La Rivière Espérance
La Rivière Espérance is a French TV series, 9 episodes of 90 minutes each, directed by Josée Dayan based on the novel by Christian Signol and shown in 1995 on France 2.
Synopsis[edit]
1832, Périgord : Benjamin and Marie are two childhood friends. Benjamin's father is a merchant sailor on the river Dordogne.
One day he says to his son: « When you're 13, I'll take you with me. » He keeps his promise and Benjamin becomes a sailor like his father. But in that circle, you have to be wary of everybody and of what they live for: the Dordogne.
Doing that job was Benjamin's dream, but could that dream become a nightmare? Fights with merchants and sailors sometimes finish off quite uglily. Will he be able to stay loyal to his friend Marie, or will his nightly 'rendez-vous' with Emeline Lombard, daughter of the rich merchant on whom they depend, separate them?
Cast[edit]
- Manuel Blanc : Benjamin Donardieu
- Carole Richert : Marie Paradou
- Claire Nebout : Emeline Lombard
- Jean-Claude Drouot : Victorien Donadieu
- Élisabeth Depardieu : Elina Donadieu
- Pascal Greggory : Alexandre Duthil
- Bernard Verley : Arsène Lombard
- Hélène Vincent : Agnès Lombard
- Raoul Billerey : priest of Souillac
- Arnaud Giovaninetti : Pierre Bourdelle
- Jean-Pierre Kalfon : Corentin
- Roger Souza : Félix Marcas
- Josée Dayan : Marin Borgne
- Aurélien Wiik : Benjamin at 13
- Laura Martel : Marie at 13
- Eugénia Costantini : Emeline at 13
- Stephan Guérin-Tillie : Aubin Donnadieu
- Sandra Speichert : Virginie Duthil
- Philippe Clay : the Duthils' butler
- Jean-Yves Gauthier : Vincent Paradou
- Marianne Epin : Jeanne Paradou
- Quentin Ogier : Jean Paradou
- Thierry Rey : Ghilain Claveille
- François Négret : Jacques Malaurie
- Julie Dumas : Juliette
- Thierry Redler : Louis Lafaurie
- Emmanuelle Meyssignac : Madame Lasalle
- Hans Meyer : Commander Dugay Trouin
- Claude Faraldo : Ambroise Debord
- Jean-Louis Tribes : 'La Bourgogne'
- Didier Flamand : 'off' voice (summaries)
- Jennifer Lauret : Virginie at 13