BREAKFAST AVEC LA FUGUE - Clermont-Ferrand 2014

George — 2014-02-19T14:57:00Z

Interview with Jean-Bernard Marlin, director of La fugue.

Sabrina, your main character, is mentored by a case worker. The depiction of social work and young people's attitudes are particularly realistic. Have you worked in this field? What steps did you take to paint this world so accurately?

I had spent some time with young people at risk and their case workers in legal advice centres. This is work I undertook in just over a year and I made sure the film depicted what I saw and felt there.

Can you explain all the legal steps and why rehabilitation efforts are undertaken before the sentence is passed?

A legal case can take a long time to unfold. It can take months from the time of the crime to reach a sentence. This educational work is thus undertaken during this period.

In La Fugue, Sabrine is judged more on her behaviour towards the Judge than she is on her actions. Would you have been able to make a similar film had her actions been much more serious?

No, Sabrina is judged on her actions at that moment but also on previous offences. Her case is being assessed in light of these previous offences. This is why the Judge is so strict; her behaviour, her churlish attitude during the trial are essential in revealing to what extent she is in denial.

From the start of the film, you manage to create a feeling of uncertainty. It is impossible for us to predict Sabrina's reactions. How did you work with the actress, the script and the editing to achieve this?

Indeed, I felt this climate of uncertainty when I was working with these young people and I wanted to reproduce it in La Fugue. I wanted the audience to get this feeling from the film. I made Sabrina unpredictable when I was writing the script. And when we were shooting I really pushed Médina Yalaoui, the actress who plays Sabrina, to become more unpredictable in her reactions to the script.
The DOP was also directed like an actor. He had to expect the unexpected when filming. We then re-wrote it with the editor to include this element.

The sentencing of minors sits uneasily between punishment and rehabilitation. When do you think the legal system should lean towards one over the other? Would you think punishment is sometimes a solution? Or does it lead to the minors re-offending?

Punishment is never a good solution but from what I've seen, the legal system in this country is very careful not to rush things when it comes to incarcerating minors. Educational alternatives are always preferred but when the crimes committed are very severe, the response is difficult and sometimes incoherent. The educational approach is then curtailed by a sudden incarceration. La Fugue portrays this.

CLERMONT-FERRAND INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2014

George — 2014-02-04T15:07:00Z

The festival continues as well as the chronicles. The films mentioned today are from the Compétition Internationale and the US programme.

Metube from Daniel Moshel

“I think if you stick to what is fun in life, you'll maybe end up being a filmmaker.”
Daniel Moshel – interview for Directors Notes
http://www.directorsnotes.com/2013/08/08/dn295-metube-daniel-moshel/

De Honger (Hunger) Benoit De Clerck Belgium 2013 16min

On a warm day in May, after school, a young boy is playing on the beach, when he stumbles upon two lovers hidden by the sand dunes. Hard to write anything else without giving away the end, but that's the gist of it!
De Honger is an elegant, picturesque film, its long shots of windy beaches, its bluntness, its impropriety typical of a certain genre of Belgian cinema. The ambiance is one of 1960s rigid, traditional bourgeoisie. Worth seeing for the stunning cinematography and its irreverent ending.

Darling Darling Matthew Lessner USA 2005 14min

All round nice guy Harold is taking his girlfriend to a prom. Dressed to the nines, he wants to make a good impression in front of Mr Darling, the father, who for no apparent reason, is wearing a pony's head.
He decides to challenge the young man to a round of archery and launches himself into a guitar solo (the funniest I have ever had the pleasure of seeing on a big screen).
Lessner draws from Waspish imagery to come up with an absurd, psychedelic free ride of a film. Long shots enable the scenario to unfold uninterrupted in all its bizarre, topsy turvy glory. The absurdity of the film is sublte and handled magnificently; at no point is the pony head explained or referred to (spare a thought for actor Steven Barry who was actually wearing a real, stuffed head). There is a star turn from Michael Cera as the young man, always polite and imperturbable, some time before the success of Superbad and Juno.

Les jours d'avant Karim Moussaoui, Algeria/France 2013 40min

Yamina and Djaber live in Algiers in the early 1990s, although Yamina is a recent resident since her father was promoted to police inspector and sent to live there. From the get-go, she is known as a 'cop's daughter' and becomes one of the most popular girls in her school. Djaber, clearly attracted to her, is at a loss as to how to approach her. Karim Moussaoui's short film follows the story of two people whose paths cross but that keep missing each other, on a backdrop of impending violence.
Every detail of the film has its place, no line of dialogue or scene is superfluous. This is a beautiful film about missed chances. It has just received the Jury Grand Prize for French Shorts at the 26th Festival Permiers Plans of Angers and its actress Souhila Mallem was awarded best female role.

MeTube : August sings Carmen « Habanera » (MeTude : chante la Habanera de Carmen)

Daniel Moshel USA/ Canada 2013 13Min

MeTube is Daniel Moshel's tribute to all those self-promotion enthusiasts who meticulously post their efforts on Youtube. Deceptively brash and messy at first glance, MeTube is in fact well put together and thought out.

Here is an interview with the director on the making of this film:

http://www.directorsnotes.com/2013/08/08/dn295-metube-daniel-moshel/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2jn_lxrrPg

myDylarama

BREAKFAST AVEC LA FUGUE - Clermont-Ferrand 2014

CLERMONT-FERRAND INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2014