Maybe a mini series of my movie memories, everything funny and weird… I’ve already collected 600. For TV or Internet?
One or two scripts in the making… and other critters in perspective!
Monthly Archives: février 2015
And now…
Casanova. The rules of the game are fundamentally different. Preparation takes about ten weeks instead of the 8 months for a feature film, and it’s filmed in twenty days instead of twenty… weeks. In short an interesting challenge; scary and exciting.
I’ve always wanted to make something erotic… well, here I go!
All Winter long…
Without needing financers, TV channels, producers… and without critics waiting at the end… I’ve been allowing myself to tinker around with a collection of critters made with debris found in nature. Jephan de Villiers, who I admire and collect from, introduced me to this. Just for pleasure of CREATING.
January 2015. Hollywood again…
This time to receive two awards from the 3D Society, including the prestigious “Harold Lloyd” award, which has been awarded in the past to James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, Ang Lee and Jeffrey Katzenberg. And the trophy is magnificent. So this makes three awards because we also won the Independent 3D film awards, as well as those awarded in Liège.
I gave a Master Class and had the opportunity to “quote” my friend Weinstein, which was the subject of an article in Hollywood Reporter. A reader’s reaction: “I love it when a European gives the middle finger to Harvey. So refreshing.”
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/amelie-director-questions-weinstein-plans-767538
November 2014. In Hollywood…
Schmoozing with all the networks, like HBO, Netflix etc… The idea being to back a script for a TV series pilot written by Tony Krantz, The Phantom of the Opera. The project was nice, I didn’t have my own script ready, and Hollywood was full on with television series, so why not give it a try? But Phantom didn’t catch on immediatly. However Amazon liked my work and offered me Casanova.
October 2014. Promotion in Rome and Tokyo
After surreal Italian-style chaos, hyper strict Japanese-style order… I met up again with Kyle Catlett in Tokyo, who displayed a number of martial arts skills on stage, in the company of a japanese child star. As always the Japanese are charming and can’t do enough for their guests.
As translations are long (see Lost in Translation…) I drew some portraits of the journalists. One of them even gave me his cap because I liked it!
I also ran into Claudie Ossard, producer of Delicatessen, The City and Amelie, who was filming with Ana Girardot.
Spivet did well there.
October 2014. Lights in Lyon
I was MC at Alien night at the Halle Garnier in front of 4,000 spectators… sitting on wooden chairs. Mattresses were arranged at the rear for those who might crack. I was told that only a few dozen spectators left before the end. Could it be that the last true movie buffs are all in Lyon?
A nice meeting and lunch with Paolo Sorentino (I’ve seen La grande Bellezza 7 times).
And with Dan Ohlmann, who runs the Miniatures and SFX museum. Himself a miniaturist genius. He had managed to recover, among others, the Alien Queen, fix her up and staged her. Spectacular.
September 2014. Festival of Deauville
I was a member of a jury composed of former jury presidents, as well as Marie-Claude Pietragala with whom I became friends. Costa Gavras, Claude Lelouch, André Téchiné, Vincent Lindon, Pierre Lescure. Every breakfast was a pretext for an anecdote contest. Lelouch carried Charlie Chaplin up the stairs of his Club 13 and Mr Chaplin turned to hand him some change… I fell in love with Whiplash which won the grand prize and the public’s choice award.
June 2014. Munich Festival
I met up again with Kyle Catlett. A beautiful 3D projection, despite the “RealD” system. I sat next to the mayor of Munich who texted during the entire projection. I wonder what would happen if I did the same during one of his speeches… Wim Wenders was as lovely as ever, and congratulated me. I was pleased because he filmed in Montreal after me and used my favorite technicians, whom I had recommended. Along the way a quick visit to the sublime “Allianz Arena”. TS will make an honorable showing in Germany, like all of my films.
April 2014. French Film Festival in Brazil
Nice little festival. Spivet had the second best score after Guillaume Galienne’s film. A visit to the Maracana with Jalil Lespert and Philippe Claudel.
In Sao Paulo I saw the actress who played Amelie as a child. She is 19 years old now…
Une fille tatouée “Amélie” me fait dédicacer son bras. Le soir même, elle se fait tatouer ma signature… Ça fait un peu peur…
Lunch atop a “pacified” Favella. The bikes have a sort of radio antenna on the front fender. I’m told that since it is more difficult to obtain weapons now, people kill their enemies by stringing a rope across the road. So the antenna brings down the bike, which is, of course, better than being beheaded…
