We are moving stories

“Those kids were taken from their (mostly) poor families by French authorities and sent to France to be adopted. The problem was that French social services told the children’s families that their kids will come back during summer holidays and that they will go to school and have a good education, but this was a huge lie. Those kids never came back home and they were mostly adopted by French farmers and used as workers in order to repopulate metropolitan departments”

“When I researched the subject, I discovered that most of the vendors are from Senegal, living in France illegally. The contradiction between the items they were selling - trinkets of the most iconic French monument, and their illegal status in France was surreal. I wanted to learn more about the people and hear their stories. Which is why I started making the film.”

“I’m looking to achieve what I always try to achieve as a filmmaker, and that is to show audiences that each of us are human. We may experience things on a different level, but there is something we can all relate to. I hope that this film can connect with people who are fighting for something - a dream, a job or even a reason to keep going.”

“The film takes place in Paris a couple of months before the horrific terror attacks. This specific topic is very current and on everyone’s mind. The movie touches on what’s happening currently but is ultimately a story about friendship.”

“I made the film because I realised the broader sense of the personal story I was telling. It’s about a long-distance relationship between a couple with a baby, living in two different countries. But it says a lot about all modern couples.

I was also very attracted by the unique form of the film, told only by video calls. The challenge was to make the video calls become cinematic.”

“I created The Golden Age for two main reasons: pay tribute to the World-Changing Charms of 60s Saint-Tropez, and encourage the audience to change the world on their own scale. First, it was very important to me that the audience can experience that magical 60s Douce France atmosphere through the music and 35 exceptional locations in LA, Paris and on the French Riviera: Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Bir-Hakeim Bridge near the Eiffel Tower, the Saint-Tropez harbor, Ramatuelle beaches, a period train, etc. ”

“I lived for years in very small flats, both in Paris and then in London. I tried to make the best use of those small spaces, compressing all my stuff, placing boxes higher and higher until it reached the ceiling. Basically getting used to it. And I always wondered at which point I would go crazy about it and what I should do before I went crazy.”

“With Brexit, the upcoming French elections, and the rise of Donald Trump, I really wanted to make a film about how nationalism and demagogues that people elect can have extremely negative consequences, just as it did back in 1848 in France. I love films that take place in one day, so I decided to pick the anniversary of a protest that occurred in that year and shoot it on that exact date in 2016. It shows that we haven’t changed that much over time; the reality 1848, in the large scheme of things, was not long ago at all.”

“It touches lots of people, everyone who isn’t any longer a teenager relates back to that moment of their life and has similar stories. And the teenagers who’ve seen it often say to us, yes that’s how it is for me, or my sister, or my best friend. So I think we’ve succeeded in being able to represent and talk to numerous generations and cultures.”

“The film is a poignant journey that immerses us in a tender and tense turning point between father and son. The actors are magnificent.”

“I wanted to talk about cultural differences but in a funny, soft way. Every French person may have encountered a similar situation coming in Korea or Japan, for example. “I am a Kiss” talks about a very simple, current quid pro quo. It is also based on a personal memory.”

“By looking at my Korean friends, I realized how tough it is to work in Korea and to what extent the hierarchical system here could be difficult to live with. Indeed, this system, like a pyramid, imposes many social constraints and codifies the relations between people. ”

“Those persons for me stand out as wise as gods, with self-limitation and care, amidst a world of hell and chaos with no ethics whatsoever. Their lives are difficult, but they made this choice, and they come back to their work every single day. For me, they are examples of how to live a life for the greater good. ”

“At the beginning, this short film is based on a real event. I met a man in a bar downtown Seoul (a place I use to go to think). He was very quiet and slow in his movements. I thought he was very cinematographic. We started drinking together all night. Then, he told me a secret: he was a professional killer. I could not believe it. But I always enjoyed John Woo movies about desperate killers. I told him this, and he said, “That’s nothing compared to my last mission”. “Oh!” I said, “tell me more!” ”

“It’s about these little moments when you lose sight of someone you really care for. Could be in a supermarket, a crowded event, a country at war or after a tsunami. I believe that in these moments you reveal your true nature: if you care about that person, wether it’s your kid, parent, loved one, nothing else matters that finding him/her.”

“People really relate to the theme of creative depression. As I mentioned earlier, I think it goes way beyond the specifics of the arts. Everybody has gone through some sort of downswing the way the main character does in Creative Block. Also (and this is fascinating to me) people are really divided on whether it’s a funny film or not! I’ve seen audiences who have been terribly moved by it, and cried. I’ve seen others find it hilarious (in the best way). It really depends on the person, or the crowd, and their mood.”

“Du blanc à l’âme is the story of a man who doesn’t fit in, who can’t find his place in the world, and who’s convinced that his job is pointless. That’s kind of n universal and contemporary issue actually, and one I feel deeply connected to. It’s hard to find meaning in what we do nowadays, and I didn’t want to talk about this in a gloomy way but I felt it was something worth telling.”

“Hey, audience ! You have to see this film ! The first reason is that it’s short! Only 16 minutes. So, If you find it boring, don’t worry, it’s not a feature and it will be finished soon. The other reason is that French is a beautiful language. Don’t you think ? Don’t worry, there will be subtitles in English. An other reason : ok, the subject of the film is LIBERTY (so everybody is related to that, especially these days). BUT in the film, we speak about English people ! It’s a surprise, go, see the film, and learn about English people - I hope it will be funny.”

“First of all, the film begins as a comedy, with a sense of irony, gradually adding some elements of drama. It is fully entertaining but not meaningless, reflecting on our society and the evolution of our relationship with technology…. and consumption!”