Interview with Philippe Claudel, director of ‘I’ve Loved You So Long’

Philippe Claudel has always been a storyteller. The French author has written over fifteen novels (translated into over thirty languages and winner of many literary prizes), and now, in his mid 40s, he’s turned his eye to filmmaking with his feature debut I’ve Loved You So Long. The film rolls into a New Zealand general release with a tidal wave of critical praise behind it. It won the BAFTA for Best Foreign Film and earned a nomination in the same category at the Golden Globes. Meanwhile, lead actress Kristin Scott Thomas has earned a swag of prizes for her performance and the film’s limited sessions at Auckland’s World Cinema Showcase sold out. Flicks talked to Claudel about what lies behind the success of his film.

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FLICKS: Where did the idea for the film come from?

PHILIPPE CLAUDEL: It’s always strange to explain how the idea comes, you know? I think in the beginning I just wanted to tell a story about a woman. Afterwards I imagined a story between two women, two sisters who had been separated a long time and why this separation may be. I composed the story like a puzzle with different pieces. I wanted to compose the story like a portrait, an impressionist portrait of the women and the relationship between two characters.

How personal was the story for you?

I worked for years in prison and met many men and women in this job. It was a very important experience in my private life, my personal life, my artistic life and my professional life. It would be impossible to explore many of the things in my novels without this experience, and many things in this movie.

What made you want to move from novels to cinema?

Because I am a great fan of cinema and when I was a student I studied literature and movies at the same time. During this period I made different short movies but I was too young and without life experience, so they were very artificial and bad short movies! In the last ten years I wrote screenplays for different French directors and producers and little by little I became ready to tell my own stories.

What are the main differences between writing a novel and a script?

I think the most important difference is when you write a novel you use the language to tell the story but it is not the case when you write a script. When you write a script you use a basic language because the final goal is not the language, it is the picture, the image.

Did you find it difficult directing your first feature length?

Essentially not, it was a great experience. I composed the perfect technical team and I chose, with great attention, my actresses and actors. During the shooting I felt very good and very cool because it was a pleasure to work with actresses like Kristin Scott Thomas and a pleasure to have a great crew around me.

What was working with Kristin Scott Thomas like?

I think she’s a very talented actress. Maybe she is one of the best in the world because when you work with her it’s constantly a discovery. She can express many, many things without words, just with her face, just with her hands, just with her body, it’s amazing. It’s interesting to observe that she is very under-employed in French movies. This film was the first lead part for her in a French film. Strange, but it was a great honour and opportunity for me to work with her and a great chance for Kristen to show her talent for the French audience.

What about directing the children?

It was very cool and easy with the big girl, because she is very intelligent and understood my direction. With the younger girl it was very difficult. When I said please go to the left she would go to the right for example. But with the editing process, it was a quick moment for choice and it works for the audience but it was a difficult process.

How important are awards for success of the movie?

I think it’s more important for actresses and actors, it was an honour to win the BAFTA in London and the Cesar [French Academy Award] but at the same time for me it’s not important to win awards, I prefer to have a connection with the audience. Actors and actresses, it is important. I was very disappointed for Kristin because she deserved the Golden Globe and BAFTA for her performance, which is amazing, and I was so very disappointed for her.

Why do you think French films are so popular amongst English speaking audiences?

I don’t know exactly why. We have the opportunity in France to make many, many movies, over two hundred movies are produced in one year. It’s a very big industry but at the same time it’s a very artistic industry. Living in France and making movies, maybe it is easier to express yourself than in a different country.

How is the global recession affecting the French film industry?

For the moment in France we have the chance to continue to make movies, it’s not yet a crisis. I think in the next semester of the next year that might change but for the moment that’s not really the case. Maybe I’m not a good example because I had the chance to have success with my film and can make a second movie.

Are you working on your second movie now?

In my mind, yes. I’m beginning to imagine my second movie.