One of the films gaining the biggest buzz on the French Riviera has been described broadly as "the story of a man gaining power and losing his wife." ­Meanwhile, The Conquest revolves around none other than Nicolas Sarkozy`s run-up to the presidential elections, back in 2007. The film`s director, Xavier Durringer, was quoted as saying it was crucial for him to make a film which would neither blame nor praise the protagonists - such as the then-President Jacques Chirac, Dominique Villepin and Nicolas Sarkozy, but portray them as "sensitive, human and sometimes complex and emotionally unbalanced creatures." "I wanted to portray the world of power. Politicians are actors. We chose the iconic figures that would work well in a film," the director said. The Conquest is a fusion of fiction and fact. It`s neither a documentary, nor fantasy. Nevertheless, authenticity was the top priority. "We had an impression we were at the president`s office. We wanted to look carefully at all the details. Costumes, sets, everything had to be perfect. However, I didn`t want to focus on historical truth. Cinema conveys the essence of the truth," Durringer told the press conference. "People today are disappointed with politics. That`s why we decided to use our sense of humor," he said. The film has turned out to be very ironic and lively indeed. As its creator went on to explain, the real challenge was to make a film that would be "constantly moving, like life." The world premiere of The Conquest in France comes just a year before the new presidential elections. "It`s not the question of being for or against Nicolas Sarkozy," the director declared. "I don`t think the film will change the vote anyhow. We simply wanted to show how politicians become stars." In any case, has there been any pressure on the film`s crew? "The Elysée never saw the script. The politicians haven`t seen the film until today. We didn`t ask for any kind of approval. There was no exchange between the political world and us," the director reassured. Patrick Rotman became the author of the first-ever script, written about a French president in office, with the real characters` names. "I worked for months and months on the story, studying newspapers, archives, hundreds of photos, meeting witnesses of actual scenes. Each scene is based on half a dozen sources that have been checked. Most of the scenes have actually taken place," he said. The lead actor playing Nicolas Sarkozy said he was very impatient to play the part. "I threw myself into the part, having no fears as such. When I read the script, I was very moved by it and started building my portrayal of the character," Denis Podalydes said. "What I liked most about Sarkozy is his ability to transgress the codes. He can speak very well in public and the next second he can be very gross. He is like a fish that constantly escapes you!" the actor enthused. Podalydes had a chance to meet President Sarkozy, but only when the shooting was over. "I sent him a letter saying I wanted to meet him. Very few actors are allowed to meet their characters. He showed a great sense of humor and asked whether I enjoyed playing in the film," he said. Podalydes said that among the toughest scenes was that featuring his break-up with his wife Florence, as there was little information in the media about it. "We had to call on our imagination and experience as actors. We invested totally in our characters. We became our characters," he said.