Truffaut au Présent
English Title
Truffaut in the Present: Actresses
Director
Axelle Ropert
Year
2014
Form
Short film
Duration
13 minutes
Synopsis
"Truffaut loved actresses, actresses loved Truffaut. Let's take a break, and dream: in 2014, which young actresses could be part of a Truffaut film? Response in pictures, words and game promises."
Adèle’s role
Herself; a modern French actress.
The film
Notes about the film
A short film project to "dream of Truffaut, dream of French cinema in 2014 inhabited by him".
http://cinema.arte.tv/fr/article/truffaut-au-present-actrices-daxelle-ropert
This set of three short films—Actresses, Actors, & Couples—directed by Axele Ropert, make up the short film Truffaut au Présent (Truffaut in the Present). The film was shown as part of an exhibition on the works of filmmaker François Truffaut held at La Cinémathèque Française in Paris in October 2014—February 2015.
The film was screened in the last room of the exhibition as a way of exploring Truffaut in the present through the style of filming and the questioning these young actresses and actors. Below are excerpts from articles that describe the film.
Basically, he was the founder of the French New Wave film movement. He devised the auteur theory, which states that the director is the "author" of her/his work. (NB: Adèle works in auteur cinema.) The best anecdote about Truffaut is that, because of his severe criticism of the Cannes Film Festival (he was a film critic before becoming a filmmaker), he was banned from the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. In 1959 he won the Best Director Award at Cannes for his film Les Quatre Cents Coups (The 400 Blows).
Some writing about this film:
“Truffaut au Présent: 3 short films embodied by actors and actresses of the new generation
When the new generation of French cinema plays it Truffaut style ... Vincent Lacoste, Vincent Macaigne, Adèle Haenel, Laetitia Dosch or Esther Garrel pass in front of the camera of Axelle Ropert for 3 short films tribute to the filmmaker.
They are between 20 and 40 years old and embody the new generation of French cinema. They are Anne Azoulay, A gathe Bonitzer, Laetita Dosch, Julia Faure, Esther Garrel, Adèle Haenel, India Hair, Vincent Lacoste, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Vincent Macaigne, Nicolas Maury, Rodolphe Pauly, and Thibault Vinçon. All parade in front of Axelle Ropert's lens ( La famile Wolberg , Tirez la langue mademoiselle ) for three short films tribute to François Truffaut: Actors , Actresses and Couples .
In a New Wave spirit and a black and white sublimating their faces, the filmmaker invites young actors to pass a casting by answering a "Truffaldian" questionnaire. Questions about their character, their vision of love or the future ...
The film "Couples" differs from the first two since it reveals the same conversation played by different couples.
These three short films were born on the occasion of the François Truffaut exhibition (where they are presented at the end of the course) which will be held until January 25, 2015 at the Cinémathèque française , on an idea by its director Serge Toubiana, who entrusted a court project to Axelle Ropert.
Truffaut in the Present by Axelle Ropert
“As part of the François Truffaut exhibition (October 8, 2014 - February 1, 2015), Axelle Ropert made a film, Truffaut au Present, consisting of three short films. This film is screened in the last room of the exhibition, thus questioning the heritage of François Truffaut in contemporary French cinema.
These hopes of French cinema are filmed in a very New Wave spirit: with great speed and spontaneity, in black and white and in a 4: 3 format. The questions asked by the director off [screen], but also the choice of casting both speaking and silent, refer to the essays of actors by Jean-Pierre Léaud for Les Quatre Cents Coups and by Marie Dubois for Tirez sur le Pianiste.
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François Truffaut loved actors and actresses, actors and actresses loved Truffaut.
They are young, they have not known Truffaut, but they are getting started: 7 actors and 7 actresses of today are taking the gamble - in 2014: how to be still Truffaldian?”
They are young, they have not known Truffaut, but they are getting started: 7 actors and 7 actresses of today are taking the gamble - in 2014: how to be still Truffaldian?”
Axelle Ropert, Director”
About Truffaut Exhibition
Official site for the exhibition
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My very poor attempt at a translation of what Adèle says. It is hugely wrong!
[I apologise to Adèle, to the French nation and all of its people, and to all Francophones everywhere. This is my attempt to translate using Google Translate—I'm only up to lesson 28 of my French course... PLEASE assist if you understand French so that this pathetic attempt can be corrected! Please add the actual translation into the comments section so that I can update it—PLEASE!]Huge thanks to Fridax for the video at https://youtu.be/6qlpBWn6FvQ, which has French subtitles for Adèle's bits. English subtitles can be added if you click on the cog icon.
[I have updated the text below based on this video.]
[I have updated the text below based on this video.]
Director: Action!
Adèle Haenel: I am Adèle Haenel, I’m 25 year old and I’m an actress in French cinema.
D: Do you know why I called you here today?
AH: (Laughs) To audition?
What type of teenager were you?
AH: A little rowdy maybe… But at the same time I feel like I've been through a lot.
As a teenage girl, to have lived through a lot of experiences, it’s a bit of a phase. But I think I was probably good at other times, but I don't remember that as much.
D: In 20 years how will you see yourself?
D: In 20 years how will you see yourself?
I don't know. Eh, I don't know at all… I dunno…
D: Can you define in one word how you feel when you know you've acted well.
AH: I don't know if I've ever been sure that I acted well. But, ehh, it feels like you've really meshed with your partner, for example. Earlier than, umm, yes, yes, a kind of joy. Yes.
Q: If a person you were in love with didn’t want you at all. What do you invent to convince them?
AH: (Smiles) Umm, what would I invent? Well, I don't know, anything. Machines maybe?
Q: Do you think we can heal from your broken heart?
AH: I don't know that I've actually experienced that. But I’m not sure there’s a need to “heal”. I mean, what does it mean? Does it mean going back in time? As if it never happened? I don’t know, it’s weird, don’t you think, to heal?
Do you have a secret?
(Laughs) Yes. Probably. What is it? Like, in my life or…?... I dunno.
Some images from the film
Truffaut as an influence on Céline Sciamma's filmmaking
Hi folks.
ReplyDeleteTranslation for Adèle's bits can now be found here: https://youtu.be/6qlpBWn6FvQ
Fridax— **Many** thanks for this. I've updated the text above and I have added a link to your video with the subtitles. Thanks again!
ReplyDelete