He grew up as an actor in his father’s shadow. Philippe Garrel -the important writer of modern French cinema- has been in the cast of all his recent films, which conveyed his surname to him. At the same time, in any case, only one of the country’s most iconic translators but also took road behind the camera. His fourth film, which he directed and starred in, ‘Innocent’A witty and eccentric mix of comedy and crime plot inspired by a fact in her biography: her mother, actress, and director. Brigitte Syshe held theater workshops in prison and even married a prisoner.
How did you decide to make a movie inspired by your mother?
First I decided to direct an adventure movie and immediately thought of relating it to the prison world because I had always felt close to it. When I was a child, my mother held meetings and parties at home with ex-convicts and intellectuals dealing with marginality, and ex-cons would tell me stories that highlighted the romantic side of crime. I have always had a certain admiration for criminals, people who decide to exclude themselves from society and live in constant danger in the dark.
The Innocents isn’t a dark movie anyway. The exact opposite.
When a filmmaker decides to talk about his own mother, the result is usually a very serious and sad film. On the other hand, ‘El inocento’ should be light and fun, a movie for all audiences, I said to myself. So I thought it would be a good idea to play a few genres that soften each other, like detective thrillers and romantic comedies; the movie is kind of ‘tense’ but not overflowing with testosterone and it’s like a love story but not overly sentimental. And above all, it is a pure escape from reality, an attempt to delight the viewer.
To what extent is this quest to escape reality, in connection with auteur cinema, a way of questioning the public’s image of you?
Maybe unconsciously. I know that early in my acting career, directors chose me to play dark and tormenting characters, and I was unsympathetic and boring. Honestly, back to my 20-year-old self, I think this guy is a jerk.
What part of your own life do you think might inspire your children for a future movie?
My children will be free to do what they want, but I think I prefer that they dedicate their lives to more useful things like geography or medicine. Because they’re smart, they have an advantage over me. As a kid, my only desire was to win a ‘skating’ championship. He was a skateboarder. Maybe one day I will direct a movie based on that world, I would like to.
Would you say that your directing career is now more important to you than your acting studies?
Oh no. Commentary continues to excite me and I often think of directors and actors I would like to shoot with. I would love to work for Pedro Almodóvar, who is a good friend, and I have to admit that I am a bit obsessed with comedian Will Ferrell. I’d be happy to star in a comedy with him.
In recent years, you have produced two films on the orders of directors Roman Polanski and Woody Allen, who have been accused of sexual misconduct. Do you think it is possible to consider works of art independently of the morality of those who created them?
I don’t know how to answer this question with “yes” or “no”. I think that the world of cinema has entered a very healthy self-evaluation process regarding sexism for a while. We should all constantly subject ourselves to this type of scrutiny. Although I consider myself a sensitive and feminist person, sometimes I unconsciously have macho impulses. This is something I oppose. In that sense, it helps me a lot to surround myself with friends who are ready to scold me when needed, and young people who are much clearer than I am and often make me feel like an idiot. And old.
He’s not even 40 yet…
Age doesn’t scare me, and like I said, I don’t miss the person I used to be. But it is undeniable that the passing of time has affected me. I used to live more intensely at night, now I prefer to watch movies at home until the early hours of the morning instead. Another thing that reminds me that I’m not young anymore is the feeling Instagram gives me. I think if I were 20 years old today, I would be happy to show myself by sharing photos. On the other hand, when I see other people’s posts, I feel a strange mixture of contempt and envy.