++ This article is also written in French. To read that version, click here. ++
Although LGBTQIA+ representation on the French soap Ici Tout Commence has always been present, lately it’s been in full swing. The TF1 (Télévision Française 1) series isn’t afraid to have queer characters or couples - see “Greliott” (Greg and Eliott) or “Claivia” (Claire and Olivia). But until only a handful months ago, it had yet to depict a storyline in quite the same way as Carla’s and Bérénice’s (or “Carlice”), where the characters’ sexualities aren’t the primary interest of their story.
Ever since their first day as students at the Auguste Armand Institute, one of France’s top culinary schools and where much of Ici Tout Commence takes place, the relationship between the two friends Carla (played by Aaricia Lemaire) and Bérénice (played by Bérénice Tannenberg) has consistently evolved. What started as a friendship in August 2023’s Season 4 premier began to blossom into something more. It’s a story of self-discovery, but not a story that focuses on coming out and acceptance, something we so often see in the media. Instead, it’s a storyline between two young women growing together. It’s a love story like one that would be given to any heterosexual couple.
Though they started out as just classmates, the two naturally grew to become continuous and reliable presences in each other’s most intimate moments, from Bérénice supporting Carla through her pregnancy, subsequent miscarriage, and search for her biological parents to Carla providing the support and momentum that Bérénice needs to assert herself and overcome her phobia of school. One of them’s social and confident; one of them’s shy and anxious. Yet somewhere along the way they met in the middle.
Despite being quite different from one another, the strength and balance of their friendship are found in their complementarity. With Bérénice, Carla allows herself to open up, to be more vulnerable and honest. Similarly, when she’s in Carla’s presence, Bérénice feels understood and finds the courage to overcome her anxieties. It’s within this balance and equilibrium that their worlds turn upside down as their love for each other takes precedence over everything else.
Tensions mount especially high when Bérénice makes the decision to share her feelings for Carla with Carla, causing the latter's doubts to grow from confusion, the fear of losing their close and intense friendship, and the daunting revelation that she too might have strong non-platonic feelings for her friend. As she wrestles with the meaning of her realisation, Bérénice struggles to comprehend some of her friend’s reactions to her own, finding herself caught in a similar whirlwind of thoughts, doubts, and fears. But along with the anxiety, both women also share the strong desire to remain present for each other. Because despite the fear, neither of them can resign themselves to losing this friendship.
It’s only when Bérénice tries to understand why her friend has become increasingly distant ever since her confession that the tension finally breaks, thanks to her words and pleas finally transcending Carla's doubts and over-thinking. Carla puts her thoughts aside and lets her heart and emotions take the lead, taking Bérénice’s face in her hands and pulling her in for a beautiful and long-awaited kiss.
If since mid-January 2024, the plot surrounding Bérénice and her relationship with Carla has crossed French borders, it’s certainly due much to the writing of the two characters, pointedly constructed with authenticity. The beautiful cinematographic approach and the actors’ work have also impacted the hearts of many people in France, in Europe, and around the world, but it’s Carla and Bérénice’s emotional kiss in Episode 859 (9th February, 2024) that has been one of the culminating elements contributing to the worldwide interest of Ici Tout Commence on social media. And though it’s a show full of moving performances, Tannenberg’s and Lemaire’s throughout this groundbreaking story are the ones to remember.
For both women’s first major role in a TV drama, they do an amazing job, applying a poetic sensibility to each of their characters that brings them to life. The deliberateness and beauty of their movements and expressions render their moments together all the more tender - and Bérénice and Carla’s emotions for each other all the more tangible. If the relationship between Carla and Bérénice is only in its early stages, Tannenberg and Lemaire are sure to keep us in suspense and excitement.
When Bérénice pleads for Carla to come back into her life in that heartstopping scene, she declares to Carla through tears that “I don’t want to lose you, because it’s so much better when you’re here.” We can’t help but feel the same. At a time where showing queer relationships is more than needed in France, a storyline like theirs is one for the books.
So we definitely agree. It’s so much better when they’re here.
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You can watch Ici Tout Commence from Monday to Friday, at 6:35pm (Central European Time) on TF1. To read this article in French, click here.
Words: Candice Dupire (Elle/she/her)
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