London Short Film Festival 2014 - BUOY David Higgs - Interview FR/EN

First of all, why this title ?

Primarily the title is a simple play on words, with the story being about a man rescuing a boy from the ocean, who happens to be using the buoy as his lifeline. But there is also something inherently lonely about a buoy floating in the ocean. They evoke feelings in me of absolute isolation, lost in a vast expanse of water. And I suppose this is personified by the lead character and the contrast of the universe with the NASA radio broadcast.

I heard the film was based on a true story ?

Yes, the film is based on an encounter I found myself in many years ago that played out in a very similar way. However the characters have been heavily fictionalised, and the situation exaggerated to make it into a story worth telling.

What most spoke to you about this story and why did you decide to film it ?

The thing that struck me most about the situation was the strange and irrational behaviour that everyone displayed when faced with such a crisis, including myself. This is really what the films about.

What was it that was running through the families minds that meant they didn’t even notice I was there ? Why did it take me so long to realise that I had to go in and get him because no one else was around ?

It was also strange to be such an integral part of that child’s life, albeit for a matter of seconds and just because I was the only one that happened to be there, that could have meant the difference between him having a future or not.

How did you work with the actors to obtain that non naturalistic acting ?

I’d say its more down to the actual casting and choice of shots and aesthetics that gives my films that sense of hyper-reality, rather than the way I work with the actors. Gavin Dent did a fantastic job and just understood what I was after from the word go. Apart from spending some time discussing the character prior to the shoot there was actually very little direction from me other than telling him to stand there and do that, or walk over there and sit down. He just got it right every time.

Equally, with the cast playing the family, ahead of the shoot I sent them very precise character notes about who they were and what their relationship to the others was. But I left it up to them to arrive ready with their own individual dialogue. We went for the first take and they all just started shouting, yelling and talking all over each other which was exactly what I wanted. It worked perfectly first time. You catch the odd word here and there, but nothing more. You can tell they are bickering, arguing and shifting blame and thats all that matters.

The world you represent in Buoy is not totally unreal, but there is this subtle dream-like atmosphere which is not that common in short films these days. What did you aim at when choosing to tell the story in this particular way ?

I grew up watching lots of Buster Keaton, Jaques Tati and Marx Brothers films and I think I’ve clearly been very influenced by them. I love the way Jaques Tati uses unintelligible sounds to represent language and dialogue. You understand what is being said through the tone of their voices and body language, but the actual words aren’t relevant. I’m enjoying experimenting with telling stories simply through action rather than dialogue and certainly set out to do that with this film. I definitely strive to make films that would be understandable even with the volume turned down.

I also like to give the location as much of a personality as the characters that inhabit it, as it really helps to create an atmosphere. I think as a result it gives the film a heightened sense of reality as you focus on things that you wouldn’t normally.

The hero being a bit of day-dreamer adds to dream like quality of the film too. I wanted it to be left open for the audience to decide whether it actually happened, or whether he just imagined it.

The voice coming from the radio mentioning what is happening in the universe at the same moment reinforces the impression of a wide, infinite space and consequently emphasizes the loneliness of the hero. Can your film be seen as a reflection on loneliness ?

Yes, definitely, although once again I don’t think it wasn’t an entirely conscious decision. Buoy screened at the London Short Film Festival as part of the ’God’s Lonely Men’ programme and I realised that everything I’ve ever made could be placed in this category !

The idea to have the NASA broadcast grew from the type of character that he is. The microcosm of his world and the macrocosm of the universe certainly emphasises the insignificance of his existence, yet at the same time rescuing the child is probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened to him. I’m pleased this contrast punctuated his loneliness as it helped enhance the audiences sympathy for him.

The hero is an interesting character. He remains mysterious to the spectator, but he leaves us with an impression of melancholy and naivety. How did you build this character, what was your main inspiration ?

The main inspiration for the character was Buster Keaton, who is a hero of mine and one of the reasons I chose to become a filmmaker. His is a man who is endlessly faced with ludicrous challenges in life and always has to solve them on his own. He is the underdog yet you get the feeling he somehow always manages to come out on top. He is the perfect comedian, yet his character is riddled with melancholy and naivety.

That was our starting point for the character and from there we built a back story that would explain why this person would be on that beach all by himself. And saving the child is his one chance in life to do something remarkable, but even that goes by completely unnoticed. Only the dog acknowledges it.

D’où vient le titre BUOY, qui veut dire bouée ?

C’est un jeu de mot, l’histoire étant celle d’un homme qui sauve un petit garçon (boy) de la noyade, qui s’accroche à une bouée pour survivre. De plus, une bouée flottant dans l’océan a quelque chose de fondamentalement solitaire. Ce sentiment de solitude, est symbolisé par le contraste entre la situation du personnage principal et les programmes de la NASA diffusés par la radio.

Il parait que le film est basé sur une histoire vraie ?

Oui, le film est basé sur une situation dans laquelle je me suis trouvé il y a des années qui s’est déroulée d’une manière très similaire. Néanmoins les personnages ont été largement réécrits, et la situation romancée.

Qu’est ce qui t’a séduit dans cette histoire et pourquoi as-tu décidé d’en faire un film ?

Ce qui m’a frappé dans cette situation c’était le comportement étrange et irrationnel de tous, confrontés à une telle crise, moi y compris. C’est vraiment ça le sujet du film.

Qu’est ce qui s’est passé dans la tête de la famille pour qu’ils ne remarquent même pas ma présence ? Pourquoi est-ce que j’ai mis si longtemps à prendre conscience qu’il fallait que j’aille le chercher, vu qu’il n’y avait personne à part moi ?

C’était étrange, aussi, d’avoir à ce point, en quelques secondes, un rôle fondamental dans le cours de la vie de ce gamin, tout ça parce que j’étais le seul à me trouver là. Toutes ces choses qui auraient pu faire une différence entre le fait qu’il vive ou qu’il meure.

Comment as-tu travaillé avec les acteurs ?