In 1988, Claire made her debut film "Chocolate"
Retrospective poster
Claire Dennis at work
Sina Entertainment News French female director Claire Dennis film retrospective exhibition kicked off in Beijing on May 4, Dennis herself was present at the event site, this is her second time to China. Dennis said that he has seen a large number of Chinese films and is familiar with Chinese directors such as Zhang Yimou, Jia Zhangke and Lou Ye. When asked what he thought of Zhang Yimou's new film "Homecoming" that did not enter the main competition of this year's Cannes Film Festival and was only selected for the screening unit, Dennis said, "It is also a great achievement to be shortlisted for the screening." As for what kind of film can be shortlisted for the main competition at Cannes, Dennis said that "the standards are different every year, and the judges make decisions very hard." ”
The debut film was screened in China for the first time
Claire Dennis is one of the best female directors in France. She grew up in Cameroon, Africa, and this experience became an important source of inspiration for her future creations. In 1988, Dennis, who had already served as an assistant director for Many famous directors such as Levitte, Wenders, and Jarmusch, and accumulated rich experience, no longer willing to be a green leaf, launched a semi-autobiographical film "Chocolate" based on childhood experiences, and began to emerge in the film industry.
At the opening ceremony of the retrospective exhibition on the same day, "Chocolate" was screened in China for the first time. After the screening, Dennis personally came to the scene to exchange creative experience with fans. Although the filming of this debut is more than twenty years ago, Dennis can still remember the details of the time: because the story is set in the end of the French colonization of Africa after World War II, the main scene is in the home of a French officer, while africa in the 1980s has long been independent, and it is impossible to find a house at the end of the colony. Dennis recalls, "We had to rebuild a colonial building and build it during the dry season in Africa, and when the house was built, the long rainy season would come, and we couldn't shoot it, so we had to wait until the next dry season to start up." In addition, Dennis also said that because of the prevalence of infectious diseases in Africa at that time, the crew members had to take a lot of medicine every day. However, although the shooting was difficult, Dennis did not think it was hard, "The scenery of Africa is very beautiful, and I am very happy to shoot in such a beautiful place." ”
As for why the film is named "chocolate", Dennis also explained, "There are two meanings, one meaning is the French metaphor of 'becoming chocolate' and 'finished, smashed', symbolizing the end of the French colonial era in Africa, and the chocolate is brown, which also represents the skin color of Africans." ”
Making literary films is not the original intention of entering the industry
"Chocolate" has not only been appreciated by film critics, but also achieved good results at the box office. However, after this, Dennis gradually embarked on the path of author film and art film, and his works have been selected for many international first-class film festivals. As for why he focused on making art films, Dennis laughed, "Making art films or author films was not my choice when I first made films, but I was slowly inspired by the depths of my soul." ”
Dennis is a director with an "African complex", she does not hide her preference for Africa, and has always maintained a continuous focus on immigration, ethnicity, colonization and other issues, "Africa is the place where I spent my childhood, leaving deep memories. Following Chocolate, Dennis has launched a number of films set in Africa during his more than two decades of directorial career. In 2009, she collaborated with the famous French actress Isabelle O Yupel to shoot "White Matter", continuing the theme of her debut 20 years ago, telling a story about French colonists again, and was shortlisted for the Venice Film Festival, and Ang Lee, as a member of the jury, once said that he regretted not being able to award the film an award.
It is reported that the first Dennis film retrospective exhibition held in China will focus on Dennis's "Unconsciously In Love with You", "Forbidden Love in the Army", "35 Glasses of Rum", "Friday Night", "Not Afraid of Death", "Shadow Dancer Mader" and many other films. In these films, the audience can get an idea of Dennis's minimalist approach to directing and implicitly indirect and even somewhat vague narratives.
Female directors are not afraid of "violence"
As a successful female director, Dennis seems reluctant to emphasize the influence of "gender" on the profession of directing. In fact, many of her working partners are women, not least notably cinematographer Agnès Gundam, who, as one of the few female photographers, has shown extraordinary talent in seven films with Dennis and "Bipolar Angels", and has won several film awards for her exquisite images of "Forbidden Love in the Army".
Half of the judging lists released at this year's Cannes Film Festival are female filmmakers, and Dennis commented, "Female filmmakers will encounter some difficulties, but now the French film environment is very open, if the film cannot be made, it is definitely not because of women, but because of poor scripts." She also said that she now teaches at a film school in France, "the ratio of boys to girls in this school is even." ”
As a female director, Dennis, in addition to focusing on the female perspective of filming, also dares to show violent scenes and create a horror atmosphere like a male director. Her latest work, "Bastard," was selected for a kind of attention section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival last year, and during the screening, the bloody violence in the film caused two viewers to faint on the spot, causing the screening to be suspended.
"Homecoming" was a success in Cannes
As early as 2000, Dennis had come to China, when Beijing and Shanghai screened Dennis's film "Forbidden Love in the Army" this time came to China again, dennis also said that his fate with China is not shallow. "In fact, when I made my debut film 'Chocolate,' my heroine didn't want to be an actress anymore, she later studied at Peking University and now teaches Chinese in Italy. And my brother is also married to a Chinese wife, so I also have Chinese name, that is, my nephews call me 'great aunt'. ”
In addition, Dennis also revealed that she has seen a large number of Chinese movies, especially in the old Chinese films of the 1930s. "I especially like Spring in a Small Town, and I've seen both the old and new versions." Dennis, who is familiar with Chinese directors such as Zhang Yimou, Jia Zhangke and Lou Ye, when asked what she thought of Zhang Yimou's "Return" failing to enter this year's Cannes main competition and only selected for the screening unit, she said, "Although I don't know why I was not shortlisted for the main competition unit, it is also a great achievement to be shortlisted for the screening." She also laughed, "I also have not been shortlisted for the main competition unit, and I will not be lost, you know, as a filmmaker must have a strong self-confidence, although on the surface I am very low-key, but in fact I love myself and my own work." 」 As for what kind of film can be shortlisted for the main competition at Cannes, Dennis said, "The standards are different every year, and for the judges, they make decisions that are difficult, and this decision may be right or wrong, but they always have to make a decision." ”
(Bamboo Circle/Text)