Who is Emmanuel Gavart?

I am an independent filmmaker who wants to focus on emotions and humanity through films and fiction in general. I have had the chance to release an album and a novel. That is why writing is my favourite part in the making process of a film! Everything can be said with words (or with no words, it works better sometimes).

I am also a French teacher for adults who have recently arrived in France and want to learn the language. I meet a lot of interesting people from which I can learn. I must confess that some of them are my inspirations when I want to create a character for a story.

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

I remember watching a lot of teen movies about high school and the process of growing up.

Those films are quite easy to relate to because they usually focus on the characters. I do believe that one cannot make a good film without a good script but the characters make the story credible and true. Somehow, the script is the brain and the characters the heart of the film.

Tell us about your project “Nous deux (The two of us)”.

I thought about this project during the spring of 2020. I heard on the news that domestic violence was increasing because of the lockdown due to the coronavirus. I was lucky enough to live in the countryside at that time and I could only imagine what it would be like to be stuck into your own house with a man who beats you. This is what I wanted to say in the film. But I quickly faced two problems for which I found a solution: first, I had never witnessed any kind of domestic violence around me, so I created the character of Gerald, the visitor, with that in mind: what are the signs of violence? How can one react when they see violence for the first time? How can one be sure that it is domestic violence? The second problem was that domestic violence is a topic that has been talked about and showed in many fictions again and again, so I wanted the film to be slightly different. That is why I decided to focus on the character of Gerald. It is he who witnesses the violence and chooses to react one way or the other.

Which Director inspires you the most?

Of course, many directors are absolutely fantastic when it comes to directing and filming but I would like to mention three here: Xavier Dolan, Wes Anderson and Park Chan-Wook. They have a very distinguished style though I must say I am not a great fan of every film they made. But what is special about them is that they all write and direct their films, and they stand by their style, whether you like it or not!

More recently, Luca Guadagnino made what I consider one of the best films of the last decade: Call me by your name. Both the story and the filming are fantastic (not to forget the actors and actresses…). Finally, I also have to speak about Gregg Araki and his film Mysterious Skin. A dark teen drama away from the stereotypes of the genre, depicting how child traumas have an influence when growing up.

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

I simply hate any kind of injustice. We are all equal facing the law. It is not just me saying this, believe me, it is written somewhere! I also cannot stand intolerance. It is a great shame that people are not free to be what they are and live the way they want to. Why is there always someone who has to say something offensive and hurtful?

That is why I think fiction should play a role in making a change. Films and series are accessible to everyone, they are the best way to make people think and reconsider what they are convinced of.

How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

A difficult question… I want to say that things are changing but the truth is: it is hard to find money! We are all sure that our next film is going to be the best ever made but many of us won’t even have the chance to prove it to the rest of the world… In France, it is almost impossible to have any funds from anyone: if you want a grant from a producer, then you must get one from another producing company before and it goes on and on… Producing companies want films that people will like, so they put money into “easy” projects. Films that will speak to everyone. I am not planning on writing “easy” films, I want to make films that make people think and react. I want people to say “Woah, that was something!”

So, as you may understand, I am not very optimistic about the future of cinema. I believe that filmmakers will be more and more attracted to independent producing companies, which is a good thing because then, cinema will become more open and it will truthfully represent every aspect of our society.

What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

Wild Filmmaker gives a chance for everyone to be heard. It is the kind of initiative that means something because wo do feel understood. I have to say, it is easy to be demotivated when you want to work in cinema, but people like you are trying to make a difference and that means a lot to me.

I am very grateful and honoured to be able to write a few words here knowing that we share the same passion and will to make a difference both in cinema and in our way to consider the world of tomorrow.