The factory where Romain and Adémar work has caught fire, so they decide to enjoy three days of idleness together in the mild summer. The relationship between Romain and Adémar is very touching. How did you come up with the idea for this friendship between colleagues? I’ve always been interested in the way adult artists call on their childlike sensibilities to take on youth. I’m a person who needs a lot of tenderness and I like reading illustrated books. A few years ago I found an article by (...) Continue Reading »

On a boat to Corsica, Karina meets Sylvain. She had planned on getting some work done, he wants to get to know her. Are the characters Karine and Sylvain based on real people? How did you come up with the idea for their meeting? I’ve travelled alone frequently and observed that, among solitary travelers, there are those who intend to remain alone and those who take every opportunity to chat up others. That observation allowed me to write about something broader: what we project onto the (...) Continue Reading »

Over a day of landscaping work, a first generation African American and his immigrant father have their tense relationship and different outlooks on life transformed irreversibly when they are racially profiled by police. What did you aim at exploring through the difficult relationship between the father and his son? As a first-generation Sierra Leonean American, the differences between me and my immigrant father were always incredibly apparent to me. We didn’t view life or process (...) Continue Reading »

She finds letters full of love her dad wrote her 15 years ago. Now she fights to get that love back. How much is Love, Dad autobiographical? A lot. It’s my story, my voice, my handwriting. How did you work on the letters’ incorporation to the animation? Are they original letters? Did you film yourself for the female character or is it an actress? Yes, the letters are the original ones. And I know from the beginning that I want to use them as they are. That’s why I chose replacing (...) Continue Reading »

In a huge industrial city, Noé is a young lighthouse keeper watching over the sailors. When he receives life-changing news, his quiet loneliness turns slowly into madness. Why did you choose a lighthouse as the setting for your film? Did you want to explore the impact of automation? I grew up close to the sea, in Loire Atlantique. The coastline always seemed to be an interesting place to film. In this space, there is an indescribable atmosphere, like the end of the world. I like the (...) Continue Reading »

A woman attends a party where she is observed by and finally meets a mysterious guest. From which material did you build up Her Violet Kiss? Her Violet Kiss sources material from a lost German film, Liebeshölle (1928), directed by Wiktor Biegnaski and Carmine Gallone, and which was released in the USA as Pawns of Passion in 1929. I was working with the only known surviving copy of the film, which was a 35mm nitrate print of the American version. Michael Montes created the score. Why did (...) Continue Reading »

A crane operator working in a construction site in Beirut, finds his freedom when he is away from everyone’s eyes. How did you come up with the character? Is he based on someone you know? In 2017, I was sitting on my balcony in Lebanon overlooking all of Beirut and I saw a man standing on top of one of the tallest construction cranes. I was afraid thinking the man was going to jump. It all looked so dangerous and unsafe. As he kneeled down and put his forehead to the floor, I realized that (...) Continue Reading »

On the North East Coast of Scotland, an extraordinary family have turned the previously derelict Bayview hotel into a place of respite for international fishermen when they come to land. This film is a glimpse into this unlikely home and the transient guests who pass through it. Tell us more about the Bayview. How did you come across the place? How familiar are you with the area? The Bayview sits on the edge of a traditional fishing village called Macduff in the North East Coast of (...) Continue Reading »

Guided by his grandmother’s haunting Sumerian lament, 9-year-old orphaned mute Ali takes his favourite sheep for sacrifice. Over a 400km journey they bear witness to the beauty and unravel the ills of Iraq. Can both boy and sheep survive the hardship and accept their fate? A lyrical tale about the loss of childhood against the harsh realities of adult life. How did you come across Ali and learn about his fate? In 2018, I was shooting in Iraq an ongoing film and photography passion project (...) Continue Reading »

Vibol and his brother Kea sell noodles on a motorized cart every night on the streets of Phnom Penh. They often face troublesome threats from gangsters and thieves, even if these very people are their only customers. As the city is growing around them, they consider their unstable income and imagine a different future. Kongkea Vann, can you tell us a bit about your inspirations and the story behind Somleng Reatrey? First, I met Chanrado Sok, who is the co-director of Somleng Reatrey. He (...) Continue Reading »