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February 16, 2015
INTERVIEW | Capturing the Imprint of Life on Film: An Interview with 'The Gentle Man' Director
INTERVIEW | Carefully Capturing the Traces of Life on Film
Guillaume Brac, Director of 'Tonnerre,' Discusses His Latest Film
Guillaume Brac's distinctive talent first garnered attention when his film 'Un Monde sans femmes' screened at the 2013 French Film Festival. Now, his first feature-length film, 'Tonnerre,' is set for a staggered nationwide release beginning October 25th at Eurospace in Shibuya, Tokyo, and other cinemas. Following on from his previous work, and starring Vincent Macaigne once again, the film weaves together the traces of lives lived by people in a desolate town. We spoke with director Guillaume Brac during his visit to Japan about the background of its production.
Text & Photograph by WATANABE Reiko (OPENERS)
Why Sylvain from 'Un Monde sans femmes' Became a Heartthrob in 'Tonnerre'
Vincent Macaigne, who played the unappealing protagonist Sylvain in 'Un Monde sans femmes,' has shed considerable weight and now appears as a handsome charmer in 'Tonnerre.' The mere mention of this transformation is enough to make one eager to see him on screen. It was none other than director Guillaume Brac who first recognized Macaigne's burgeoning appeal, which has now made him a sought-after actor in France.
“Losing 20 kilos is an exaggeration, of course, but Vincent probably lost about 7 or 8 kilos. Still, compared to Matthew McConaughey or Robert De Niro, it’s not that big a deal (laughs). It just so happened that the period he wanted to lose weight coincided with the filming.”
“In 'Un Monde sans femmes,' Sylvain was a clumsy character lacking self-confidence, but in 'Tonnerre,' he plays Maxime, a charismatic and sexually alluring musician who seduces a younger woman. After all, his rival is a professional football player, so there needed to be a certain level of credibility (laughs).”
The film is set in Tonnerre, a mountain town in the Burgundy region of France. Maxime, a musician who once made a name for himself in the indie scene, returns to his childhood home to live with his father, weary of the harshness of city life. One day, Melody, a journalist for a local magazine, visits him for an interview.
The two explore wineries, enjoy skiing, and share a blissful honeymoon in the snow-covered town. However, happiness is fleeting, and an enraged Maxime soon finds himself teetering on the brink of madness.
As in his previous film, Brac meticulously captures the loneliness and sorrow of desolate towns and their inhabitants, as if imprinting them onto film. In the scenes where Maxime and Melody fall in love, the town seems to take on color, as if reflecting their emotions. "But in fact," the director explains, "the very mystique of this town of Tonnerre also symbolizes the mysterious nature of Melody."
Any Life Can Be Preserved on Film
Brac mentions that he repeatedly watched films by Yasujiro Ozu before and after making this film. Indeed, the father-son relationship depicted here is as beautiful and moving as the bittersweet romance between Maxime and Melody.
"I was deeply impressed by the protagonists in Ozu's films, who are so reserved, almost to the point of self-sacrifice," says Brac. Similarly, in 'Tonnerre,' the scenes where the father and son exchange glances in the kitchen or ride bicycles together, without much conversation, are depicted with remarkable subtlety.
"Even living under the same roof, they struggle to understand each other. The father, played by Bernard Menez, is desperately trying to reach out to his suffering son. He's trying to convey human warmth to him."
When asked if Vincent Macaigne is to Brac what Jean-Pierre Léaud is to Truffaut, the director prefaced his answer by saying, "That's something he has to decide for himself, so I can't really say..." but added, "I do hope that, like Léaud, he'll continue to appear in my films at key moments in his life."
"What I wanted to document in this film was none other than the Vincent Macaigne of today. I often cast acquaintances or amateurs in my films because I want to preserve their lived experiences—their environments and their emotions at a given time—as films forever."
Guillaume Brac will undoubtedly continue to capture the traces of Vincent Macaigne, in all his different phases, on film—distinct from characters like Sylvain or Maxime.
Guillaume Brac
Born in 1977. After working in film distribution and production, he entered FEMIS (the French National Film School). Although he majored in production rather than directing, he directed short films during his studies. In 2008, he co-founded the production company 'Année Zéro' with friends to make films with limited funds and small crews. Through this company, he produced 'Les naufragés' and 'Un Monde sans femmes.' In 2013, his first feature film, 'Tonnerre,' was selected for the competition section of the 66th Locarno International Film Festival. It was released in French cinemas in January 2014.
'Tonnerre'
Now playing nationwide at Eurospace and other cinemas, starting October 25th (Saturday).
Director | Guillaume Brac
Screenplay | Guillaume Brac, Hélène Ruault / Collaboration | Catherine Paillé
Starring | Vincent Macaigne, Soline Biéau, Bernard Menez, Jona Brochet, Hervé Deguine, Marie-Anne Guérin
Distribution | Étaínché
2013 / France / 100 minutes
http://tonnerre-movie.com/
© 2013 RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS - WILD BUNCH - FRANCE 3 CINEMA