It was on Wednesday, November 18 that OCS unveiled a preview of two episodes of their new original French series: Cheyenne and Lola. And we can already tell you that it has strong arguments to seduce you! Initially, the preview was to be screened on the occasion of the Série Mania Festival, in a cinema in Lille, on November 5. Due to the health crisis, Series Mania has decided to broadcast the first two episodes on their website. A screening that was followed by a debate with the team of the series. A great opportunity to discover this little nugget that proves more than ever their know-how in terms of original series of OCS. After Cannabis, Gears, or the Netflix original series Mortel, Virginie Brac returns with Cheyenne and Lola. With Eshref Reybrouck directing, the series is largely shot in the Hauts-de-France.
A dark and societal thriller
We follow the somewhat complicated, not to say chaotic, lives of two women who are opposed to everything. One, Lola, played by the bubbly and former Miss Weather Charlotte Le Bon, is a woman who puts everything on her appearance, childish, dependent and selfish. And who is ready to do anything to win a few tickets. The other, Cheyenne, played by the talented Veerle Baetens, lives on the edge of the northern beaches, near Dunkirk, in a caravan and therefore in a campsite. This small, completely marginalized and disadvantaged camp is struggling to survive. Cheyenne was released from prison six months ago. A sentence she received instead of her husband to protect him. To avoid falling into the clutches of Yannick, a pimp and drug trafficker, she combines two jobs as a cleaner in the hope of living better days in Brazil. When she's not cleaning the ferries that connect the north of the France to the south of England, she is the housekeeper of a couple seemingly financially well-off: Carine and Dany Chapelle.
A modern Thelma and Louise
A macabre event that will set the infernal machine in motion will unfortunately link the destiny of the two women. They will be forced to join forces to survive and escape Yannick at all costs. A true modern Thelma and Louise , chilling and poignant. The character of Lola, capricious and childish brings a little freshness and a touch of humor to the series. " Two women who should never have met, who are going through a lot of problems and who will end up supporting and helping each other. It's true that Cheyenne and Lola are potential Thelma and Louise. First, because they put themselves on the margins. They end up sinking into illegality to get out of it. But what brings the series closer to Ridley Scott's film, in my opinion, is that it first tells the story of a friendship. That said, our history is not a runaway. They are in a situation where they cannot escape. Instead, they will decide not to flee and collect as much money as possible. Virginie Brac explains.
Two women confronting ambient misogyny
Although everything opposes them, Cheyenne and Lola both have a common problem: men. Before meeting Cheyenne, Lola was having an extramarital affair with Dany Chapelle. She is totally at his mercy, to the point where he manages to modulate Lola's emotions as he wishes. A relationship that could be described as perverse and toxic, which is only the mirror of the reality of many women. Lola will later realize that she is just a pawn like other women, in Dany's financial shenanigans. As for Cheyenne, she preferred to go to jail rather than denounce her husband. But the further we go in the plot, the more we can assume that this decision was not a choice made in all soul and conscience, but rather under duress and threats. Living in precariousness and on the verge of poverty, she tries at all costs to distance herself as much as possible from Yannick who alone holds the economy of the region thanks to his networks of pimping and drug trafficking. Every man who crosses Cheyenne's path or Lola's brings nothing good: a possessive husband, a con man-manipulator, a drug dealer and an unloyal half-brother. Faced with them, women have a hard time surviving, as they are exploited, abused, psychologically abused. Two women who try to get out of it, to emancipate themselves, but to whom men try to make them believe that they are their subordinates. But they are determined to put an end to the tyranny of their executioners. A series full of richness, which speaks as much about social inequalities as economic inequalities. The evolution of the main characters, female, of the series promises to be incredible and beautiful. The original OCS series Cheyenne and Lola will be available from Tuesday, November 24 at 8:00 pm on OCS Max. Don't miss it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6gxCBp05cE