- Was there a particular event or time that you recognized that filmmaking is your way of telling stories?
Not really, I start to make films on my own as I was rejected from theaters to show my work.
- Do you think it is essential to go to a film institute in order to become a successful filmmaker?
It might help you to save time, but it will not give you anything interesting to say. I am totally a self-taught filmmaker.
- Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
To start was very easy, without any production expectation and with a total artistic freedom. Now I try to improve my practice and enter in the film industry and it becomes very hard, not to make a film but to manage with all what is around.
- What was the most important lesson you had to learn that has had a positive effect on your film? How did that lesson happen?
At some point, you start to get lost in what you are doing, but if you keep doing it, a kind of momentum movement that came for the team shows up and leads the project.
- What were the production realities from casting through editing that you had to accommodate? How did you navigate those compromises or surprises and still end up with a cohesive film?
I found the space 2 weeks before the shooting date, I met the Adrien 1 week before, the technical team 3 days before. The day before I had no idea how it will comes out and some parts of the film were even improvised during the shooting.
- What was the hardest artistic choice you made in the making of a film, at any stage in production?
We made the film in 5 takes, it was hard to not make a 6th one.
- 7. You are a collaborator. How have you discovered members of your team and how do you keep the relationship with them strong?
The dancers were taking my class through Danse en Seine Association, I met Adrien on Internet, with the musicians we are good friends from over 20 years. It was all mixed.
- What do audiences want? And is it the filmmaker’s role to worry about that?
I worry about what they need more than what they want.
- What role have film festivals played in your life so far? Why are they necessary? How do you get the most out of them?
Festivals make the films somehow more real… of course, the best is to meet the people face to face.
- Do you believe that a filmmaker should be original and fresh or he/she should stick to classic but safe cinema style?
With time, I try to do half-half, in order to disturb the academism scheme without realizing it.
