Interview: I want visually strong, almost silent movie: Mexican director Michel Franco
Xinhua, May 24, 2015 Adjust font size:
"I wanted the film to be almost silent if possible, and to be visually strong, because I think it's hard to discuss about these subjects and put it into words," Mexican director Michel Franco told Xinhua during an interview presenting his movie Chronic in competition at the ongoing 68th Cannes Film Festival.
Talking about the job on set the Mexican director explained: "The shooting wasn't complicated and, the fact that I produced and directed, allowed me to take decision faster without having to argue. What was creatively complicated was that I didn't realize that I wrote a script with four stories and unify them because I didn't want to give the feeling that they were separate stories".
According to the director, shooting in the United States was a little hard because they had more rules and everything was more structured than in Mexico.
About the collaboration on set with the American movie Star Tim Roth, Franco said they immediately developed a close friendship like with any actor, especially during the first week. Sometimes Franco had to be very specific about what he wanted and sometimes he had to say nothing. "Tim wanted to, in a sort, to enter my universe , so he was really willing to do whatever I needed and he was very supportive and humble," Franco recalled.
Regarding his tastes in movies, Franco said he loved more European cinema.
"About Americans, it will be more a movie by Cassavetes, but I watch both European movies as American ones. I like, for example, the Italian movie director Pasolini and Pedro Costa talking about someone more contemporary, the Spanish Bunuel and the Brazilian Rocha," he explained.
About working in the U.S., Franco said he could have done a movie in the States before, but it was not his ambition, he was not looking to made a career there.
About the future, Franco had two ideas, he revealed that he was trying to write two different scripts. "I don't know which of them I'm going to finalize. One of them is an intimate story and it could be shot, because of the quality of the actors in the United States," Franco told Xinhua. Endit