Author: Dreamate Demo

Who Is Lesley Ann Albiston?

I am a screenwriter, playwright, director, actor, artist, facilitator, and mother. Originally from Manchester, I moved to South Wales at age eight where my father worked in a design studio. I grew up surrounded by mountains, coalmines, dragons, and Dylan Thomas.

After studying art and drama, I worked as an actor. With a colleague at The Museum of The Moving Image in London, (sadly no longer there) I co-wrote, produced, and directed my first theatre production, “Seats In All Parts,” a musical set in a post-war local cinema. We utilized the BFI’s free resources; and gained extensive knowledge of the history of cinema, specifically of the effects of WW2 on British Cinema.

Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with Cinema?

“The Day The Earth Stood Still,” released in 1951, is a science fiction film that combines entertainment with a message to humanity. The film’s themes remain relevant today. The black and white images of the humanoid alien, accompanied by a silver robot and spaceship, issuing a cautionary message to Earthlings, have left a significant impression on me. The movie, along with The Time Machine, sparked my imagination early on, followed by 1960s/70s TV shows like Star Trek and Lost in Space.

I fondly remember watching musicals like West Side Story, American in Paris, Singin’ in the Rain, and Mary Poppins with my post-war musical-loving parents and sisters. 

Tell us about your project “Fractures In Time and Visitors Book“.

After writing and directing the stage plays “A Slice Of Eel Pie”, a dark comedy about the Hippy Commune on Eel Pie Island, and “Chop Me Up Or Let Me Go”, a two-person comedy play about social media stalking of a celebrity for The London Fringe Theatre, I wrote a screenplay.

“Fractures In Time” explores the invention of time travel and its implications if everyone could freely move through time. The Swedish American actor Joel Kinnaman is my consideration for the role of Jovan Johannson, the trillionaire genius inventor of time travel. Upon successfully inventing time interception, he faces the decision of whether to utilize it for the benefit of humankind or for personal gain. Notably, a considerable amount of time travel occurs in both directions, which should meet the expectations of enthusiasts of the genre.

Writing about time travel is challenging and ironically lakes time. Much to my delight and surprise, the screenplay has won many Winner Awards at film festivals, with hopes it will become a major sci-fi blockbuster.

Following the widespread acclaim for “Fractures In Time,” I sought to determine if my success in screenwriting could be replicated. Consequently, I wrote “Visitors Book,” which delves into a completely different era and genre.

“Visitors Book” is a contemporary romantic comedy road movie with a Celtic theme. It follows Sienna, a Welsh-Italian art teacher from a school for the deaf, on her mission to return a personal journal left at an Airbnb in Wales. The journal belongs to a scatty Scottish photographer Theodore, working on a series of community and seascape photos for a commissioned book. The film explores the unlikely romance between two shy individuals. “Visitors Book” is winning film festival awards and could be a feel-good hit starring perhaps Scottish actor Jack Lowden. This film features characters working in service and hospitality along the Welsh and Scottish coasts, addressing themes of coincidence, destiny, soulmates, and the importance of kindness. The goal is for the film to be produced and shown in cinemas.

Which Director Inspires you the most?

Contemporary directors, Ben Stiller, Martin McDonagh, and Jesse Eisenberg are individuals whose work I greatly admire.

What issue in the world concerns you the most, and what would you address?

One might focus on addressing climate change, as addressed in “Fractures In Time.”

How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

Predicting future advancements is challenging. Just as people 100 years ago could not foresee the cinema of 2025 or the development in technology for cars, electricity, and telephones 100 years before that, today’s rapidly evolving technology remains unpredictable for me.

What is your impression of WILD FILM MAKER?

Thank you, WILD FILMMAKER, for providing visibility and respect to filmmakers and writers. I’m grateful for the chance to share my work on your platform.

Who is Nancy Kimmel?

Daughter of Antal and Lydia Kimmel, Hungarian and Russian immigrants.  I was raised to believe that anything is possible. My father would tell me stories from the books he read and it would captivate me for hours.  Beethoven and Mozart would play in our house throughout the day.  

My parents would take us to see movies at least twice a week.  It didn’t matter how violent or guresome they were.  My brother and I always managed to get in.  We saw the best of them.

Wow!  Imagine seeing “Dirty Harry” at 12 years of age on the big screen and “In Cold Blood”.

I used to get into trouble at school for telling stories because it would scare the other children.  My book reports would be on the most recent movies I watched.  I never read the book.  Hammer horror films were my favorite.

When my boys were younger,  I would tell stories outside on the porch and all the neighborhood kids would come and sit around and listen.  Come to think of it, I would sometimes get in trouble with the parents for scaring them. Lol

–Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?

That would be, when I first saw the “Dirty Harry” movies!

What a great story line!  The bad guys were really bad, and the good guys were really good, and had their own bad side.  It is never one sided is it?  A good hero should also have a dark side that others can relate to.  My dad took us to see Satyricon by Fellini.  I didn’t understand it, but for some reason, I also couldn’t stop watching it.  When I would play outside with the kids in the neighborhood, I tried to get them to play the parts of the movie.  That didn’t go well. 

Tell us about your project “Josh’s Employment Agency of Brooklyn/the
Hereafter”

It all came together after the guys who came to clean the windows at our building came running downstairs from cleaning the upstairs windows and said, “I’m not going up there again,  That place isn’t right!”  The guy was actually scared.  In fact, he never came back!  They just ran out the door.

That’s when it hit me!  I thought, Ok, so let’s say that there are ghosts upstairs, are they good or bad?  Who is the good/dark hero? Then, the thought crossed my mind, what if they were bored and wanted to do something good?  That’s when I came up with the storyline about 3 ghosts from different eras who were stuck upstairs and the only person who could see them was Josh.  Each had their own back story. There was Detective O’Shaughnessy from the 70’s, Jasmine, a troubled girl from the 80’s and The Magician, George from the 20’s.  With Josh’s help, they wanted to solve the kidnappings of the young girls in the area.  One of the missing girls was Jasmine’s cousin. Josh reluctantly agrees.  Death gets wind of their plan and wants to help, because he wants a change of pace.  Mary, Josh’s secretary, turns out that she can also see ghosts.  But Mary is special.  She has a different agenda. Spoilers!  

Josh runs a failing employment agency.  He owns the building, which is now being foreclosed.  Josh’s history is dark and it isn’t completely revealed in this first installment.  Yes, that’s right, part two is coming!

-Which Director inspires you the most?

That would be, Martin Charles Scorsese.  He is able to bring out people’s darkest sides.  Not necessarily in the horror, slasher psycho movie.  Rather he taps in the average guy on the street, whom you may just glance at in passing.  But this guy can have a job, be a family man and go to church, all the while torturing people for the mob.  That’s scary!  The guy really thinks he has a purpose, he chooses this as his purpose and works with an entire mob who celebrates his purpose.  Yikes!  Mr Scorsese takes the underbelly of society and puts it in our face to show us that we can be working side by side with these guys and not even know it.

What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?

That’s easy!  CGI!  Can we please get rid of it?  OK, we know that those with superpowers can do amazing things, but who are they really?  I would like to see movies with the psychological aspect pulling on our hearts and minds.  Sometimes, that which is unseen and instead brought out as a story or conversation can be more emotionally jarring that actually seeing it!  Some food for thought. lol

Actually, the world is cool!  People are cool!  Yes, there is a lot of bad, but there are real heros out there.  I believe that everyone of us can be that hero!  Of course, with the proverbial dark side.

How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?I think this question is above my pay grade!  lolIt may go backwards for the better!  I sure hope it doesn’t turn into AI actors.  I don’t want to be here if Claude or Siri win an Oscar!

What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

Wildfilmmaker’s dedication to films and famous directors who blazed a path in cinema is genius.  Wildfilmmaker definitely filled a niche that has been empty for too long.

Keep up the amazing work!

-Who is Vivianne Rosenberg?

I came from Nabas, Aklan, in the Western Visayas Province of the Philippines, which is quite literally the
gateway to a paradise called Boracay Island. I immigrated with my family to San Francisco, California,
when I was eight. I am the third child of eight, six girls and two boys. Presently, I reside with my family
in Los Angeles, California. I have been married to a wonderful partner for 29 years, we have four adult
children, and I am a doting grandmother to Jude.
I’m a lifelong storyteller and adventurer. My humble beginnings and upbringing in a foreign country are
formative. Traveling from the Philippines to San Francisco as a young child, coupled with an immersion
in music, art, food and literature from the ’60s to the ’90s, fueled my imagination and shaped my
worldview. It’s also worth noting that my upbringing was non-traditional, even by immigrant family
standards. There were a lot of complexities within my family of origin that are deeply ingrained in who I
am. I became a dreamer, consumed by thoughts of my aspirations, the people I’d encounter, and the
places I’d visit. These experiences instilled in me a strong sense of self-expectation and ambition, coupled
with a natural desire for independence and freedom from a young age.

-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?

I fell in love with film/cinema before moving to America. We lived in Manila for a year while waiting for
our final Visa. My grandmother, Josefine, loved going to the cinema and I had the luck of asking her one
day if I could come along with my two older sisters. The experience was unlike anything we’d ever done
growing up in an oceanside province.
Walking closely with my grandmother and taking a seat, I smelled food, tobacco, candies, felt cold air,
which was the air conditioner filling the massive room. I was in bewilderment at the people sitting in
rows. Once the lights went out, I squeezed my grandmother’s hand, and soon I was captured by the big
screen showing a beautiful, dramatic woman crying. Although I could not understand the dialect, I
understood the plot, the romance between the two characters, and their hardship. It brought so many
emotions to my young, innocent heart. I still love going to the theatre and remembering the actress’s
name, Susan Roces.

–Tell us about your project, “The Connecting Betrayal”.

My screenplay, The Connecting Betrayal, is a psychological thriller and an epic story about a woman
experiencing a midlife crisis—the Connecting Betrayal came at a time when I was in the depths of
depression, vulnerability, and a serious series of doubts in my life.
I really wanted to highlight the often untold but largely universal experience of aging women- the grief
and loss of family and friends over time, but also the dreams, desires, and longings that both re emerge
and develop. The hormonal changes that women experience during menopause can lead to self-doubt and
a lack of confidence. For those of us who spent years raising families, the empty nest highlights a shift in
one’s purpose. I found myself looking at my life from a bird’s eye view, searching for the things I thought
I was missing in the wrong places.
Not unlike so many women, this time in life was very tumultuous for me. Who are we if we aren’t just mothers and homemakers? Where do I begin and end, separate from my family and my children and/or
grandchildren?
I was able to take my experiences and my ideas of self and others around this time and transform them
into Valerie’s story.

-Which Director inspires you the most?

I continue to be inspired by my legendary father-in-law, Stuart Rosenberg, who was most remembered for his Film Classics: Cool Hand Luke, Amityville Horror, The Pope Of The Greenwich Village. He was a
true visual storyteller and master of his art; He was the first to direct an actress to make car washing look
seductive with just soap and water. He also created the iconic scene of the prison guard on his horse
wearing sunglasses where the camera hones in and you see what is reflected onto the sunglasses: the
prisoners’ reflections on the ground. This ability to tell stories in ways that zone in on the details in a way
that is practical but poignant. You feel the sexiness and lewdness of the woman washing the car and you
feel the oppressive way the prison guard stands sentinel over the prisoners. Secondly, I admire Martin
Scorsese for his impressive accolades and ability to bring out the rawest and grittiest performances from
his actors. I loved the Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Killers of the Flower Moon, and The Wolf of Wall Street. –

-What do you dislike about the world, and what would you change?

I dislike the violence in the world, our communities, and the corruption in Politics. There are some
solutions, which include beginning at home. Teaching your children self-respect and for others, from
drugs to bullying, and learn to choose the right people to have as friends. In politics, we can vote for the
right reasons or for someone who can be positive and protect the country. It often feels like so much is out of our control, but I do think if I could change anything, it would be to provide others with the empathy and accountability to each do our part as agents for good. It would be a start.

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

I imagine that cinema will have only AI and computer-generated creative visuals—I fear humans will be
less and less necessary and actors might not even be needed! My hope is that this isn’t the case and that
actors, writers, and creatives across the industry are still highly sought after for innovative thinking and
purpose.

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

WILD FILMMAKER has created opportunities for individuals such as myself, who seek to bring ideas to
life through their art and creativity. In my case, this presents in the form of my script. It’s a platform that
celebrates the human side of film and cinema and I am humbled and grateful for this opportunity and for
being interviewed by WILD FILMMAKER. It’s incredible and it’s WILD.

Antiquarius

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by Michele Diomà

I saw Amarcord when I was 10 years old. I didn’t know who Federico Fellini was—I had never even heard his name—but after watching that snow, that world of marvelous suburban misfits, and that circus-like music by Nino Rota, I realized that my life would one day have a deep connection with that thing.

Amarcord brought me home—spiritually, I mean. A door opened within me, one I stepped through, and that journey has led me here today, speaking to the world’s largest community of indie film producers.

WILD FILMMAKER exists because over 30 years ago, a child fell in love with Amarcord.

Over the years, I’ve explored every aspect of Federico Fellini’s filmography, and even now, the thought of his cinema brings me joy. I can now project Fellini’s films in my mind—I have a kind of movie theater inside me.

My heart is the projector, and my brain is the screen.

I’m sharing this story with you because today WILD FILMMAKER is interviewing Corrado Monina, a young director who is working on a film and a series dedicated to Gustavo Adolfo Rol—a man who deeply fascinated Federico Fellini.

Who is Rol? To me, he is someone who confirmed my belief in the multiplicity of dimensions.
I also deeply admire Rol’s ideal of one day creating the United States of the World.

–) Corrado, in your opinion, who was Gustavo Adolfo Rol?

Rol was a cultured man endowed with great sensitivity, who at a certain point experienced a powerful spiritual awakening. Some, due to lack of complete information, define him as a psychic or a medium; others, in bad faith, describe him as a magician. But in reality, his story aligns with the millennia-old tradition found in the history of Eastern religions.
In accordance with this tradition, we can also speak of Rol in the present tense, because a man who has reached such spiritual heights remains active on this plane of reality even after physical death.

–) How did the idea of making film projects about Rol come about?

I’ve been passionate about esotericism since high school. When I discovered Rol’s story, I immediately began to explore it in depth, and today synchronicity has led me to debut in film with a project about him.
The decisive factor was meeting Franco Rol, his main biographer, who collected hundreds of testimonies and classified and explained Gustavo’s “possibilities.” Franco’s extraordinary work inspired me to tell the story of this remarkable man—still largely unknown to the general public—who influenced 20th-century culture and politics.
Together with producer Alberto De Venezia, I decided to create both a docufilm and a TV series in order to include as much of the immense available material as possible. I’ve selected over twenty eyewitnesses who have never before appeared in any audiovisual format, thanks in part to the help of Loredana Roberti, a woman who, along with Franco, is dedicated to preserving these testimonies.

–) Rol was a source of inspiration and a spiritual father to Federico Fellini. Will your film and the series you’re preparing have any connection to the filmography of the Poet of Rimini?

Fellini is my most important point of reference as a filmmaker, and I consider him the greatest director of all time. His complete artistic freedom and his ability to turn cinema into a lucid dream are a huge inspiration to me.
Another point of connection is our shared passion for the invisible world and the desire to portray it in film. Inevitably, these projects—and my entire career—will be influenced by a giant like Fellini. But in this case, I particularly drew from his dreamlike fiction, especially in the sequences where I portray a young, never-before-seen Rol in his daily life with his mother, played by the young actress Adele Citro.
Fellini’s special bond with Rol is also an opportunity to reveal completely unpublished information about him, through eyewitness accounts and letters that Fellini and Rol exchanged regularly.
I still have to finish shooting in Turin and I can’t wait to show you the first edited images. A teaser trailer with original music by international composer Henoel Grech will be released soon.

–) Tell us specifically about the projects you’re currently working on.

I recently completed the screenplay for a medieval thriller with an esoteric background, also set in Turin. In September, I’ll be shooting a short film set on the Amalfi Coast.
I’m originally from Salerno, and the sea is a great source of inspiration for me—an irresistible call that also led me to write another feature film set in southern Italy. But for now, I want to focus on this exciting debut project, which is set to be released in 2026.

–) What’s your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

I consider Wild Filmmaker one of the most important realities in international cinema—a unique space where emerging and established artists are treated with the same respect.
I’m honored to have shared my story in a platform with global resonance that supports cinema and fully represents the creative freedom that made me fall in love with it.

-Who is K Uwe Schwarzwaelder?

A human workhorse who puts mostly every free minute into film and arts, besides having a job in an office which supports my filmmaking financially. Under these circumstances, I have many hats on as I am involved in every step of the production which also makes my projects close to me and personal. Hopefully, I can step up and find ways to produce with bigger budgets with bigger ideas in the future. I regularly train my periormance skills as an actor, and as a writer, I have always ideas in my mind. I am located in Switzerland near Zurich, where I was also born, with German and Bulgarian roots, hence I like internationality.

-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?

There are a few – the very first film I saw in a theatre as a kid, something about dinosaurs in an unknown world, the 7. Continent or so. Then the first Superman with huge Brando which I didn’t know who he was at that time. And last but not least, when watching intensely many thought provoking and deeper films. The moments are all linked to being in the theatre and breath its air.

-Tell us about your project “The Spiritualization of Jeff Boyd”.

My first film, The Radicalization of Jeff Boyd, brought me to many film festivals, also in India. The experiences there inspired me to film there in addition to Bulgaria, where I spent lots of time as a child and wanted its culture in the story as well. The country I grew up in, Switzerland, has also a part in the film. So, it is a journey through very different cultures, within a dramatic and mysterious storyline. Shooting in India was challenging as we didn’t have a shooting permit where we wanted to shoot, then we moved to another location where it was possible, forced to adapt and improvise a little to make the story work. In Bulgaria on the first day, we were locked on the street for many hours because of an ambush attempt targeting an official, before we could start filming. Filming in Switzerland was like a Swiss watch, no issues.

-Which Director inspires you the most?

Elia Kazan whose films are masterpieces in all aspects, Orson Welles, Milos Forman, Stanley Kubrick…

-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?

The neverending wars which are results of intolerance, greed, and superiority complexes. This could be solved when talking common sense with intelligent analysis based on knowledge, and not on stupidity and self interest, by respecting each others situations and lives. At war, people die, and it seems, the responsible people forget about this.

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

What Scorsese tried to say, times 100. I really hope it won’t be only about consuming entertainment without thought provocation and meaning in order to leave the theatre with richness, thoughts and beauty. I think, either way, cinema will never die.

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

An organization of film enthusiasts who support indie filmmaking with a special approach and credibility.

-Who is Rocco Trombetta?

Who, is Rocco Trombetta , now this is one answer that’s not as  easy to answer since all my life I’ve been called the jack of all trades and master of none ; but one thing I believe to have mastered, and …
… every single minute of it as I was in total awe of pictures being projected on a huge white screen…A feeling I never felt before and will never forget.

-Tell us about your project “A Melody in the Bronx”.

What can I tell you about my book that I literally wrote back in the early 90’s since an unknown actor , back then , by the name of Chazz Palmentieri was filming a movie of his life that took place in the very …
… Whether you grew up in a similar neighborhood, or anywhere else, this story will surely grab your attention and bring you into a time zone of which exists no more…

-Which Director inspires you the most?

So many Great Directors inspired me , but the one that I gravitated too, especially when I was going to film school in New York City , was Undoubtedly Martin Scorsese; Although Federico Fellini was another that I was uniquely was inspired by as well.

-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?

What I dislike the most about this world is its lack of empathy towards people; especially those who have been effected by unpleasant upbringings and are yearning for people of good will to be much more …
… life is lacking, not just in this county , but all over the world; Thus I believe needs to change or else we may be digging ourselves deeper into our own demise.

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

Very hard to answer this one but I image that we will be able to virtually be in our very own home made films; Although I’m not much of a fan of this concept, but that’s where I see it going…

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

I’m extremely impressed by the way it’s centered on independent artists and has that foreign film feel to it, hence brings me back to my youth and how it felt when I first fell in love with “IL CINEMA “!

-You are a successful screenwriter. What and who inspires you to write your projects?

Inspiration is an interesting concept. Does it come from life experiences, world events, media events, relationships, books you’ve read, music or even dreams? It is all, yet none. I’m inspired by all of the above yet my own mind’s imagination is prevalent. An example is one of my most popular scripts, FIRE FLIES.
I had seen the film GLADIATOR then downloaded the sound track by Hans Zimmer and it set my soul on fire. Every note and measure of the music created visions in my head leading to creating the story of a
young boy coping with the divorce of his parents by creating a world of dragons where he is King and the events in his life parallel between current and Mystical Times. This inspiration has led to three sequel
scripts, FIRE FLIES: THE DRAGON’S TOMB, FIRE FLIES: THE GOLDEN DRAGON and FIRE FLIES: THE RETURN OF THE RED DRAGON. These all came from the same inspiring Hans Zimmer soundtrack. My THE TASTE OF RAIN came from sitting one rainy day up in the local mountains listening to Michael Bublé, Tony Bennett and many other fabulous singers. The music combined with the rain and smells started
me thinking about an established singer of their level that has a mental breakdown, casting him into the depths of being a failing lounge singer and his return to mental stability and stardom.
Inspirations can come from anything, any place or the combination. It’s your mind that runs with it to make the story pop out and become the script that is compelling. See a flower in a pot on the windowsill
of a red brick dilapidated building on the corner and you may wonder who put the pot there and why or who else lived in that building. And yes, it can be of any genre. The building could be haunted. The
building could be a portal like in Stephen King’s THE DARK TOWER. It could be the apartment building in I REMEMBER MAMA in San Fransisco or in a parallel universe and time. The mind can be inspired by virtually anything.
I wasn’t inspired by any single person but I was supported by people who supported what I was doing with my writing. They can be critical but not condescending. As Liza Minnelli said, “I don’t hang
around people I don’t like.” That is important. I may have missed some opportunities in that but it has kept me sane and focused on my writing.

-Do you think Artificial Intelligence is a threat to screenwriters or a useful support?

AI . . . what a concept. While it can be fun in animation and creative art, I find it extremely lazy in writing. Why bother? The whole point of writing, in my view, is to utilize your brain and express your ideas and stories on paper, not someone else’s stories or stories created by a mixture of other people’s ideas from a hard drive. That’s not writing. That’s waiting for the printer to stop printing words you aren’t even aware of until you read it. It’s lazy.

-When did your writing journey begin?

I started writing very late in my life. I was 50. I guess the time wasn’t right until then. I started with a novel, TIN BOX, and discovered many things. I finally was able to put my story thoughts down on paper. To begin with, I didn’t even know if I could write dialogue for a screenplay. I volunteered in Malibu, CA at a small theatre for a premiere play, FELLOW TRAVELER, written by John Herman Shaner. It was a small
theatre with a large affect on my life as a writer. I met two of the most important people in my life, the stage manager, Elizabeth, and the playwright John Herman Shaner. Elizabeth is still a close friend and
John Herman became my trusted mentor in writing. It was working with him that clarified my work and vindicated my writing skills. He was also my second pair of eyes which is important. He treated me as an
equal in intelligence and never ridiculed my work or told me what I needed to write.
It was definitely the right time for me to start my writing.

-What new script are you working on?

I am working on several things at once, which is commonplace with me as my mind will shift and seems to never shut off. I am working on my autobiography as well as screenplays like STUDIOLISCIOUS, a romp
through the mind of a studio worker who has a tendency to step across a time line into the sets of 1940’s & 1950’s movie musicals to cope with his life today and PARALLEL ENTRY: THE FIRST UNIVERSE, a sci-fi story that takes a pair of detectives who fall through a tear in space/time into a parallel universe who eventually discovers there are many more universes and each very different. PARALLEL ENTRY is targeted with many sequels, each one a different universe experience. That said, I could easily start something else as the inspiration hits me or a vivid dream that sweeps me to another story.

-Do you think WILD FILMMAKER is doing a good job supporting independent cinema, and what do you think we can improve?

Wild Filmmaker has been a strong influence on me entering film festivals because the entry fees are manageable and you support your community. You have created that community and many of us support each other through social media. Your interviews and Variety ad postings of laurels of many who entered, adds to The Indie Community getting noticed, getting their names out there and propagating new works from new and existing writers.

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– Who is David Hertzog Dessites?

I am a director, producer, and screenwriter, born in Cannes on 27/01/1973. I’ve been working in the film industry for 25 years this year. I initially started by producing and directing making-ofs (behind the scenes) for French producers in the 2000s, then I ventured into different categories of production: TV documentaries, motion capture video game direction, film trailers, and content for social media.

– Do you remember the exact moment when you fell in love with cinema?

When I was still a very young child, my mother used to take me for walks along the Croisette, which is the famous promenade in Cannes, often during the Film Festival. There was a magic in the air, something I could feel that fascinated my child’s eyes. My mother often said, “We’re going to meet famous people!” It was in the 70s and 80s, a different era for the Cannes Film Festival. Also, living in “the city of cinema” was incredible for me. The magic of the Festival sparked my curiosity for cinema. I think I fell in love with cinema very early, I would say around 5 or 6 years old maybe. I remember watching The Empire Strikes Back, and it was a visual shock, then Superman II and especially Spielberg’s E.T.… that was a shock. That’s when I realized cinema had a power over emotions, that cinema was “bigger than life.”

– Tell us about your project “Il était une fois Michel Legrand.”

It’s primarily a fascinating story that connects me to Michel Legrand. My parents met while going to see The Thomas Crown Affair by Norman Jewison in 1968. After the film, they bought the 45 rpm of the film’s song The Windmills of Your Mind, performed by Noel Harrison. For years, they loved each other to this song, which I heard in my mother’s womb. As far back as I can remember, I’ve listened to this music all my life because on this 45 rpm there were two sides, one sung, the other instrumental. What was strange was that I felt a form of sweetness. I had a sort of energy that came to me every time I listened to this song, but also sometimes a great sadness. As I grew up, I eventually discovered that this famous song was the work of a composer named Michel Legrand. I started learning about him and what he did. I found out that he had composed Oum le dauphin the TV series, and also that he was the composer of another TV series I watched back in the 70s, Il était une fois l’espace. I realized that, strangely, Michel Legrand had composed most of the things I watched. Also, I took violin lessons for 7 years at the Cannes Conservatory. And that’s an important moment for me, a precursor to my desire to be a director. During those years, I met a man named Ivry Gitlis, not knowing at the time that he was one of Michel Legrand’s best friends. In reality, everything kept bringing me back to Michel Legrand, without me even realizing it. In 1983, my mother had the good idea to take me to see a film: Yentl! And that was a shock. I am one of those people who believes, as Catherine Michel says in my film, that the most beautiful score by Michel Legrand is Yentl! I was completely swept away by the film. Cinematically speaking, it’s an incredible achievement for Barbra Streisand. And musically, Michel’s creative madness is at its peak. That’s really when I completely fell in love with Legrand. When I started working in film years later, I always told myself I would someday contact this man to meet him, and why not make a film about his career.

(© Jerome Tripier-Mondancin)

In 2017, I learned that Michel Legrand was coming to the Cannes Film Festival, where I still live, to give a private concert on a terrace at the Palais des Festivals. I absolutely had to be there. So, I made sure I was present, and I finally met the man who had already changed the course of my life. At the end of the concert, I couldn’t help but go up to him and tell him that if I exist, it’s partly thanks to him and the song from The Thomas Crown Affair. He looked at me and laughed, saying that it was wonderful and that he was even happier to have written that song. That’s how we met. Later, in June, we met at his home for a lunch that lasted five hours! From there, I started the project to make the film about him. But what you need to know is that I never planned to film Michel Legrand until the end of his days. Life led me to a moment when it had to happen. You know, it’s what we call being in the right place at the right time. If none of this had happened, the film about Michel wouldn’t exist. In a way, Michel contributed to my earthly birth through his music, and also to my birth in cinema since this film is my first feature film to be released in theaters. And the most incredible thing is having presented my film at Cannes in 2024… It’s a dream come true. There are destinies.

– Which director inspires you the most?

I can’t name just one, it’s impossible. But here are the ones who always inspire me: Spielberg first, because I think there was a before Spielberg and after Spielberg in the history of cinema. He has forever marked the 7th art; he is the father of an entire generation of filmmakers. Also, M. Scorsese, G. Lucas, D. Lynch, F.F. Coppola, B. De Palma, James Cameron, and for the French, F. Truffaut, B. Blier, J. Giovanni, G. Lautner.

(© Cecilia Tsan)

– What displeases you in the world, and what would you change?

What bothers me about our current society? A lot of things… But one very concerning issue is A.I. Artificial intelligence is a major technological revolution that will allow incredible things to be done, that’s certain. But there’s a great danger in its use because multinational corporations will want to use A.I. to reduce production costs and thus replace humans, and that’s a huge danger. Several economists have predicted that over 300 million people will find themselves unemployed in the coming years. It’s dramatic. And for cinema, it’s the same thing: they want to cut costs, have fewer expenses, and thus put technicians and artists out of work. It’s not possible to think like this, it’s catastrophic. A.I. must remain a tool to help humans, not replace them. Imagine tomorrow that A.I. will be able to reproduce music as if it were composed by Mozart, Beethoven, or Michel Legrand… it’s unethical and very dangerous because we won’t know how to identify what is real and what isn’t, what comes from the human mind, and what is a copy, an interpretation of it. We must be vigilant about what is happening; we are at a decisive and major turning point in the era of humanity and creativity.

(© Thomas Dessites)

– How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

I don’t imagine it any other way than through the vision of screenwriters and directors. If it becomes technological, that’s normal, but if it were to be replaced by artificial intelligence, it would be a tragedy. I often tell the audience when I present my film in cinemas that they are going to see a film about A.I., but not the kind of A.I. we’re talking about right now. They are going to see a film about Artistic Intelligence, and that intelligence is not artificial. We must preserve art, not destroy it. We must be very careful.

– What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

It’s a very interesting media outlet that gives great visibility to independent cinema. I also really like the concept of black-and-white photos, which make things timeless. I saw an article about Cannes 2023 and an event there, and of course, it caught my attention. It was written by you, and you ended with “Your creativity is a gift from nature…” That’s exactly what I say when talking about A.I.; creativity is a gift that comes from the divine, something that will remain an eternal mystery because, as Steven Spielberg says, “We don’t know where ideas come from, where they take root in the human mind.” What I believe is that creation also comes from the human heart, we need to think and imagine with the heart, more than ever. One day, I was talking to Michel about my film, which wasn’t even finished yet, and Michel told me, “Your film will be good, you know why? Because when you do things with your heart, you can’t go wrong.” That phrase has become my mantra in my work, but also in everything I do in life.