WomenCinemakers vol V WomenCinemakers vol V | Page 45

For me, the way artists think they are seen by the
society and how the society gets reflected on them
plays a major role in the art they produce. Artists
are observers by nature. But it was only when I
visited my sister, she was living in Denmark by
then, that the story took form. I visited Hans
Christian Anderson house in Odense and it was
there that I had the opportunity to read some of his
diary notes. I was surprised to find out that they fit
exactly in the line of thoughts I was developing I
felt I got to know the person behind the writer and
that was the last motivation I needed to write the
first draft. Once again it the people who inspire me.
I grew up listening to Hans Christian Anderson
stories but it was the complexity of his thoughts
that attracted me now, as an adult. This worked as
the last missing key that I needed to find - in order
his soul and the world he is in.
I wrote some notes down and started building my
own character.
to complete my vision. I am a visual person and I
need to ee or fully understand the character I am
building in order to write it.
As The Days Went By is an immersive film: mixing
humor and emotional depth, the character of Hans
is rendered through a sapient game of silences and
looks. Can you tell us something about the
shooting of your film?
We had five shooting days. And we were shooting
right outside of Paris, in a town called Marcoussis. It
was the perfect setting for a short film crew. We rented
out a three-storage Ch eau in which we could all stay
in. Our set was on the ground floor (we shot both
interiors and exteriors there). Then, on the first floor,
we had our basecamp (with make up room, costume,
production base and on the last floor the dormitories.
For such few shooting days, staying all together in the
same place and away from the big town really brought
everyone together.
I remember we all arrived at the location the night
before, with the exception of the Art department that
was obviously there before everyone else - building
and dressing the set. Dimitri Michelsen (the actor who
plays Hans) really wanted to stay with the crew at the
Ch eau and so, when he arrived, we all had our first
dinner together. It was only after that, that we walked
him in the room that the production designer, Sophia
Jacques, together with her assistant, Martina
Bragadin, have meticulously prepared for him. It was
dark, all lit by candles. The bookshelves filled with
novels, poetry the papercuts all laying down on his
desk, the fish swimming in the bowl, the dried out
leaves over the firep lace, the bedsheets roughly
placed as if he had just been laying there a minute
ago Dimitri walks in the room and becomes speech
less. Walks around in silence. Then, he sits down on
the bed with a tear in his eyes and is only able to say:
n my mind, I had an idea of how this room would
be but it is so much better than I could ever imagine.
Thank you. This all makes so much sense!
Stills from Punctum (Poland, 2014)
Kleber Mendoça Filho
cinemakers// 13