10 · 08 · 09

Bruno Dumont presents mystical experience

Clara Sánchez

Born in Bailleul, France, in 1958, Dumont has written and directed five films: Hadewijch (2009), Flandres (2006), Twentynine Palms (2003), L'humanité (1999 and La vie de Jésus (1997) which have won the most respected prizes of the film world, such as the Jury Award at Cannes for Flandres and L'humanité as well as the Cámara de Oro for La vie de Jésus also at Cannes.

Dumont is considered to be the most important and respected contemporary French filmmaker in the industry whose work has been compared to that of Luc Bresson. In a press conference, he spoke about his most recent film Hadewijch which he mixes religion, mysticism and politics.

You have stated that you don't believe in God, only in love. How do you define it [love]?
Poetically it's something similar to God because it is not expressed as something complete. It's there to break the pain, something very evident."

Is that the reason in Hadewijch you show this relationship between love and religion?
Yes, love is a mystical experience. Mysticism, which etymologically speaking signifies union, is an expression beyond reason, beyond arguments and logical controversies. It is like ecstasy, a vision. Mysticism in this sphere is a union between evil, love, life but in essence they are united and cannot be separated.

In the film, the treatment of silence is very important. In fac,t in the first sequence there is practically no dialogue, but a great deal of content. How do you create these silences?
"Actors speak in every take and then the dialogues are removed because you can't create from silence. Everything that the actors have done is reflected in silence. For example, there is a sequence where the protagonist passes by mother superior and a worker. They only say good morning, but this sequence was done over 20 times."

In the film, Catholic religion is practiced by a character from the upper class and Islam by someone from the working class. Why did you choose this socio-cultural difference?
"It was not intentional, but in France Muslims are marginalized on the outskirts of the city while Catholics make lots of money."

Returning to the theme of love, it is perceived in many situations in the film. Where does its main force lie?
In the people. We shouldn't love God, we should love people. At the end of the film, the protagonist finds love in the arms of a man and that is the point. He is not God but a common man. Maybe Celine needs to go to heaven to later return to Earth."

Love and madness go hand in hand. If we look at Celine from the point of view of religion we understand that she suffers from an excess of profound love. But if we look at her from a psychological point of view, she seems melancholic or very depressed.
Love is like a ladder with different steps and the last step is delirium. People kill for love. Love is not separated from death either. They [love and death] are not different ladders but the same one. Everything is united.

The filmmaker ended the interview by saying that his film, which will be shown in Mexico during the International Film Festival, has been perceived by some as a work of love and by others as a work of hate. "At the end I hope the public will have a mystical experience," he said.