11 · 08 · 16

Interview with Clotilde Courau at the 14th FICM

Ma. Cristina Alemán (@mcristina)

French actress Clotilde Courau attended the 14th edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) as part of the Mexican Feature Film Jury as well as to present her most recent film Le Ciel attendra (2016), directed by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar. During her stay, she gave us an interview in which she spoke about the universal relevance of the film’s subject: young French girls who are recruited by extremists to go fight in Syria. Courau also shared her impressions of FICM and why she considers this festival special.

Le Ciel attendra deals with a huge social and political problem, what do you think is the role of cinema in raising awareness about political or social issues?

It is a movie first, but it talks about something that we are living in European countries and in some other countries, but not in South America. But first it is just a movie. And it deals with a subject about which some people might get some key answers or a better understanding. Movies first tell a story, but also they talk about humankind, and this is a film about something that is going on in our world.

You couldn’t make a documentary about a young girl who wants to go to Syria but Le Ciel attendra is playing between documentary and fiction. So that is why people are getting into it, because they feel it is so real that is could be almost a documentary, but it is not a documentary, and this is why it is a very good movie. Lots of people in France are grateful for the movie and for the courage we had to make it. They say thank you because we need these kinds of movies to eventually understand a little bit more about what is happening.

What do all of the girls in the film have in common? Why do they fall prey to these people?

They are all teenagers. When you are a teenager you are looking for yourself, you are looking for your identity, and while doing that if you meet the wrong person, then you might get into lots of trouble. It could be the same for a young teenager in Mexico. She meets the wrong guy who is going to tell her lies and she ends up becoming a slave… you know what I’m saying. It is not the same thing, but in a way it is. It is a way of falling into the wrong place. Except that right now we have this propaganda in our countries, in Europe, and pretty much everywhere in the world except South America. It is not about selling girls, but it is about hating life and saying death is more interesting than staying alive in you country. So if you follow these people you might become a human bomb because you believe what they are saying. It is kind of like a drug addiction, it is not a drug addiction but it is an addiction to propaganda.

When you choose your roles, do you think about the representation of women in film?

Oh, yes. I’m very much into women’s rights and I’m very much into showing different sides of women. It could be anything, but I do think of that when I choose my roles.

Finally, this is your second time in Morelia, what do you like about the festival?

Well if you just look at the program then you can understand why I’m so fond of this festival. It has a great selection; you can see new movies, new documentaries and movies you are never going to see anywhere else, so I think that it is one of the most influential festivals. On top of that, Morelia is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico. So it has everything. And then you have lots of different people, a nice audience that is very curious about seeing everything, even if it is not something that they are used to. It is a special place.