Description

Autograph letter signed to Max-Pol Fouchet.
Char talks about the shooting of his "film", probably Sun of the waterswhich the poet eventually adapted for the stage.
An ambitious, even monumental undertaking, Sun of the waters (from his first title Those who slept in the wool) depicts a fishing community devastated by water pollution. Despite Char's relative obscurity, Yvonne Zervos (director of the Cahiers d'Art gallery) agreed to finance the film, and the rights were bought by the Sifdac production company for the staggering sum of 600,000 francs.
But the poet's inexperience was evident from the start of filming: he exhausted 4 directors, and the backers soon abandoned the project.

"Paris Vendredi
Hotel Montalembert, 5 rue Montalembert, 7th arrondissement

My dear Max-Pol
I thought I could leave tomorrow for lunch. The circumstances of my film mean that I have to stay here for another week or so (the 2 backers are arriving from Italy on Wednesday).
I'm sorry about our immediate plans. What can we do?
You know what a pleasure it would be to be there with you. If you go away these days, l'Isle-sur-sorgue is just the place for you, better than Céreste, which is too hot in summer.
At l'Isle, 2 hotels are available, the best of which is the Hotel Béchard - Queneau is staying there with his wife - I would point out that if you cannot find a room at the hotel, or even just to work better, my godmother Mlle Louise Roze, impasse Roze l'Isle, will be happy to put you up in her house (a vast 18th century house). The restaurant at the Hôtel Béchard is excellent. At 5km from l'Isle, you can stay with Mr and Mrs Fernand Mathieu - property les Camphoux-Lagnes Tel 1 in Cagnes. very dear friends who will put you up completely. They are simple and charming. I shall be passing through Fontaine at about 11.1/2 tomorrow.

Dear Max-Pol
all my affection
René Char

René Char joined the Resistance in 1942 under the name of "Capitaine Alexandre". Revolted by the censorship of Vichy and Berlin, he vowed not to publish his poems in occupied France. Nevertheless, from 1944 he contributed to the review Fountain led by Max-Pol Fouchet, based in Algiers and resolutely hostile to the Vichy regime. Char remained loyal to Fountain when, after the Liberation, the magazine moved to Paris, and contributed to 5 of its issues, not only as a poet but also as a columnist. Fountain published, among other things, the first extracts from Hypnos Leaves (1945) and The pulverised poem (1947).
Max-Pol Fouchet, with whom Char kept up an extensive correspondence, described him as "a great poet, a master of dignity, freedom and rectitude, a master whose morals married his poetry and whose poetry married his morals" (Jacques Chirac, "René Char"), La revue des deux mondesJuly 1989, p. 17)