Behind the soundtrack

Dive into the French Pyrenees. The series Rivière-Perdue, recently broadcast on TF1, takes us to the heart of a breathtaking plot to find out who abducted little Lucie and Anna five years ago. In this small village where everyone knows everyone else, there are many potential suspects. The series begins with a violent road accident in which Anna reappears alive but refuses to tell anyone what happened to her, or where Lucie is. With a series of twists and turns and a manhunt, viewers follow the kidnapper's trail for six episodes, right up to the final denouement. While the acting, the scenery and the quality of the script have all contributed to the success of the show, we mustn't forget the atmosphere created by the soundtrack.

Music plays a big part in these episodes with their many twists and turns, and it just so happens that the soundtrack is by André Dziezuk, whom we met at his home a stone's throw from the Luxembourg border. How did a composer from the Grande Région end up on this project? That's the question on everyone's lips as we enter the studio on the top floor of the house. Giant screen, multiple speakers, pianos of all kinds, digital keyboard, guitar, microphones, we don't know where to turn. André Dziezuk, a veritable one-man band, is at the head of his musical universe, as he will show us during our visit.

The Frenchman is well known on the local film scene, having penned his first soundtrack in 1998, followed by several Luxembourg co-productions. He has worked with television channels such as TF1 and Arte. His CV is impressive, and he has a string of projects to his name, but he makes us feel at ease straight away. During our visit, he shows us a few scenes from his latest project, an animated film that will be shown at the Berlin Film Festival. A beaver singing in the style of the 1980s, it's a far cry from the heavy atmosphere of the French village of Rivière-Perdue. To make a living from music, he has combined his musical projects with a teaching career, notably in Dudelange, where he still gives courses to aspiring film music students. Although he can now make a living from his passion, he points out that becoming a professional musician is still a very difficult goal. "I've been very lucky and it's also a lot of work, so I wouldn't want to give the impression that I got there easily, " he says.