french director baptiste debraux premieres new movie at siff -即嗨体育app下载

french director baptiste debraux describes his new movie "chasing johnny," which premiered at the 26th shanghai international film festival, as one with a hint of greek tragedy.

in his film, johnny, an activist, is on the run after a botched robbery. his childhood friend paul, played by bastien bouillon, returns home after 15 years to find him before investigator anna radoszewski, played by léa drucker, can.

in a town shaken by social unrest, johnny becomes a symbol of revolt as memories and secrets resurface.

debraux said when he started writing this film, he specifically wrote the main character for bouillon.

"i've known him for several years, and we had discussed a project long ago that didn't come to fruition," debraux said. "for a long time, i hoped bastien bouillon would star in my first film because of our close relationship, making the process smoother and easier."

to lock in léa drucker, who is very well-known in france, for her role, debraux sent an email explaining why he wanted her and included the entire script. "after reading it, she quickly accepted the invitation."

according to debraux, he didn't actively choose this subject to tell this story. "rather, what you see now is a result that naturally unfolded. i found this angle compelling because it aligns with a greek tragedy style."

growing up in the ardennes, a region in france known for its heavy industry, debraux witnessed the profound struggles of the working class, especially during the high unemployment period in the 1980s. this experience influenced his desire to tell their story.

he explained that the film's tone naturally leaned towards melancholy due to the hardships he saw during his childhood.

for the film's setting, he was inspired by his childhood environment and the high unemployment rates that affected his community.

the strike scenes in the movie, while not direct replications of historical events, were amplified versions of what he witnessed. this blend of reality and fiction aimed to portray the intense struggles of the working class.

debraux also introduced light to the film in the friendship between the two protagonists, paul and johnny. their bond brings warmth to the otherwise tragic narrative.

"the friendship between johnny and paul represents my attempt to infuse a bit of hope into the film. i drew heavily on my childhood memories during the creation process," debraux said, clarifying that those memories were melancholic and poetic.

he aimed to express these through the art of filmmaking, hoping to convey both a silent and audible world in the final scenes.

he also explained that the choice to feature two male leads came from his personal experiences.

growing up in his hometown, he had many friends and shared numerous memories with them.

however, after leaving for paris to study, he lost touch with them, similar to paul's journey in the film.

paul's return to his hometown symbolizes an attempt to reconnect with his past and make amends for leaving.

"even though one might cut ties with their past, the memories and influences of that past never truly disappear. they continue to play a significant role in one's life," debraux said.

"this is why i chose to focus on the deep friendship between the two characters. it mirrors my own experience of leaving and then reconnecting with my roots."

in the film, paul's return to find johnny serves as a form of redemption for abandoning his friend years earlier.

"paul, in the film, returns to seek forgiveness from johnny, whom he left behind 15 years ago. johnny's character is doomed, and paul's journey gradually overtakes johnny's, reflecting a shift where paul steps into johnny's shoes to complete what johnny couldn't."

debraux also wanted to create complex, nuanced characters. each character in the film has their struggles and internal demons, making them more human and multidimensional.

"i aim to portray multidimensional, human-like figures rather than flat, one-dimensional characters. each character has their issues and internal conflicts. i strive for a degree of ambiguity and uncertainty in their identities, avoiding clear-cut distinctions between good and bad."