LAURE DE CLERMONT-TONNERRE ON CINEMA

By Crash redaction

BUBBLING WITH IDEAS, LAURE DE CLERMONT-TONNERRE, WITH EACH NEW ROLE AND DIRECTING PROJECT, IS BLAZING A PROMISING TRAIL. AT TEN THE ACTRESS DISCOVERED A PASSION FOR CINEMA, WHILE FILMING MA SŒUR CHINOISE BY ALAIN MAZARS; THE PURENESS OF CHILDHOOD THEN MADE HER GAME APPEAR ALL NATURAL AND MADLY ENTERTAINING. AND YET, ADOLESCENCE CAME WITH ITS JUDGMENT AND SPAWNED DOUBT AND TROUBLES, WHICH SHE CURED THROUGH CLASSES TAKEN IN NEW YORK. TODAY, SHE’S A YOUNG WOMAN FULL OF ENTHUSIASM, WHO’S UNVEILING A JOYOUS VISION OF THE PRESENT, NOTABLY IN FILMS BY PASCAL THOMAS AND LUC BESSON. A TALENT AUGURING BEAUTIFUL DISCOVERIES…

WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?

First of all, I have a role in the Pascal Thomas film, Ensemble, nous allons vivre une très, très grande histoire d’amour, which we started filming last August. Next, I auditioned for Les aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc- Sec and I got the role: it was a great surprise for 2009! I’ll be playing Agathe Blanc-Sec, Adèle’s twin sister, played by Louise Bourgoin. Meeting Luc Besson, who’s directing the film, was amazing: it’s so engrossing to watch him work with such precision. He’s the maestro of a huge team of technicians and actors, and succeeds in making the day go by with uncommon smoothness. Filming is pretty intense, too, because of the special effects, for one reason; but he never seems in doubt and manages to handle everything. It was fascinating for me to see him behind the camera or working with other teams on site; he’s as good with the technical stuff as he is with directing actors, which is quite rare. To apply a musical analogy, he tuned us all like an instrument, giving each of us our own personal tone. I was also pleased with how clear his directions were; it really made things that much easier! By using images, he managed to make us understand exactly what he expected of us, and the rest followed naturally from that. A real laid-back attitude reigned on set, because he knows that stress only has bad effects on people.

HOW DID SHOOTING GO FOR THE PASCAL THOMAS FILM?

It was a really interesting experience. Less organized, but still really nice in that the atmosphere was familial: we were in Poitiers, and the team connected really quickly. However, it’s hard to compare working with Luc Besson and Pascal Thomas, because they belong to very different worlds and can’t employ the same resources. The latter tends to improvise, he constantly has new ideas; it makes for an ecstatic disarray sometimes. And yet, though I haven’t seen the finished product, I think the film will be just as good; it’s going to be very poetic and original.

YOU’RE ALSO INTERESTED IN DIRECTING…

Yes, I started thinking about it a while ago already, but I haven’t really had the time yet with shooting and school. But I’ve started to write down a few things; and also, because I often travel to New York, I take advantage of the time to learn how to use a camera and film little situations, my random discoveries. I’m currently working on a documentary project about a group of elderly people, which I’m filming in a small mountain town. I’ll also be directing and acting in a play in June at the Théâtre de l’Aktéon. Rehearsals begin in May, when I’ll have finished directing the documentary. In addition, I’m preparing a Palestinian film, which will be shot in Jordan and Palestine, called Girafada: it will tell the story of a giraffe in the only Palestinian zoo located in a non-occupied zone. I’m going to play the war reporter. It’s a project I’m doing with one of my friends, their first film. We’ve been working on it for about two years, and plan to film in September. So a really beautiful experience is on the horizon… Lastly, I planned a short film that I’ve been writing for a while, but I’d rather learn the ropes of directing first with the documentary before I move on to something more complex.

WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?

I started playing the guitar a year ago, and I’ve since become literally obsessed with the instrument. I learned to play piano when I was little, but the guitar has been a real musical revelation. I’d really like to play back-up in a rock band one day; it’s still a fantasy, since mastering the instrument will take a lot more practice, but I’m working on it! Being able to
improvise or write something one day would be great… I’m also a huge movie lover; in fact I chose to write my history thesis at the Sorbonne on the cinema of the 1930s and its relation to the Popular Front. The subject is really dear to my heart; I’m in awe of the golden age of French cinema, of Duvivier, Carné, Renoir… I’m also interested in contemporary art: even though I know less about it, I like going to exhibitions and walking through museums. And I love travelling, leaving with my backpack, even if I don’t get to do it as often: I just don’t have the time any more!

WHAT KIND OF FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACT IN IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE?

If I could choose, I’d like to be part of a Lars von Trier or Thomas Vinterberg film: these are auteurs making raw, simple films, with a real economy of resources, while offering strong parts to actors. This is especially true of Lars von Trier, who pushes his female roles to the extreme every time. They’re quite solid. I recently saw the latest Thomas Vinterberg film, Submarino, in Berlin, and it’s a masterpiece: violent and real. I’d also like to dive into the spectacular world of Quentin Tarantino, whose directing and characters are so original and eccentric. If I could, but I don’t think it’s very likely, I’d love to take part in a film directed by Park Chan-Wook, who did Old Boy, and more recently Thirst. I think he’s currently directing a film in the United States, but I’m not sure if he’ll ever make one with French actors. Finally, I love the work of Fernando Mereilles, who did City of God.

WHAT’S YOUR WISH FOR 2010?

I hope to continue as an actress, and would love to emerge as a director…