainties and give rise to feelings that they no longer expected.
Which actors in the casting of All the blue of the sky ?
- Camille Lou as Joanne
- Hugo Becker as Emile
- Marie Denarnaud as Isabelle
- Jeannine Vissac: Blueberry
- Karine Monneau: Anne
- Nelly Lawson as Chloe
- Marie Barraud as Marjorie
- Kevin Garnichat as Sébastian
- Greg Nardella: Marc
- Ludivine Bluche: Sophie
- Mickaël Coinsin: Baptiste
- César Allaigre as Paul
- Eva Recoquillon: Maëlle
Where to see All the blue of the sky streaming?
All the blue of the sky is broadcast simultaneously on television and in streaming. On January 27, 2025, TF1 broadcast the TV film in prime time, while it was also put online on this date for streaming on Netflix, which co-produced it. To find out, you just need to have a subscription to the streaming platform, the prices of which vary depending on the offers from 5.99 euros per month to 19.99 euros per month.