interview Marion Hansel concernant IL MAESTRO-643

When I first read Mario Soldati’s novel, Il Maestro, I quickly fell in love with the story. It seemed to offer a whole range of possibilities. It allowed me to tackle important and serious themes such as remorse, guilt, confession, betrayal and friendship but to tackle them in a different way compared to my other films.

So far, I have told harsh, serious and exaggerated stories with the characters always caught up in a situation of total affective deprivation. This time, it’s different. There is room for humour, distance, a more dynamic and rapid rhythm and, perhaps, a certain joy of life.

I have always worked on films dealing in silence and lack of communication with very little dialogue and virtually no music. Today, I want to tackle a subject that revolves around communication, a film made up of dialogue and monologues. In fact, it is a confession. It is also a musical film: the story of a conductor, of his relationship with music and opera. I am going to build up and write the screenplay with the musical composition already in mind, some scenes being recorded ahead to time and performed in mime.

The dramatic structure of Les Noces Barbares was based on a long flashback leading to the chronological unfolding of the story. The structure of Le Maestro is different. I am going to switch continually between the present – the confession – and the past – the story experienced ten years earlier. A structure in two-time rhythm.

For the film Dust, I worked with two great actors: Jane Birkin and Trevor Howard. In Les Noces Barbares, the actors were much younger, virtual unknowns making their film debuts: Marianne Basler and Thierry Fremont.

For this new film, it is vital, given the complexity of the characters and the dramatic scope of the main roles, to choose experienced and famous actors. From time to time, I like to work with stars who have made a lot more films than me. This forces me to adopt new ways of directing my actors.

Concerning the visual conception and the light, I should like the sets and colours to be less dry and dramatic than in my other films. I have chosen Tuscany as the film’s location for its soft, rounded lines, its hills and its peaceful landscapes, for its warm and happy colours. Research into Italian painting as a reference for the colours, lighting and perspective is under way to result in genuinely creative work with the director of photography.

Adapting in turn a Belgian writer (Dominique Rolin), a South African one (John Coetzee) a French one (Yann Queffelec) and an Italian one (Mario Soldati) leads me into a new world each time and allows me to discover the art, music, literature, landscapes and customs of these different cultures.

A new film is always an unknown adventure that I embark upon with joy and passion, hoping to arouse the same feelings in the audience.