Through productions such as ‘The Victorian Cases’ (2016) and ‘The Reflection of Sibyl’ (2019), she has established herself as a portraitist of complex female characters who are not particularly interested in being recognized or loved by the public. right, the protagonist of his new feature film, A successful writer accused of murdering her husband ‘Anatomy of a fall’. A palace drama that is at once riveting and meticulous breakdown of a marriage In May – and by extension, of all the lives lived as a couple – the Frenchwoman became the third woman in history to win this award. at the Palme d’Or Cannes Film Festivaland is now assumed to garner nominations for awards presented by the Hollywood Academy in the coming weeks. But he wasn’t chosen as his country’s representative at the Oscars – that honor went to Tran Anh Hung’s ‘Slow Fire’ – and misogynists believe his acceptance speech was to blame. He criticized the French government for, among other things, “commodifying culture”.
Congratulations on your Palme d’Or award. How does it feel to win it?
When they handed it to me an incredible physical feeling came over me; I’ve never felt anything like this before. And then it took me weeks to realize that I had won the award and that I was only the third woman in history to win it. Making films is almost always a very lonely job, so it’s very gratifying to receive such great recognition and love. Although the award has changed my life, I intend not to let it affect my work process. This will make things easier for me and hopefully it won’t force me to compromise.
‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is not a typical judicial intrigue. In the end, whether the hero is innocent or guilty becomes a secondary question…
I actually wanted to use the judicial system as a tool on board to think about the couple first and foremost. About what it means to live with another person and seek equality in relationship; about the stories we tell each other as we live together, about what we give to each other and what we hope to get from each other. And also about the impossibility of the marriage project. To tell the truth, I believe that life as a couple is something completely unnatural and therefore the mechanisms of all couples are a mystery.
He co-wrote the film with his romantic partner Arthur Harari. Are the family conflicts that arise here inspired to some extent by your own experiences?
Oh, not at all. We started writing to escape the stress of quarantine by fantasizing about couple arguments during the pandemic. When we finished the script, we felt that we had gone too far and that the relationship we had established was too cruel. So I was surprised how much the public identified with it. Many people have come up to me after watching the movie and said: “I’m going through exactly the same thing.” The only response I can think of in these situations is “Wow, I’m sorry.”
Where does your interest in the traditions of forensic cinema come from?
When he was young, he dreamed of becoming a lawyer and spent most of his time in court. I was very naive at the time and believed that this was where the truth was discovered. But today, that world interests me because I know it is the exact opposite: a place where people’s lives become fictions, stories; In order to defend or condemn a person, their reality and facts are completely distorted. One of my goals for the film was to show how a trial like the one detailed here is a literal nightmare for the defendant because his own life is taken away from him.
In this sense, can the film also be understood as a portrait? sexism What is valid in the judicial system?
In the judicial system and in society at large. I wanted to show how a woman can be punished for her intelligence, success, ambition and mental strength. My hero is a person who is not always kind, always does what he wants, puts his career before his family, does not respect established norms regarding sexuality and monogamy, but also refuses to act like a crying victim to convince others. Judges. This makes him suspicious in the eyes of the court.
You’ve made many films starring women who don’t care one bit about the audience’s opinion of them, and such female characters are still uncommon in cinema. Why do you believe this?
Because a set of expectations created by the male gaze continues to be imposed on women, and we are not allowed to be complex and contradictory based on these. When I started making films, feminism wasn’t yet considered a relevant cinematic topic, but since then I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it actually means to be a woman and why we’re treated like monsters for having certain behaviors. They are perfectly accepted in men. Yes, there is still a representation problem.
Of course, many people have asked you whether the protagonist of your movie is guilty or innocent…
Certainly.
What is your answer?
It was very important to me that the film did not answer this question. Maybe he killed her and maybe he didn’t, maybe he was the one who encouraged her to commit suicide, maybe he ended her life by accident… We don’t know. Frankly, I know the truth of what happened. And maybe one day, after a long time, I will reveal it.
Ms. Triet, did you expect the controversy your acceptance speech for the Palme d’Or in May would create?
I didn’t think through the consequences of my words. I was able to make films thanks to the film financing system that exists in my country and is the envy of the whole world, and all I want to say is that it is important to protect it. I don’t regret what I said.
Do you think this debate influenced the selection of ‘A Slow Fire’ instead of ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ as the Oscar ceremony film representing France?
I don’t know about that. It was a big disappointment, but I don’t want to criticize the chosen film. I admire your director.