''Barjo'' (french: Confessions d'un Barjo) is a 1992 French film adaptation of Philip K. Dick's non-science fiction novel ''

Confessions of a Crap Artist ''Confessions of a Crap Artist'' is a 1975 novel by Philip K. Dick, originally written in 1959. Dick wrote about a dozen non-science fiction novels in the period from 1948 to 1960; this is the only one published during his lifetime. The novel c ...

'', originally written in

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

and published in

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, the only non-science fiction novel of Dick's to be published in his lifetime. The film was directed by Jérôme Boivin and written by

Jacques Audiard Jacques Audiard (; born 30 April 1952) is a French film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is the son of Michel Audiard, also a film director and screenwriter. He has won both the César Award for Best Film and the BAFTA Award for Best Fi ...

and Jérôme Boivin, and stars Anne Brochet,

Richard Bohringer Richard Bohringer (born 16 January 1942) is a French actor. Personal life Bohringer was born in Moulins, Allier, to a French mother and a German father. He is the father of actress Romane Bohringer, and has three other children, Mathieu, Richa ...

and

Hippolyte Girardot Hippolyte Girardot (born Frédéric Girardot; 10 October 1955) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. He is the father of actress Ana Girardot. Selected filmography * 1973: '' La Femme de Jean'', directed by Yannick Bellon, Rémi ...

Geoff Pevere Geoff Pevere (born October 1957) is a Canadian lecturer, author, broadcaster, teacher, arts and media critic, currently the program director of the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival in Toronto.John Semley, "Can we play with madness?: Toronto' ...

, "Film Review: Barjo". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', January 21, 1994. "Barjo" translates as "nutcase" or "nut job".

Plot

Barjo (

) is eccentric, naive and obsessive. After he accidentally burns down his house during a "scientific" experiment, he moves in with his impulsive twin sister Fanfan (Anne Brochet), who is married to Charles "the Aluminum King" (

). In his new surroundings, Barjo continues his old habits: cataloging old science magazines, testing bizarre inventions and filling his notebooks with his observations about human behavior and his thoughts about the end of the world. Through Barjo's journals we see the development of conflict and sexual tension between Fanfan and Charles, and the descent of Charles into madness.

Cast

as ''Charles'' *

Anne Brochet Anne Brochet (born 22 November 1966) is a French actress. Career Brochet has appeared in films such as ''Cyrano de Bergerac'', '' Le temps des porte-plumes'', ''30 ans'', '' Une journée de merde!'' and ''Tous les matins du monde''. She has also ...

as ''Fanfan'' *

as ''Barjo'' * Consuelo De Haviland as ''Madame Hermelin'' * Renaud Danner as ''Michel'' * Nathalie Boutefeu as ''Gwen'' * Jac Berrocal as ''Mage Gerardini'' * Camille Gentet as ''Fanfan enfant'' * Charles-Elie Rouart as ''Barjo enfant''

References

External links

* * * * * 1992 films French comedy-drama films Films based on American novels Films based on works by Philip K. Dick Films with screenplays by Jacques Audiard 1990s French films {{1990s-France-film-stub