JOSIE HO "DREAM HOME" INTERVIEW: PSYCHO KILLING PARTY!

"Dream Home": Beneath the soft, romantic title (1) lurks what might possibly be the craziest, bloodiest slasher film ever made in Hong Kong!

Produced, directed and written by the rebellious and prolific Pang Ho-cheung ("You Shoot I Shoot", "Men Suddenly In Black"), who doesn’t give a damn that its sexual and violent content guarantees it won’t be shown in Mainland China, "Dream Home" had an unparalleled $4 million production budget (amazing, considering the current Hong Kong cinema crisis) and is also the first movie produced and financed by 852 Films, a company co-founded by "Dream Home" lead actress Josie Ho.

While involved in her role as a young, hard working woman willing to do anything to have her own apartment, Josie Ho revealed to Action Queens some exclusive information and gruesome anecdotes about her work on the movie, both in front of and behind the camera. Let the massacre begin!...

Frederic Ambroisine: Tell me about the company that you founded, 852 Films.

Josie Ho: 852 Films is a film company I recently formed with my husband, Conroy Chan, and my manager in the States, Andrew Ooi. Our goal is to produce commercial films in Hong Kong that are more youthful, and edgier. We feel that Hong Kong produces a lot of films but it lacks edgy films, so we would really like to show people what we can do. We’d like to push our culture forward and be able to open up everyone’s view.

FA: When did you first hear about Pang Ho-cheung’s project, “Dream Home”?

JH: When I first heard about Pang Ho-cheung’s script I was really thrilled. It’s really unusual for somebody to write such a crazy, insane story about Hong Kong. I think what attracted me to the script is the general topic, which is a concern for every single Hong Kong citizen. Also, with the economic crisis happening all over the world right now, this topic concerns everybody. The script happens to be a psycho story about a very relevant topic.

Josie Ho & Pang Ho-cheung on the set of "Dream Home"

FA: Since you are a producer and actress for “Dream Home”, what has been your role during pre-production and while shooting?

JH: Conroy and I are based in Hong Kong, so we both went to every pre-production meeting with the director. Because we are new, we listened to the director regarding who he wanted to hire for each production department. We had some preferences, but we tried to work together to find the best people for each department. We were very much involved with the creative process of the film. The colors. I was really involved with the wardrobe and I was concerned with the visuals and the sound, basically the more creative and artistic parts of the film. Whereas money… we left that to my partner Andrew Ooi, who is based in Vancouver. He is a very well known manager to a lot of Asian artists in the States. He is my manager, and he is in charge of funding and sales. Conroy is also in charge of sales. He and Andrew work really well together; they make a really good pair and do really good Public Relations. They can talk to people and make people happy. I’m more of an introverted person, so I think I am better off as an actress and doing the creative aspects of the job.

Norman Chu & Josie Ho in "Dream Home" (2010)

FA: Can you describe your character in “Dream Home”?

JH: Her name is Cheng Lai-sheung. She is very stubborn. She comes from a very traditional Hong Kong Chinese background, where the family favors boys and not girls. She is a person who always felt that she could take on the responsibility of caring for her family, but her family doesn’t want her to do that because she’s a girl. They expect her to do what a girl should do. So she was born into this kind of family background, yet all her life she had only this one desire. She decided this when she was very young. She grew up in a tiny, packed, old beat up building in Hong Kong, and she has only a one inch view of the sea between buildings. She has dreamed since childhood of buying a big house with a sea view, like her classmates have. Sheung is a girl who sacrificed a lot for this. She received so much rejection from the system, the establishment, that she finally just flipped. I’m not going to tell you what happens in the end. She just goes insane and does something crazy in order to get an apartment.

Cheng Lai-sheung (Josie Ho) reaching the snapping point

FA: You’re playing a different kind of killer in “Dream Home” compared to your first movie “Purple Storm”.

JH: (laughs) Yeah.

FA: How do you work yourself into a state of insanity? What is your inspiration?

JH: I’m so introverted that I like to distance myself from people. That’s my comfort zone and it’s how I deal with friends. So I think the way I have to approach the role is to break the ice. I figured it out by myself while I was preparing for it: I have to break that ice. I have to get close to people; I have to be able to touch them and not be afraid to grab them and kick them and slap them. I’m very distant from people all the time, so I have to break that part of myself in order to become this girl. Because she is really not afraid to do that. I basically go through the whole script in my mind, the whole process of the whole incident. I also look at my own childhood. How would she play the role? Somehow I feel that it doesn’t matter how much homework I have prepared for the role; the most important thing is how well me as a child and me as an adult, in the role, match up. I think the most important thing is to work together with other people. I would walk onto the set every day and try, especially when it’s my “home”, to sit there and feel it. I would try to create memories that I would have from this house, this environment and atmosphere.. I go home and prepare, and then I would come to the set and try to improvise I work with my feelings. Like, I walk onto a set and pick up one or two of the props and try to build a relationship with them. I would build myself upon that, and somehow I would have to achieve a very different angle every time.

"What the hell..."

FA: You have worked with many different directors. What kind of director is Pang Ho-cheung compared to others? What does he have that is unique?

JH: Pang Ho-cheung is an excellent scriptwriter. He is a lot more daring and has a lot of fresh ideas. I like the way he shoots, although he is really tough to work with because he is very precise and he wants everybody to be as precise as he is. For example, because he is a script writer and a novelist, he is really precise with words. He would tell me exactly how many seconds he wanted to pause between each comma, each phrase. This is really hard for me, but as soon as my body started to kick in, I felt it was really fundamental to do it his way because it actually looks a lot better than just us actors going in there and trying to jam. Also, at times he is really, really hardcore (laughs). He wanted a lot of blood. He is hardcore in the way he wanted to torture people. He does not consider your feelings at all (laughs). A few characters died during the shooting (laughs), and I feel really bad about that, but they did an excellent job. I just hope they were (laughs) were glad that their unfortunate torture made them look better in the film. This includes myself. He shoots in a really special style.

Josie Ho & Pang Ho-cheung in the make-up room (Clearwater Bay studios)

FA: You think the movie will shock or affect people?

JH: I think this film will for sure shock all of Hong Kong. I’m not sure if we can shock everyone in the world, or even Asia, because Japan, Korea and Thailand produce a lot of really psychotic films. Hong Kong is just catching up. I think somebody has to take this step, and we’re trying. I hope we shock a lot of people. At the same time, our film is artistically wonderful to watch because we have the most amazing crew here. We have the best lighting in Hong Kong for our film: [Ringo] Wong Chi Ming. He is really hard to get because he’s very artistic and money doesn’t drive him. The quality of the project is what gives him the drive to work with you. He usually works on a lot of Wong Kar-wai films. It just so happened that this project interested him so much that he agreed to come and work for us, so I’m really, really glad. And it’s our honor to have another director, [Nelson] Yu Lik-wai, who is a really good New Wave director from Hong Kong. He is also a brilliant director of photography. He is on our crew, and that is amazing. And we have Hong Kong’s best computer graphics company, Fat Face [Production Ltd.], run by Ko Fai, who happens to be a childhood friend of mine. We also have Andrew Lin (2). He’s been known as an actor for so long in Hong Kong that nobody really knows he actually studied special effects makeup in Hollywood. He’s worked on films like "Alien" [3] He grabbed his friend Q from Thailand [founder of the company QFX] to come work on the special effects makeup team. Although it might not sound new to people abroad, because you guys have been making films like that for a long long time, this is all really new for Hong Kong. We are just starting to make films with CG and special effects. Now, using that in a psychotic thriller is really altogether new. I hope it will turn out well.

Teaser poster of "Dream Home" designed by Josie Ho herself

FA: In addition to Andrew Lin, several other cast and crew members, like Derek Tsang, Phat Chan, Conroy Chan and yourself, are members of AliveNotDead.com. Tell me about the website.

JH: AliveNotDead.com is one of the most innovative websites, and is basically the best platform for creative artists from everywhere in the world. It is the place to get to know different creative artists, to connect and to show everyone what we’ve got. It was originally made for a [fake] boy band called Alive formed by four guys: my husband Conroy Chan, Daniel Wu, Terence Yin, and Andrew Lin. They turned that into a mockumentary movie, “The Heavenly Kings”, and now AliveNotDead.com has evolved into a community artists website. I think it’s the most creative idea to have ever happened in Hong Kong.

Andrew Lin on the set of "Dream Home" (Clearwater Bay studios)

It’s a really good thing for all creative artists to get to know each other’s work through the site. We can comment on other people’s work. I think the most important thing is that it hooks up East and West so that people can work together. I think this website really works this way: to hook people up from different places so that they can work together. Without this website, it is really hard to gather people together and get to know them. Before, it was through a film festival. You would have to buy a plane ticket and fly somewhere to meet people. This website is an all-in-one, one-stop shop. I think the creative industry should grow this way. We can become more international. Different cultures can meet, mix and blend together.

Phat Chan on the set of "Dream Home" (Clearwater Bay studios)

FA: The special effects seem very well done. While filming on the set, when you see the blood and guts, does it look real? Or do you think it is fake and have to try to make yourself feel like it is really happening?

JH: No, when I am in a scene I never let myself feel that it’s a prop. I always feel that this is alive. I think everyone on the set has this feeling. There is a sense of violence in every single human being, and that’s a scary thing. That’s what we’re trying to talk about in this movie. The funny thing is, every time we bring out a prop out that we need to smash to death, everyone on the set is so excited because they all want to do it themselves. And we have to say, “Oh I’m sorry, the actor gets to do it,” or “The stuntman gets to touch it, you don’t get to touch it.” But everybody is so excited about it. That’s the scary thing: why is everybody so excited about violence? I think it’s a taboo; violence is wrong. It’s not right, but it’s such a taboo in the world: it shouldn’t happen to anyone so everyone is very curious about it.

Josie Ho on the set of "Dream Home" (Clearwater Bay studios)

FA: I heard that one of the actresses [Song Juan] couldn’t take the violence on the set of “Dream Home”. What happened?

JH: She cried when she saw me smash her own prop. She ran out crying and she actually vomited. I ran after her and said, “I’m so sorry. Why are you crying?” And she said, “It’s like that prop has been sitting in the makeup room every day, and now I kind of said goodbye to her.” You know, we have lunch and dinner with her in the same space and we wave goodbye to her every night when we go home. So she sort of had a relationship with her. Also, the prop looked exactly like her: the features, her pores, everything. So she just felt really sad when somebody did that to her prop. But the funny thing is, she didn’t cry when she did her own stunts. The prop was only there in between shots, like when we had to smash her head against the toilet bowl so hard her forehead actually breaks open. And her head is so hard, it breaks the toilet bowl as well. She did her own stunts, so the first few times I smashed her it was really her. Then we would insert a shot where her prop was smashed. Especially when her forehead gets broken. She didn’t cry when she was doing it herself, but she cried when she had to look at herself from the third person point of view. That was funny. To me. (laughs).

Josie Ho facing Felix Lok & Juno Mak in "Dream Home" (2010)

FA: Are you a big fan of horror movies?

JH: I do like horror movies. I’m not a huge fan but I do admire some of them. I think I’m more into admiring different personalities, like "American Psycho" . I won’t say I admire. That’s morally wrong because he is a very, very bad person. But I am almost fascinated with his characteristics: why would humanity turn out this way, what’s wrong with the world, what kind of pressure is put on us, why would this happen to that person? There are all these motives that drive him to do all these bad things to other people. I’m more interested in things like that.

Pang Ho-cheung & Josie Ho on the set of "Dream Home"

FA: How do you split your time between being a producer, actress, singer?

JH: It’s not easy. I have to put singing aside when I’m doing acting. I wish they didn’t cross, but sometimes if I have a busy schedule I have to do both. This time I managed to separate the two, and I’m really happy about that. I can concentrate on producing and acting. While I’m on the set, I’m an actress, not much of a producer. I think during the first few days I was a little nervous about the schedule being delayed, or not being able to finish what we needed to do, or that we might run over our budget. I knew we wouldn’t run over the budget in the first few days, but I was worried about a lot of different things. I got to the set really early and got dressed, got all made up. I would run onto the set and check out the lighting and the camera crew, and where my marks were. I just wanted to pressure everyone and make sure they were working. I think I only maintained that for a couple of days. Iin the end I was too tired. I just felt I had to leave that to Conroy because it just wasn’t working with my acting.

FA: When you finish shooting, will you be back as a producer?

JH: I will be back looking after the post production. We’re already having meetings on marketing and promotion. I like doing things like that. It’s fun, and we’re using new angles and exciting topics in the media, and we’re spinning stuff to scare people. That’s all fun to do, but it’s not fun when you’re an actress too. And I felt that. The funny thing is that in the meetings I felt I was kind of conflicted. I needed to get in to my character in about four hours, yet I was still sitting in that meeting. I was already getting into character and running out of ideas in the meeting. I felt bad about it.

FA: What is your hope for the future of “Dream Home”?

JH: I hope that a lot of people will like this movie, and I hope that this movie will shock the hell out of Hong Kong. I hope that everybody will go crazy; will go mad.

FA: And laugh too, because it’s funny!

JH: Yeah. (laughs) I think a lot of female office workers will like the movie because Sheung is a sort of an anti-hero. And, the topic touches everybody’s heart in Hong Kong. I think it’s gonna be crazy (3).

Interview conducted by Frédéric Ambroisine on the set of "Dream Home" (Clearwater Bay Studios – Hong Kong) in April 2009. Edited by Sylvia Rorem for ActionQueens.com. Thanks to Making Film (Subi Liang, Pang Ho-cheung & Quin Lau) & 852 Films (Josie Ho & Conroy Chan). Photos courtesy from 852 Films ("Dream Home" stills and behind the scenes - "Dream Home" posters designed by Josie Ho) and Fred Ambroisine (on the set of "Dream Home").

(1) The alternative English title of "Dream Home" is "Victoria Bay".
(2) Check out Andrew Lin video interview about the special make-up effects of "Dream Home".
(3) Originally planned for Halloween 2009, the Hong Kong release date of "Dream Home" had been postponed to May 13, 2010. The movie will also be released in France through Wild Side Films. Also, the worldwide rights of "Dream Home" had been picked up by Fortissimo Films.

UNE AFFAIRE D’ETAT: AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC VALETTE (DIRECTOR)

Released in France on November 25th 2009, “Une Affaire d’Etat” is a suspenseful, action-packed thriller in which three characters cross paths: a corrupt politician (André Dussolier), his henchman (Thierry Frémont), and a hard-boiled female cop (Rachida Brakni). Before you read the lead actress’ interview, we’ll start with the director, Eric Valette, maker of three other feature films. His first, “Maléfique”, was a French production awarded by William Friedkin himself at the Gerardmer Fantastic Film Festival. The two others films were made in Hollywood: a remake of Takashi Miike’s “One-Missed Call”, released in the US (unfortunately not the director’s cut version) and “Hybrid” which involves a devilish car and another action queen (Shannon Beckner); there is still no release date scheduled for this film. In this exclusive interview, we focus on “Une Affaire d’Etat”, Eric Valette’s most personal work so far...


Frédéric Ambroisine: How did you discover the book that inspired “Une Affaire d’ Etat”?

Eric Valette: I discovered the novel “Une Affaire d’Etat” in 2003. The original title was “Nos fantastiques années fric” (1) [Dominique Manotti; 2001]. I was called by a French producer, Eric Névé, who produces a lot of genre-oriented movies in France. I got involved with two screenwriters I knew from my previous movie, “Maléfique”: Alexandre Charlot and Franck Magnier, and we all liked the book very much. Eric Névé had the rights. We decided to become involved, as screenwriters and director, in trying to do an adaptation of the novel in a French noir crime genre.

Rachida Brakni as Nora in "Une Affaire d'Etat" (2009)

FA: Let’s talk about the characters. What did you like about them in the book and how did you and the scriptwriter transform them into cinema characters?

EV: What we liked about the characters of the novel was the fact that they were shades of gray. Nothing was really black or white and they were all pretty ambiguous and complex. We decided to keep that edge for our material and keep the subtleties of the characters. But what we mainly changed was the character of Nora, the female cop, the “Action Queen” of the movie. We made her a little more physically involved in the action since most of the time in the novel she is more like a witness: she observes a lot, she learns a lot. She’s pretty cerebral; she doesn’t do a lot in the novel, especially in the second half. So we wanted her to be a little more physical, and also to provide a certain level of entertainment. We decided to have her more involved in the movie. Not being heroic in a silly way but in a kind of logical way. So that is what we changed quite radically in the second half of the movie.

Rachida Brakni as Nora in "Une Affaire d'Etat" (2009)

FA: Is the novel plot different than the movie plot?

EV: There’s no difference. The storyline of the novel and the movie are pretty similar. Basically, “Une Affaire d’Etat” is a story of the web of corruption in which three characters are entangled. One character is Victor Bornand. He is a secret adviser to the French president. He is a man of secrecy, a man in the shadows. He deals with all the dirty business of the state: weapons smuggling, blackmailing, all that stuff...

André Dussolier (right) as Bornand in "Une Affaire d'Etat" (2009)

...He has a right hand man who does the physical side of his actions, who is more like the nerve (laughs), the belly. This guy’s name is Michel Fernandez, played by Thierry Frémont. He is a kind of contract killer to some extent, so he will do all the dirty work for Bornand...

Thierry Frémont as Fernandez in "Une Affaire d'Etat" (2009)

...And there is a third character named Nora Chahyd. She is a female cop. She is just a busy cop who is doing some kind of routine investigation on the murder of an escort girl in a parking lot. Through her investigation she gets onto the trail of Fernandez, and ultimately Bornand, in the highest levels of the state. She then becomes a threat to national security. It’s all about corruption, danger, and how to survive in a political environment where everybody wants to take the biggest part of the cake and everybody is trying to survive.

Rachida Brakni and Gérald Laroche as Bonfils

FA: How did you work on the adaptation with your scriptwriters?

EV: Basically we tried to cut some parts, get rid of some characters and some of the novel’s backstory, in order to keep the tone and the general storyline intact. It’s all about making choices; trying not to soften the edges of the novel in order to make it an edgy movie. So that’s how we work with the screen writers. Mainly we tried to have a meeting once a week or once every two weeks, and we used a lot of post-its (laughs). We tried to establish a structure, and tried to see what is inside of every scene’s structure: the characters involved and the information we want to give out. It’s pretty complex, it’s like architectural work. Once this work is done, I don’t get involved much in the next part: to work on the dialogue, the characters... I get involved in the action stuff: choosing locations for some scenes, bits of action... So let’s say it is a collaboration. It is pretty structured but it takes a long time to make right because the political thriller is a complex genre. It is not completely linear. You have a lot of characters to deal with, so the writing process is pretty long. It’s not like doing a zombie movie.

Jean-Marie Winling as Macquart

FA: How was the choice of the lead actress [Rachida Brakni] made?

EV: Rachida Brakni... It is not easy to find a thirty year old French girl with North African origins who has bankability in terms of casting a movie and is pretty good with the physical side of acting. Rachida is the first name that comes to mind. Rachida earned a French Award, the César, in 2002 for a Colline Sérreau movie called “Chaos”. So she is kind of popular. Also, she is married to Eric Cantona, a famous French ex-soccer player. So for some reason she is kind of popular because of that. She is also a very, very good actress; she does a fantastic job. When she was a student she was pretty high ranking in athletics. She did a lot of high level competition for the Olympics: pretty serious stuff. So she was perfect for the genre, especially taking into consideration that you don’t come across many actors in France who have this physical ability...

Nora the cop (Rachida Brakni) never gives up

...Most French cinema is about dialogue and psychology. A lot of the time you get people who are talking heads. They do not really care about their body, they just speak. Most of the time they speak well but still, there is something lacking when a movie deals not only with psychology, obviously, but also with the physical ability of the actors. That is why it is pretty interesting to have people like Rachida or Thierry Frémont, who also won an Emmy Award in New York in 2005. He won Best Foreign Dramatic Actor for his performance as a serial killer, Francis Heaulme, in a French miniseries called “Dans la tête du tueur” [2004] which means “In the Head of the Killer”.

Fernandez (Thierry Frémont): always in trouble

FA: I want to see that! Do you have a copy?

EV: I don’t have a copy but it’s very good.

FA: An International Emmy Award for a French actor: that is rare.

EV: He is the only one.

FA: What is your opinion of the female action image in French cinema? I have the impression that they are rare. And when you see them, it is usually not very good...

EV: That is true. If you look back in time, action girls, action female characters are pretty scarce in French cinema. I think the name that first comes to mind, especially for foreign audiences, is “Nikita” [Luc Besson, 1991]. After “Nikita” then you can consider Cécile De France in “High Tension” [Alexandre Aja’s “Haute Tension”, 2003]. Aside from that, there are not a lot of names that come to mind...

German posters of "Nikita" + US poster of "Haute Tension"

...This is why it was interesting to try to humbly add a new building block to this genre. But it is very tough; there are not a lot of action films, thrillers or adventure movies in France. And most of them do not have a female lead. Most of the females are just spice, just the love interest or the whore. Basically what you see in most of the EuropaCorp movies [Luc Besson production company] is that most of them do not really deal with female characters in a serious way. They do it in a pretty standard way: either the love interest or the whore, or she is there just to add a sexy female spice into the mix. But they are not really considered to be characters.

FA: They are action whores.

EV: Action whores, yeah. Frederic, have you seen a female action lead in a EuropaCorp movie?

"Transporter 2", a EuropaCorp production

FA: No. But there are many, many female cop characters in French TV.

EV: That is true, but they are not action leads. That is the French tradition of the female TV cop. It is true that we have had a lot of series since the mid 80’s with female cops but most of them are more like social workers dealing with problems of drug addicts or people in distress. They are not really involved in serious action most of the time. It is more like a social worker kind of character, or a seated cop kind of character: with a big butt on a chair in an office. Luckily for foreign audiences, most of these series did not make it to other countries, so I guess that’s something you are safe from. I don’t see a “Julie Lescault” box set being released internationally with [English] subtitles, but there might be a niche and you might find a DVD company interested in trying to put that out. But I’m not sure.

FA: Have you seen any of those TV series?

EV: To be honest, I don’t think I have ever seen an entire episode of “Julie Lescault” [1992-present]…

The famous Julie Lescaut (played by Véronique Genest)
and the new TV cop series "Les Bleus"

FA: “Les Bleus”? [2006-present]

EV: Yeah, or “Clara Sheller” [2005-2008].... I don’t think I have seen any of these shows in its entirety. Just one episode, maybe fifteen or twenty minutes.

FA: Why? Because they lack realism?

EV: I think they are lacking a lot of elements. They lack scripts, they lack characters, they lack directing; they lack a lot. Most of the time I would say they lack scripts. I think the strongest point of American and English TV shows, over the French, is, even before directing, cinematography or acting, the strength of the script.

FA: What did you bring to the characters during the shooting? Did you exchange ideas with the actors?

EV: Yes, definitely. For me, a movie script is a guideline with a spine. You have to follow the spine, especially for a thriller because it has a structure. You don’t fuck with the structure. But in between this guideline and spine, you have a lot of flexibility for characters. This is why I like to build characters with the actors. Not necessarily on the shoot, because on the shoot you lack time and you have to rush through everything, especially when you’re short on money and shooting time. So what you can do is to prepare everything during pre-production. You can discuss the characters, you can tweak and change the dialogue, you can change certain action details if the actor has an idea because of some prop, or some wardrobe element. If the actor has an idea, you then discuss with him or her, and you change something in the scene. I would say there is a lot of room for flexibility, but right before the shoot. There is a little bit of room during the shoot, but I think you have to adapt everything to the actors right before the shoot in order not to stumble on some kind of weird surprise on the specific day of the shoot. All of a sudden you have an actor say, “Well, I just can’t say that line, it doesn’t work.” If you have already been through all the dialogue, if you did everything in a very methodical kind of way before the shoot, then it is pretty easy to go through the shoot. You don’t have to tweak the dialogue anymore. It has a lot to do with preparation.

"Une Affaire d'Etat" (2009)

F: Let’s compare your movie with a western. Let’s take a famous one like “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”...

EV: Oh! This is nice. It’s better than “Blueberry” (laughs). [2004 western starring Vincent Cassel, Juliette Lewis & Michael Madsen, released in the US as “Renegade”]

FA: Nora Chahyd’s character would obviously be The Good. Bornand is The Bad. Fernandez is The Ugly. I feel that you have sympathy for The Ugly.

EV: Yes. Somehow, yes.

FA: I feel that the female character is the less complex character. She’s a rookie cop. There is not really any surprise with this character.

EV: That’s true. Hmm. It is like the cop character, Nora, is more of a guide. This is a very classic way to establish a plot. The guide of the movie viewer is going to be Nora. But it is not as simple as that because Nora is not a classic “good” character. She is pretty violent, a little bit stubborn, a little bit racist somehow; it’s not like she is a perfect angel and a very nice, sympathetic girl. You have to get used to her and understand her anger, and the way she will shift her anger into something more like reflection and wit. I would say she is not as simple as she seems. Regarding the two other characters: The Bad is obviously The Bad because he has a plan; he works for the dark side, in the dark corners of government power. Yes, you can see him as The Bad in “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”. He can be Lee Van Cleef, no problem...

Bornand (André Dussolier) is not really good

... The Ugly is a little bit different because in “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” The Ugly is kind of funny. There is a lot of irony to him. He speaks a lot, he tries to manipulate and cheat people. That is not really the case with Fernandez. He is playing a strange game but he’s pretty much the opposite arc of the Eli Wallach character. The Eli Wallach character In “The Good, the Bad and The Ugly” is kind of sympathetic at first sight because he is funny. Then you realize he is a son of a bitch. Fernandez is pretty much the opposite kind of part: he is a cold blooded killer in the first half of the movie, but then you gain sympathy because you realize he is trying to get out of the shit he’s in. He is thinking about moving to the next step and maybe changing his life. I think there is some kind of grandeur to him, which is not the case in terms of The Ugly character played by Eli Wallach...

Fernandez (Thierry Frémont) is not really bad

...The main relationship I can see between “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” and my movie is that the three characters in both movies are sociopaths. They are all sociopaths. They are miming sociability because they have to. Otherwise they would die, or kill somebody. They are all sociopaths, and I am really interested in sociopaths. These are people I really like (laughs).

FA: Did the actors surprise you during the shooting?

EV: If you expect a lot, you’re not really surprised. I had really high expectations, which were reached. They are all great actors. That is what I love: they are professional, very serious, and they don’t have all the stupid ego problems or insecurities that you can see with other actors. It is also a choral movie, which means there is no star. There are three people; most of their screen time is equal and their name is the same on the poster. Because they have all been stage actors they know how to share a scene. All in all, you can see that these people are not defending their territory; they are defending the movie and their part in the movie. They are defending the plot, so there is no struggling for territory: “I’m going to have my close up.” “You’re not going to get your close up,” and so on. It’s really fair play, very relaxed, and everybody is trying to do their best to make the best movie we can. These are all professional actors who are not dealing with narcissistic stuff. That is why these people really reached my expectations, because I expect this level of professionalism and dignity.

"No way!"

FA: Most political thrillers contain a lot of dialogue and suspense, and a twist. Your movie also has action. Why did you decide to include action scenes in the story?

EV: The action was something we decided on right from the very start. It was part of the rough draft. We already had the action. I remember in the very first meeting I said, “You know what, at one point she should try to catch the guy. And maybe we should start in the part of Paris south of the Boulevard de Clichy near Pigalle so we can have a chase through Pigalle up to Montmartre and the Sacre Coeur and The Place Du Tertre". That was in my mind; I could visualize it before we had the first draft of the script. It was really part of the plan, to have short action scenes, bursts of violence, of physical action in order to thrill the audience. To make the movie exciting, obviously, but also it was a way to conceptually state that what is decided in the corridors of power is something that has a physical impact on reality. People die, people suffer very collateral damage. In the action scenes I wanted people to be hit by a bullet without their name on it, that kind of accident, in order to realize that all these decisions being made in high spheres of the state have a practical impact; practical consequences in our environment. It makes a movie exciting because you shift from dialogue to something totally kinetic, gutsy, sound and picture..

Chasing scene in Pigalle streets

FA: Usually good action scenes cost money. Do they scare producers? Do you have to cut the action in order to save money?

EV: The temptation was there. At one point we had to save money because we did not originally have all the money to make the movie. There was a thought of cutting some action but we kept everything as it was when we rewrote the script. My main request was, “Cut everything you want but don’t cut action. We keep it as it is.” Because we can cut shooting days by shooting with several cameras to make our schedule a little tighter. But in terms of what we are telling, I just wanted to be able to save the structure as it was, so I didn’t negotiate on action. I can negotiate on pretty much everything, but I didn’t negotiate on action. Because action is part of the fun of making a movie, and it’s pure movie making. It’s pure kinetic style. It is very exciting to make action. When we speak about action, it is not necessarily people chasing each other or people shooting at each other. It can be something as simple as a guy listening to another guy with a wire somewhere in an apartment. With that you have action, you have tension. There is no dialogue. You get a sense of suspense and tension. I call this “action” in a larger sense of the word. For me, action is not necessarily pyrotechnic.

"I see you."

FA: Your movie is presented as a political thriller… But do you think you made a political movie, or a politically driven movie?

EV: No! It is a movie that has some kind of political background and content but it is not a political movie in the strict sense. We are not trying to educate people. I think most people know about weapon smuggling between France and Africa, and so on. It is more about showing the web of corruption and deceit in which our characters are entangled and are making life and death decisions. We are trying to understand these characters, and trying to make them sympathetic for the audience. Not necessarily sympathetic but at least to understand what they do and feel. My goal is that you can have some kind of empathy for them. The political aspect is a little more bitter and cynical than it could have been in the 70’s. There was a lot more idealism involved. You voted for Democrats or the Left Wing. I think now we have been through a lot of governments in France, and the same goes for the US and so on. I don’t think there is the same kind of innocence and naivety anymore: you’re going to vote, and you’re going to change your life, and everything is going to be great. I think now my approach is more existentialist than political.

Politicians doing (legal?) business

FA: We know the name of the president in the book. In your movie, we do not.

EV: Yeah. The context of the book is the 80’s in France and François Mitterand was the president. We want our movie to be contemporary but kind of timeless. We decided to make it timeless because if you make a period movie you always run the risk of being considered as something “past”. People might say “Oh yeah, that was twenty years ago and that was happening, but now everything is perfect. Things have changed.” No way. I mean, it is always the same old shit going on. As long as you can buy a government in Africa, as long as you have oil and resources in Africa and other countries, then all the occidental countries are trying to get their share and acting like some kind of vampires. It is just part of the game, and it would be totally stupid and it would not make sense to think that this approach changes because you are under a left or right wing government. Everybody needs oil; everybody needs energy. You’re going to take it from where it is.

Bornand (André Dussolier) and Massembat (Jean-Michel Martial): partners in crime

FA: Let’s talk again about the female character. You said she was a bit racist. Where does this appear in the movie?

EV: When I say racist, well…at one point a North African dealer is making a phone call on his cell, and you might assume he is selling drugs or something. She says, “You know what, the only thing these guys deserve is a bullet through the head.” So I wouldn’t say she is racist, but she is very violent. She uses “Dirty Harry” or Charles Bronson kind of dialogue. It is not very common to hear that kind of dialogue in the mouth of a North African girl in a French movie. Especially from cops. Most of the time they are very human. Once again, a kind of social worker helping people and being very caring for and understanding of others. Which is not actually the case. She doesn’t give a fuck. It was pretty important to have this dialogue because it keeps the viewer on the edge. It is not the typical characterization for this kind of character.

"Do you feel lucky?"

FA: What do you think about the image of cops in French cinema? For example, rap musicians do not like cops. Young people in general do not like cops either...

EV: That’s true. They hate cops most of the time. I would say it’s easy to hate a cop (laughs). It’s pretty easy to hate a cop; it is not easy to like a cop. What I do, humbly, with “Une Affaire d’Etat” is to portray the cops, the politicians, the contract hit killer, as people with their own motivations, their reasons, and a job to do. That’s it. They are not necessarily evil, incredibly violent or sadistic or whatever. I just tried to establish a sense of understanding of them. Cops are a part of these people, so once again I don’t want to fall into a category like EuropaCorp movies: everything is set up in order to make the audience from the suburbs feel good because they see a racist cop or a stupid uniform cop doing something silly because he’s stupid. Or you have a kind of cool guy from the suburbs playing tricks on the cops and so on. I think that is pure demagogy so it is not something I like to use with the audience. I think audiences are way smarter than producers think they are, and I don’t want to lick their asses or kiss their feet just in order to make them feel good. I don’t think that they are going to feel good. I think that if you take them and put them in the position that they have to think a little bit, but at the same time they are entertained by the story, I think they are going to have a good experience and feel better after the movie. Generally I feel better after a movie if I didn’t necessarily hear what I wanted to hear.

FA: One more thing about the character Nora. In one scene she tells her mother on the phone that she’s not doing Ramadan. Was this from the book?

EV: No, it is not part of the book. We put it in because we wanted to establish a girl that doesn’t give a shit about tradition. Because I think most of the separations and most of the tensions between communities that we can feel in our society are based on religion. And I’m not necessarily against religion but I would say either Catholicism or Islam is… most of the time I don’t see them as elements of peace but as elements of aggression (laughs). That is my own judgment. I wanted to make a little bit of a statement where you realize that some people who are supposed to be Muslims because they come from a Muslim background: well they don’t give a fuck and they’re not Muslim and that’s it. You know, my mother is a Catholic and I’m not Catholic. That is part of life. So I wanted to establish this sort of feature for Nora. I thought that was pretty modern, especially for a girl.

Nora Chahyd (Rachida Brakni): hard-boiled cop & modern woman

FA: Is Nora more modern in the movie than in the novel?

EV: There is mention of a family in the novel but I don’t think there is mention of the religion. So you can assume she is Muslim but you don’t know. You can only assume.

FA: is your movie pessimistic?

EV: I wouldn’t say it’s totally pessimistic. I would say it is pretty dark, pretty downbeat. But there is a glimpse of hope in the movie that we wanted to hint at so that you can feel that maybe at one point you can change things a little bit. Playing your part in society so you can change things a little bit and make them slightly better. Not necessarily for a long time, but I would say you can make yourself better. So I think Nora is probably a better person at the end of the movie than she was in the beginning, or maybe she became smarter and she might be more vulnerable to corruption. I don’t know (laughs). That’s a question mark, definitely. It is not totally pessimist, but fairly so. I would say it would be totally mad and insane and not fair to try to be optimistic while showing a web of corruption. I mean, there is no way you can be optimistic and show that (laughs).

Fernandez (Thierry Frémont): still in trouble

FA: What do you think will happen to Nora in ten years?

EV: "I don’t know. Maybe she could become a high-ranking cop, but I would say she will probably stay in the ground work. I don’t see her having an office-like function. She likes to be in the street and to get down and dirty, so I don’t see her doing office work somehow. She has a big Vic MacKay (2) kind of side to her, I guess. I don’t know what is going to happen to her but it is pretty interesting. Maybe she’ll be there for a sequel. We’ll see.

Mado (Christine boisson) & her bodyguards vs Nora (Rachida Brakni)

FA: Can you talk about the other important female character in the movie, the “madam”?

EV: The madam is called Mado. Mado is a weird, weird, weird female character. She seems to pull strings a lot; she seems like a puppet master. She is pretty sneaky. It is difficult to sense whatever she feels but you can see she has a plan B, a plan C and maybe a plan D in the back of her mind. She is trying to pull the strings in order to grab one that is going to deliver something good for her. But you can sense that she comes from the gutter and she established herself as a madam in this kind of prostitution ring. But she still has this gutter background attitude, where you have to fight for everything and you have to protect yourself and life is a jungle. But even if she feels mixed feelings and opposite feelings about people that she might love and hate at the same time, ultimately… she will be ready to betray them for survival and her well being. So she is a pretty tricky, complex character; probably the most complex character in the movie. She is played by Christine Boisson who was a sexual icon in the 70’s in France. She is famous for movies like “Emmanuelle” and in the early 80’s “Identificazione Di Una Donna” by Antonioni. She has this kind of glamorous sexual feel to her and she is pretty magnetic and strong and weird. She did a lot of work for stage and TV in the last decade or 15 years, and it was pretty cool for us to have her back on the big screen to do this part. So I am happy to bring Christine Boisson back to the screen.

Mado (Christine Boisson): a very smart businesswoman

FA: How did you cast the actors and actresses? Did they accept the roles right away?

EV: We had been through several options before André Dussolier for the character Bornand. Once we had him we had a pretty strong idea that the movie could be financed. Otherwise it would have been a problem because André Dussolier is kind of a popular actor in France. So we went for him, but not after considering other options which would have been maybe a little more like contretype acting: like using a comedian to play this kind of role, playing against type. But André Dussolier was playing politicians, lawyers, people that are really established in society. It was probably one of the first times that he had to go that far into his darkest corners. I would say even that it was kind of a novelty for him, and for us too. He was pretty happy to explore this side of himself, especially after doing a lot of comedy like the latest Jean-Pierre Jeunet movie and lighter drama like the last Alain Resnais movie. So it was pretty interesting to have him, and pretty naturally he got us the financing. So we were able to have people that we really, really liked to be with him, like Rashida Brakni and Thierry Frémont. Once again the two of them are bankable stars in the classic sense of the term. It is not that easy to finance based only on one name, but I would say the ensemble cast make it like a viable investment. So that is how we decided to keep this thing together. Also there was another aspect: all these people don’t have any problem, they really share screen time; they don’t care. So once again, they like to act with each other; they don’t play against each other.

Bornand (André Dussolier) stays cool: for how long?

FA: What’s your next step?

EV: I am going to stay in France, probably for a while. I don’t know, we’ll see what comes up with the US and Canada and so on. Maybe Thailand, who knows. But I think I’m going to stay in France. I am doing a movie in France called “The Prey” / “La Proie” which is the story of a bank robber chasing a serial killer in rural France. The bank robber is a convict escaped from jail and is being chased by the cops. Basically it is a three-way chase movie. It is interesting: my producer likes to pitch it as a kind of French version of “The Fugitive” because it has that kind of sense and vibe. But it’s going to be darker.

Interview conducted in English by Frederic Ambroisine on November 10th, 2009. Editeb by Sylvia Rorem for ActionQueens.com.

(1) The novel by Dominique Manotti, "Affairs of State", which inspired the movie will be available in English in June 2010. http://tinyurl.com/yd36vx6
(2) Vic MacKay, a bad-ass corrupt cop, is the main character of the US Police television series “The Shield”.

POSTERS, STILLS & TRAILERS ON ACTION QUEENS FACEBOOK PAGE

If ActionQueens.com hasn’t seemed very active the last few weeks, it’s because we’ve been spending time doing cool stuff on the Action Queen FaceBook page!

We are uploading some cool Action Queens related movie posters (from the 1910’s to the 2010’s!), movie stills, trailers, and even video games trailers. If you want more interaction with Action Queens, please become a fan of our FaceBook page.

There you can upload your own fan images, talk about your favourite actresses and movies, and give us your opinion or suggestions about our site. Please also check our Action Queens Youtube page, where we will be uploading more video interviews very soon.

Fred Ambroisine & achillesgirl

ACTION QUEEN LISA CHENG: NEW PHOTOS!!

ActionQueens.com loves Lisa Cheng! Many thanks to Lisa for giving us the opportunity to share some of her fantastic new photos. First, a couple of black and white photos by French photographer Laurent Piram, a.k.a. Tilo, while he was in Hong Kong this November.

This outdoor photoshoot was done in Tsim Tsa Tsui near the Hong Kong Cultural Center. Check out other photos by Laurent on his Flickr page.

Action Queens is also delighted to share more Lisa photos with you that were shot the same week in China. Lisa herself supervised the art direction, which shows not only that she is sophisticated but that she has many stylish moves as a gorgeous Action Queen. Enjoy!

We think this is not the last time Action Queens will be talking about Lisa Cheng...

Fred Ambroisine

NB: More photos on Lisa Cheng Alive Not Dead blog.

BÉATRICE ROSEN INTERVIEW: MISS (END OF THE) WORLD "2012"

In “2012”, director Roland Emmerich literally blows the world away in a spectacular way never before seen on screen and shows us the worst that can happen to our beloved planet: Earthquakes, tsunamis a-go-go, eruptions in your face, mega-explosions, highways and buildings destroyed... very impressive technical success, no doubt. But the interest in “2012” would be a bit limited if it was only about world destruction because what usually makes the audience care about a movie is its people. In “2012”, gorgeous French American actress Béatrice Rosen plays Russian beauty Tamara, one of the main characters trying desperately to escape the impending Apocalypse.It’s her first major role in a Hollywood blockbuster after appearing a year ago in Christopher Nolan’s second Batman movie, “The Dark Knight”. In this exclusive interview for ActionQueens.com, Béatrice tells us about those two major experiences and her blossoming international acting career.

Frédéric Ambroisine: What are your origins?

Béatrice Rosen: My mother is French and my father has Hungarian origins but was raised in the US. I was raised entirely in Paris. [Béatrice was born in New York]

FA: Did you study acting or other studies related to cinema?

BR: I went to a regular high school. I started theater courses when I was ten years old. I did a lot of theater. On Wednesdays and Saturdays we acted in small theatres to train ourselves, to rehearse. Then we acted in the Théatre de Boulogne. I went to a regular high school, and I earned a diploma in science, the French “Bac” [Baccalauréat]. After that I studied acting full time at the Cours Florent.

FA: Did you already know what you wanted to do after high school?

BR: I didn’t know exactly, but I had registered in college in Paris. I had to make a choice, and since I graduated a year early I decided to try acting because I had always wanted to do it. I told myself I would try the full time acting course, Cours Florent, for one year to see if I liked it. I ended up loving it, and then I started to work immediately in the film industry shooting movies. So in the end I never went back to science.

FA: Did Cours Florent help you find your first film job, or did you get it by yourself?

BR: It’s not really the Cours Florent that helped me find a job. But it gave me a good foundation. They offer master classes; actors like Vincent Lindon taught some classes. Actress Isabelle Nanty did as well. There were great teachers there. Cours Florent gives you the foundation to do your job. But you mostly really learn on set when you’re shooting. Also, theatre and cinema are two completely different techniques.

FA: You got your start in TV series and French movies.

BR: Exactly. I did a bit of everything: short movies, a lot of commercials, photoshoots and medium-length films. I was selected in the contest “Jeunes Talents” [Young Talent] organized by l’Adami [Civil Society to administer the rights of artists and performing musicians] at the Cannes International Film Festival, the same year as Audrey Tautou I think. I did a lot of things: TV series, TV movies...

In the short "Blindfolded" (2006) & with Sean Bean in the TV movie "Sharpe's Peril" (2008)

FA: Did you start with small roles?

BR: Absolutely. It was very progressive. I learned my craft by working. There are two types of careers. The Sophie Marceau type: at her first audition, she immediately got a lead role in a big movie, and her career started that way. And there is another type of career, which is built step by step. That was my case. Some parts here and there. There is one thing that I’m really grateful for: I was never typecast; I was never labeled. I did comedies, thrillers, and action movies. The kind of roles I have had so far are completely different from each other.

Béatrice Rosen: Man-hunting in the French short "Clown" (1999) &
kidnapped in the dark comedy "Bienvenue chez les Rozes" (2003)

FA: Is there one role that got you noticed and put you in the limelight?

BR: It was a bit of a mix. It was not just one role. Of course, when I was in the 2004 American movie “Chasing Liberty”, it opened a lot of doors for me in the US. After that, many agencies contacted me. That movie played a major part in my career, for sure.

Béatrice Rosen and Mandy Moore in "Chasing Liberty" (2004)
Photo: Jaap Buitendijk - © 2003 Daughter Productions LLC

FA: How did you succeed in making the transition from French movies to US movies? From auditioning for French movies to starring in Hollywood productions?

BR: I spoke English and I had an agent in London. From time to time I would go there for one day, via Eurostar, to audition for projects that my agent found for me. I got my part in “Chasing Liberty” in London. They needed a European girl. Originally the character was for a German girl but since they liked me they changed the German character into a French character. They changed the name and profile of the character. The shooting was done in Prague. I was delighted to work on an American movie, but I didn’t really get the American film experience because it was shot in Europe. When the film was released, the production company with whom I had a contract for a second movie flew me to Los Angeles for the premiere. That’s where I signed with an American agency, and we had general meetings with film studios.

FA: Have all of your jobs been obtained through agents?

BR: Yes. I had the lucky opportunity to get an agent very quickly. I was still in high school when I got one. I had the luxury to go to the Cours Florent already having an agent. I could apply what I was learning in class at auditions.

Béatrice Rosen modeling for Tim Fahlbusch

FA: You alternate between TV series and movies. How do you organize your schedule to act in both TV and movies?

BR: It depends. It’s really an atypical job. For example, I shot two TV series simutaneously. I did three episodes of “Charmed” while shooting “Cuts” at the same time. Luckily, both series were shot at Paramount Studios. It was funny because I had an assistant who was always waiting for me. In the morning I was in “Charmed” at studio 15, and the assistant would be waiting for me in a little golf cart to bring me to studio 23 were I was shooting “Cuts” in the afternoon. I had to switch costumes and learn my lines for “Cuts”. I did that for some time. It was fun. When I’m not shooting I go to meetings and auditions, and sometimes I have two jobs at the same time. I had to refuse another series named “Veronica Mars” because of a scheduling problem. I couldn’t take the job because everything fell on the same days.

Béatrice Rosen as Maya in "Charmed" (Season 8, Episode 3 - 2005)

FA: Have you been able to make a living by acting since the very beginning?

BR: That’s why I didn’t go back to school. Since the very beginning I started to make a living. I spent two years at the Cours Florent but I was working so much that I often couldn’t attend class. So it was useless to continue paying for a third year. When you are in a movie it is difficult to have other commitments.

Béatrice Rosen plays a real kick-ass model in "Charmed" (2005)

FA: Are “Charmed” and “Cut” your first American TV series appearances?

BR: The first TV series that I shot in the US was cursed because everybody had health problems during the production. It was delayed so much that they finally cancelled it. In this first series, “Commando Nanny”, I had one of the lead roles. But ultimately fate didn’t allow this show to make it. They lost so much money that they ended up giving up. Everyone had accidents. The lead actor broke his foot two days before production started. Then the actor who played my father discovered that he had a serious health problem. It was just a disaster.

"Commando Nanny" (2004 - Mark Burnett Productions)

FA: Can you describe the characters you play in “Charmed” and “Cut”?

BR: Here’s something funny about “Charmed”: I shot the pilot produced by Aaron Spelling [1923-2006], a mythical producer who created series like “Beverly Hills 90210”, “Melrose Place” and so on. I shot the pilot for his company but it never got picked up. They gave me three episodes on “Charmed” because the pilot shoot went very well and we had a very good relationship. In “Charmed” I played a model that speaks several languages and is accused of murder. A trio of witches [Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, Holly Marie Combs] help me out of trouble because they figure out that I’m innocent. In “Cuts” I played an American girl. It was a sitcom. We shot it in front of a live audience.

Béatrice Rosen: armed and tripled in "Charmed" (2005)

FA: Since then you have had several roles in the US, including “The Dark Knight”. What is the difference between working for big studios and for indie productions?

BR: I had already worked on all kind of movies. “Chasing Liberty” was not an indie film, it was a studio film, but it has nothing to do with “The Dark Knight”. Before “The Dark Knight” I had never worked at such a high level. Anyway, I think it’s very rare to work in a movie of that caliber. All the people on this movie were Oscar nominees or Golden Globe nominees. It was quite amazing and obviously very impressive. I admired Christopher Nolan before working with him. He’s really an amazing person. And there’s an obvious difference in budget between “The Dark Knight” and an indie film...

FA: What was the working relationship between you and a big production director? Since he has a lot of things to handle, do you think that you were able to spend enough time with him, or did you have to prepare by yourself?

BR: I was about to mention that! “The Dark Knight” was an atypical film because in general, big comic action movies like that are not necessarily very artistic, but “The Dark Knight” was fantastic. Christopher Nolan really took the time to come and talk with me about the character. He’s such a perfectionist. Roland Emmerich is the same, and that’s why those guys work at the highest level. The studios trust them and give them a big budget to handle because those directors are not really affected by pressure. Roland Emmerich carries a 200-250 million dollar budget on his shoulders, and every morning he arrives full of energy, smiling, and is nice to everyone. He’s in good mood, he’s relaxed. I had the impression that it was the same for Christopher Nolan. He really creates a peaceful atmosphere even if there is a lot of pressure and large stakes. They both are really exceptional people and incredible perfectionists.

Christian Bale and Béatrice Rosen in "The Dark Knight" (2008)

FA: You play a Russian in “The Dark Knight”. How did you land this role?

BR: I studied Russian as a second language in high school, and I’ve always been attracted to the Russian language. People often ask me if I’m Eastern European. I don’t know, people think that I look Russian, and I think maybe that’s because of my Hungarian background. So my agency sent me to the audition and I said to myself, “I’ll go because hey, it’s Batman, it’s Christopher Nolan, and it’s going to be an exceptional movie.” I could feel that already. But honestly, I didn’t think I would get the part. I just said to myself, “I’ll do my best.” So I started working on my Russian accent, and then that was it! They had a worldwide audition, so I could hardly believe it when I heard the good news!

Béatrice Rosen as Russian ballerina Natasha in "The Dark Knight" (2008)

FA: How long did you spend working on your accent before going to the audition?

BR: I had very little time. I think I had only two days before the audition. I had to recall my Russian classes from school. I called an actor friend who speaks Russian, and we trained together. He gives Russian lessons on the side to make money. So for 20 dollars I worked with him and rehearsed for an hour.

FA: That 20 dollars was a good investment!

BR: Oh yeah, for sure! (laughs) Those were the most productive 20 dollars I ever spent.

Christopher Nolan directing the restaurant scene with Béatrice Rosen and Aaron Eckhart

FA: How many days did you spend shooting the Batman movie?

BR: I spent one week in London for the restaurant scene with Christian Bale. It went very well. I did my week in London and went back to Los Angeles. I was delighted. It was an awesome, fantastic experience. And then a few months later, in September, against all odds, they called me and flew me to Chicago for another week to add me into the boat scene, which was unexpected.

Aaron Eckhart, Béatrice Rosen, Christian Bale & Maggie Gyllenhaal

FA: Did you receive more scripts in your mail box after “The Dark Knight”?

BR: Yeah, but again, everything moved gradually. Obviously it clearly helps to appear in “The Dark Knight”; a movie like that opens doors and people want to meet you. I remember when I was auditioning for “2012”, famous actors and actresses were coming to audition for other parts. There are so many actors that producers and directors have the luxury to make famous actors audition. So “The Dark Knight” opened doors and allowed me to meet a lot of people, but it’s not like I was on the front page of every magazine overnight.

FA: Did your agent get you the part in “2012”?

BR: Yes, and I played a Russian as well, so this time I was confident. My agent got me an appointment to meet with the producer and director. I went back several times; it was like a rollercoaster. Then one day, I was in Wales on the set of another movie, “The Big I Am” and my agent called and said, “ ‘2012’ is not gonna work. It won’t be you”. I said, “Too bad, that’s a pity.” But in fact, two weeks later, my agent called me back to tell me that they were making me an offer.

FA: What scene did you do for your “2012” audition?

BR: They made me do three different scenes

FA: Are all your scenes in front of a blue screen?

BR: Hmm…a lot of them. The audition was like a regular audition, you know. There’s nothing in the room so you have to pretend. There was dialogue but also a lot of action, so you have to use your imagination a lot.

FA: Where and for how long did you work on “2012”?

BR: “2012” shot in Vancouver for four and a half months.

FA: What is “2012” about?

BR: It’s about the Apocalypse, based on a Mayan prediction. December 2012 will be the end of the world... that’s it. I really can’t tell you any more because I signed a confidentiality contract. We’ll wait to see the movie. But in fact, I saw it last Saturday [July 25th, 2009], and the movie is really awesome.

Béatrice Rosen as Tamara in "2012"
©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FA: What can you reveal?

BR: Nothing. (laughs)

FA: Can you reveal anything about your character?

BR: My character is called Tamara. She’s Russian, and that’s all I can say (laughs).

Concerning confidentiality, when we were shooting “The Dark Knight” in the UK, it was very secretive as well. When we were passing through customs, or when we were making a phone call, we didn’t have the right to mention even the title of the movie. We had to use an alias for the title.

FA: Tell me about your collaboration with Roland Emmerich. Usually the technical aspect has a very important place in his movies. Does he have the time to take care of his cast?

BR: His personality is different from Christopher Nolan, but... For example, Christopher Nolan arrived on the set everyday in a suit. He’s very polite, very kind. Nolan always hires the same crew members so everybody knows each other. He works in silence and peace. It’s quiet, pleasant, nobody shouts, and it’s very efficient. He can move forward very very quickly... Roland Emmerich is the same. His sister was also a producer on the movie. Roland arrives on set each day with a smile. He works 18-20 hours a day. Because it’s very technical, he redoes each shot until it is perfect. So we did a lot of takes. He’s a real perfectionist. He comes on set, explains everything to the actors and is very present.

Roland Emmerich on the set of "2012"
©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FA: Who are the actors you were involved with on the “2012” set?

BR: Most of my scenes were with Amanda Peet, John Cusack and Thomas McCarthy, who is also a director. He recently did a movie called “The Visitor” which won a lot of film festival awards. I had also several scenes with Lisa Lu [lead actress of the Hong Kong blockbuster “The 14 Amazons”], a wonderful lady, very professional. It was such a great cast; everyone enjoyed working on Roland's set. Lisa was a trooper because some of the scenes were pretty physical. The atmosphere on the set was light and fun, even though we were shooting a film about the end of the world.

Chang Tseng, Lisa Lu, Morgan Lily and Béatrice Rosen are having some problems
©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FA: During the 4 ½ months of shooting “2012”, how long did you actually shoot?

BR: I don’t know exactly. It was a lot more than “The Dark Knight”.

FA: Do you ease up the pressure when you were not shooting?

BR: Yes, I would go back to LA for a few days, then return to Vancouver.

FA: Before shooting “2012”, had you already seen any Roland Emmerich movies?

BR: Most of them, I think.

FA: When you find out you will be working under a specific director do you try to see his work?

BR: Yes. The great thing about working in the US is that they give you quite a lot of information about the project when you go to an audition. So you can do research if you want. Obviously, it’s better to arrive prepared. It helps to know the director’s previous films. Through his work you can understand his taste, his creativity, what kind of actors he hires. So yes, I do some homework...

Béatrice Rosen in "2012": the calm before the storm
©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FA: Have you done any work since “2012”?

BR: In March I shot an independent movie in England because I want to alternate working with big productions. I had to play the role of an American. I wanted to diversify my roles and not just play Russian or French roles. But this movie had some financing problems. It happens to a lot independent movies. The release date has been delayed. I had two projects like that which have been delayed, and I’m waiting for the new schedule. I’ll shoot, but I have to wait. After big movies like “2012” I really have to be careful with my choice of projects. I have to be judicious, you know.

FA: Can you refuse certain projects from your agency? Do you have to do all the auditions they ask you to do?

BR: I must choose strategic projects. I won’t play another Russian character just to be in a film. It has to be coherent, and my projects have to be diversified. I have to have a logic, a strategy, a career plan. But, well, I love to work. It has to make sense, you know.

FA: You will soon be on the screen in “The Big I Am” and “Woodland Cross”.

BR: “Woodland Cross” is one of the two movies in pre-production right now. It’s an English movie. Last year I did two English movies. I started to work in France, then in the US, and then England. I’m negotiating another one right now. We’ll see…

FA: Any plan to shoot some more French movies?

BR: I would love to… In fact, ideally, in a perfect world, I’d like to work six months in France and six months in the US. That would be awesome. It would be ideal to work a bit everywhere: in the UK, the US, in France.

“2012” POST-SCREENING QUESTIONS (3 months later)

Frédéric Ambroisine: Where did you shoot the scenes that take place under heavy snow in China?

Béatrice Rosen: We shot in big studios with a blue screen. Part of the set was built in the studio, so we had snow and a feel of the glacier.

FA: Your best friend in "2012" is a little dog. How easy or difficult is it to work with an animal in a movie?

BR: We had a trainer on set, and she got him ready for his scenes. When you work with animals you need a lot of patience because they don't always want to comply.

FA: How was the "dog stunt scene" shot? Even though it looks very dangerous onscreen, was it safe?

BR: I can't reveal all the secrets; it would take away the magic. :-)

FA: Not a lot is explained about your character Tamara’s background. She has a relationship with some of the characters but the audience has to imagine her past. Did the director tell you more about the background of Tamara, or did you ask him?

BR: Of course when you sign on to play a character you always want to know her backstory. We talked about it with Roland, and I also made my own choices. Tamara evolves a lot during the movie as she is confronted with many very emotional situations. She's the girlfriend of a Russian billionaire [Zlatko Buric]. She's very spoiled, but as the movie progresses we get a better sense of who she really is, and all her superficial traits are replaced by very human qualities.

FA: Some of the most physical scenes you did in the movie were underwater. How did you prepare to shoot these scenes? Were they dangerous or oppressive?

BR: Those scenes were pretty scary to shoot, but Sony didn't take any unnecessary risks. We had medics on set ready to react to any threatening event. We spent many, many hours in the water but the crew made it as comfortable as possible for the actors.

Béatrice Rosen and Morgan Lily getting wet in "2012" (2009)
©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FA: What was your favorite scene as a viewer (even if you weren’t in it)?

BR: I love the first scene where the special effects really start; the car scene with J. Cusack and his family in LA. It sets the tone.

FA : After appearing in a blockbuster as action-packed as “2012”, does your experience give you any desire to play other more physical roles in the future, like action roles?

BR: I would love to be in another action movie and spend months training beforehand...maybe in martial arts. I have a lot of energy and I think it would be a lot of fun for me.

Check out the official Béatrice Rosen website at http://beatricerosen.net/

Pre-screening interview conducted in French by Frédéric Ambroisine on July 27th, 2009. Translated by Frédéric Ambroisine.
Post-screening interview conducted in English by Frédéric Ambroisine on October 29th, 2009.
Edited by Sylvia Rorem for ActionQueens.com in October 2009.
Mega thanks to Béatrice Rosen for her kindness and time!
Thanks also to Stéphane Ribola (Miam), Tim Fahlbusch, Axel Foy & Anne Lara (Sony Pictures).


“2012” will be released worldwide in more than 70 countries between November 11th and 13th, 2009. Check out Sony Pictures website for dates.
Also, take a look at “2012” trailers & video clips on Yahoo Movies & Sony Pictures YouTube channel.

NEYTIRI: WARRIOR PRINCESS (JAMES CAMERON’S “AVATAR”)

Neytiri, the female lead of James Cameron’s new and most anticipated sci-fi 3D/live action movie “Avatar”, is not human, but she sure has heart. Neytiri is a Na’vi, an extraterrestial humanoid race with blue skin, four fingers, a long tail, and stands approximately 3 meters high. Neytiri lives on a planet named Pandora. The Na’vi are usually peaceful and live in perfect harmony with other life on their planet but they can become quite agressive when it comes to protect their land, especially from humans.

On August 21st, 2009, 15 minutes of the 3-hour “Avatar” was screened free in selected theaters worldwide (102 screens in the U.S. and 342 international screens in 58 countries). During “Avatar Day”, the audience discovered excerpts from seven scenes. One scene features beautiful, athletic and courageous Neytiri skilfully killing mad forest beasts in order to save Jake Sully, a human in a Na’vi’s body sent to Pandora for an Army mission. Jake, a former Marine paralyzed in combat, is given a chance through the Avatar program to walk again and discover an incredible new world.

On September 7th, 2009, 10 more minutes of footage were shown during a special press screening in Paris. Most of the additional footage was extended versions of “Avatar Day” scenes with more dialogue and explanation about the story and characters. Between scenes, producer Jon Landau, who came to Paris for this special press event, divulged more details about the story and character background (for example, Jake had a twin brother who died, and because he has the same DNA, he can replace him in the Avatar program).


In “Avatar”, Neytiri and Jake are respectively played by Zoe Saldana, who recently starred in the “Star Trek” remake by J.J. Abrams, and Sam Worthington, who played a half human-half robot character in “Terminator: Salvation”.


At the end of the press meeting, ActionQueens.com had the opportunity to ask Jon Landau about the choice of actors, Zoe and Sam, for “Avatar”. This is what he answered:

“Finding somebody to play Jake was not an easy task. What was important for us was to find someone who could have a wide range and create the vulnerability of Jake at the beginning of the movie, and the leadership at the end of the movie when he leads people into battle and he rallies them with his speech. Sam Worthington possessed the acting ability to do those things.


And for Zoe to play Neytiri, we wanted somebody who embodied the whole character. It was not just about a voice, it was not just about a look, it was about the whole embodiment, of embracing that character, in the movement, and becoming this regal, noble, beautiful heroine of our film. And Zoe, to train for the part, she worked with somebody from Circe du Soleil on movements, she took archery lessons on how to use a bow, she took riding lessons on how to use a horse, so we indoctrinated her in all the things she needed to do in the movie...”


After Sarah Connors in the first explosive “Terminator” movies and Ellen Ripley in warriored “Aliens”, we can bet that James Cameron will once again create, in Neytiri, an iconic female heroine that will be imprinted on moviegoers’ minds forever.


“Avatar” will be released worldwide on December 16-18th, 2009. Check out the impressive new “Avatar” new trailer which just hit the Net a few hours ago.

NATHALIE HAUWELLE INTERVIEW ("CALIBRE 9"): THE GIRL "IN" THE GUN

Everybody loves “Girls with Guns” movies, but “Calibre 9”, an indie action feature marking the debut of young French director Jean-Christian Tassy, may start a brand new trend: “Girls in Guns”! This low-budget, wacky flick stars Nathalie Hauwelle as a murdered prostitute whose spirit possesses her own murder weapon, and Laurent Collombert as the naive urban planner she manipulates to take bloody revenge. Check out the following trailer for a taste of what “Calibre 9” is all about!


In this exclusive Action Queens interview, actress, contemporary dancer, singer and performer Nathalie Hauwelle talks about her passionate theatre acting career (which includes a brand new version of Peter Weiss's “Marat/Sade”), the electro band LMZ (1), and her collaboration with the film company Dark Factory (2), responsible for intense alternative movies like the martial arts action horror flick “John 32” (3) and of course “Calibre 9”, now in post-production and hopefully ready for the next Marché du Film Market at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.


Frédéric Ambroisine: You’re a contemporary theater writer/director and actress. What did you start doing first?

Nathalie Hauwelle: I started relatively late as an actress, around 22 years old. It’s funny because I never imagined doing this job when I was a kid. I wanted to be librarian or florist, and I studied surreal literature. Dancing was a hobby. Then, bang! The magic of life! I took a theater class, and the director offered me a part in his production. This was Mladen Materić from Yugoslavia, who has a theater company called Tatoo Theatre. He became my theater master. I have spent seven years of my life with Tatoo Theatre doing wordless theater, subtext theater and silent theater. I learned everything from him: the presence, the sacredness of the plateau, the requirement of work. He gave me the fire. I thank him.

FA: What are the main differences between acting for theater and acting for cinema?

NH: It’s just not the same job at all. It’s like comparing distance running to a speed race. The theater is more related to ritual. We invite a crew, we rehearse for a very long time, we search for a month, and the show builds up like an improbable, wonderful alchemy. We prepare, we heat up, and then we make-up. A few hours before the show we have to remove ourselves from life and enter a dark, unknown world. We’re about to jump into a vacuum, and suddenly (it’s always a surprise!): It’s show time! People are here to see us perform; stomach ache, nervousness, and then the lights, and you have to go on. It always seems impossible, and it is! The theater is an unlimited space.


In cinema there is often time to do research. In general, the director knows quite well what he wants, and that’s why he chooses you. Your face plays a major role in his decision making. Cinema places actors into specific categories. There is less time but more money. Everything is expensive, and suddenly it’s your turn to act and you have to do it again and again, just tailoring it and tailoring it. It’s difficult and exciting at the same time because you have to give everything, but with a sense of discontinuity. I like the challenge of this kind of work, but interesting roles are rare. In “Calibre 9” I was able to develop personal traits, imbalances which touched me as a character. The role is a junkie prostitute, damaged by life.

Nathalie Hauwelle in JC Tassy's "Calibre 9" (2010)

FA: Do you have different approaches to working on a play and working on a movie?

NH: In theater, you have to search a lot on stage. Your part is written for the play, but you still have to invent everything! All the subtext, all the things which create a character. Where does he or she come from? What does he or she think? What is he or she dreaming of? I come from the moving theater, so my approach to a character is primarily physical. How does he or she move? How does he or she dance? What does he or she do in the silence? I use the same technique for the cinema: Where do I come from? Where am I going? Who am I? Those are the three questions I always ask myself before going on stage or on a movie set.

Nathalie Hauwelle on the set of "Calibre 9" (June 2007) - Photo: JF Daviaud

FA: When did you get involved in “Calibre 9”?

NH: I knew the director Jean-Christian [JC] Tassy, ever since Eric Cherriere’s “John 32”, another film from Dark Factory in which I also played a prostitute. “John 32” is a history of prostitution as it relates to power, like a little Mafia town. Prostitution, pimps. It was written by Eric, who also wrote “Calibre 9”, so it’s a bit in the same vein. But it was done some years before, so it’s less complex and more confusing. I would say that it is a kind of an embryo of “Calibre 9”. I think that JC wanted to work with me since “John 32”... I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him!

FA: In “John 32” you’re not really playing a prostitute but a former porn actress who becomes a kickboxer.

NH: Yes, after stopping her porn activities she does kickboxing. I trained with Sabrina [Bendjema], who is a real [Tae Kwon Do] fighter. She was a European champion, I think. She’s my partner on screen and plays my opponent. She’s a real champion, but in “John 32” I beat the shit out of her of course, since I became so strong after three sessions (laughs).

FA: Did you have any sport training background before working on “John 32”?

NH: I have always been quite physical, but I never did martial arts before. I did flamenco and contemporary dancing. Dancing is really my thing, but it’s really close to martial arts in its requirements and endurance. Ultimately, the goals and final results are not the same, but I found myself into it. And Sabrina was really cool. She helped me a lot and encouraged me. It’s not in my nature to beat people up (laughs), but I think she succeeded in channelling my rage into kickboxing training. I think it’s really well shot: it doesn’t show that I’m fighting like a pussy.

Nathalie Hauwelle vs. Sabrina Bendjema in "John 32" (2006)

FA: So you had only three training sessions, and then shot the scenes?

NH: Yeah, three or so. It was a long time ago, so it’s a bit blurry for me. But I trained seriously; first with Eric [director] and then with Sabrina. She gave me simple things to do. And because I’m an angry person, my rage hid my lack of technical skill.

Sabrina Bendjema vs. Nathalie Hauwelle in "John 32" (2006)

FA: Where does your rage come from?

NH: Oh, well. I don’t know. This is the way I am.

FA: You were born with it?

NH: Yeah. Yeah. I’m quite angry.

FA: About what?

NH: Nothing in general. I don’t know. But in life you have to fight against everything all the time, so I think you have to have some rage in you to succeed in doing what you want to do. I want to do what I want to do, so I’m fighting for that.

Nathalie knocks Sabrina out

FA: Everything on the kickboxing set went along smoothly? No accidents?

NH: It was super to have Sabrina as opponent because we trained together, but if you watching the action scenes closely, she’s always superior to me. She’s a very intelligent girl and she knows how to diminish herself to make me look more powerful (laughs). In real life, I would not have been able to stand up one second against her.

The Rage of Nathalie

I was using full contact, hitting without restrictions, and she remained tranquil because she knew what she was doing. She just countered my attacks. It is funny to see this champion let herself lose just because I am supposed to win. In “John 32” I also have a gunfight scene alongside Maurice Poli. We saw each other only once on the set. He’s a great man. He has an incredible face.

Nathalie Hauwelle and Maurice Poli on the set + Nathalie starting
the big shootout of "John 32" (2006)

FA: When did you shoot “Calibre 9”?

NH: Wow, a long time ago. Two years ago, I think. [June 2007](4)

FA: What was your reaction when you found out that for most of the movie you would have to embody... a gun?

NH: I found the proposal original, offbeat and uncommon. I like adventures. I always step into the unknown.

JC Tassy direcs Nathalie Hauwelle on the set of "Calibre 9"
Photo: Maurice Salmon (June 2007)

FA: Where did you shoot your character’s pre-death scenes?

NH: We worked in a hotel (now closed) in Toulouse called the Hotel de Bourse, with real illegal immigrants and Bulgarian an amazing mix! Jean-Christian knows me very well. He had seen several of my plays. He knows that I love to improvise, and that there’s a certain madness in me, so he gave me a lot of freedom with a couple scenes. And he tightly controlled me in other scenes. It was a good cocktail for me.

Deadly make-up for Nathalie Hauwelle on the set of "Calibre 9"
Photo: Maurice Salmon (June 2007)

FA: Can you give me some examples of improvisations that you proposed to the director?

NH: We shot the scene in this insalubrious hotel which was about to be destroyed. There were cockroaches everywhere! The whore [Nathalie’s character] lives there. Her pimp comes to visit her, and will, in fact, kill her. I did quite a long improv scene: she gets high, then has hallucinations and starts to do nonsense: dancing, singing, putting on makeup. She’s all alone so she indulges herself doing all this nonsense, you know, crazy girl stuff.

Nathalie Hauwelle flying high in "Calibre 9" (2010)

FA: Did you do research for your role in “Calibre 9”?

NH: You haven’t seen the movie yet, so how do you know if I did a good job or if my acting sucks?

FA: (Laughs) Because the trailer looks great, and you look quite credible as a prostitute who gets high and shoots a gun. Did you play the character in an extravagant way?

NH: Not at all, I played her quite dark and deep. It was a hell of an experience because the location where we shot was already dark. It was cockroach infested. And that was a super way to get into the character of a chick who renounced herself. Because being a whore and a junkie is a consequence. We don’t wake up one morning and say “I’ll be a junkie whore.” It’s because you renounced your own life, and a lot of other things, and suddenly you don’t have any other way to eat except by selling your body. This is such a horrible thing that you have to get high. And this situation makes her look even lousier in her own eyes. She’s really burnt out, you know. She’s not like Godard’s prostitutes, who are sexual and very attractive. She’s more of a super desperate chick, like I played her. So, if you want, I won’t say I played a junkie prostitute; I will say that this girl became like that because of the terrible things that happened in her life.

Nathalie Hauwelle "has" the gun

FA: Tell me about her spiritual evolution after her death, after she becomes a weapon.

NH: After this resurrection, it’s like she starts a new life. She wants to take revenge against life in general, against men, against everything she has suffered. She becomes a kind of ultra-bloody, infernal killer. But not without morality. She wants to cleanse the town of all those bastards. She’s a kind of vengeful weapon.

Nathalie Hauwelle "is" the gun

FA: “John 32” and “Calibre 9” are genre movies, but is this your type of movie, as a viewer?

NH: Not at all. Actually, I am a dirty art-house film snob. For example, I’m obsessed with silent films and I also love 60’s movies. Genre movies are not really my world, but I’m quite an adventurer. I felt very enthusiastic working on Eric’s and JC’s projects. They invited me to join them on their adventures, and they succeeded in charming me and bringing me along… I’m a very bad example of an Action Queen! (laughs).

The Whore and the Euros

FA: How did you prepare for your action scenes in “Calibre 9”?

NH: JC knew very well what he wanted. He already had the edited scenes in his head so he was very clear, very professional. He told me “Do this here, do that there,” so I let myself be guided. My action scenes are exclusive to the dialogue between the prostitute and her pimp, in scenes where he beats her. I had the chance to get to know my acting partner [Jean-Jacques Lelté]. and to get along with him very well. So, no arguments on the set. Legit and professional.

Harsh times - Jean-Jacques Lelté and Nathalie Hauwelle in "Calibre 9" (2010)

FA: You’re also a theater director. Did this make your work and your professional relationship with Tassy easier?

NH: I’m not really a director. I see myself rather as somebody who’s into everything, without label, avid, restless, looking for the improbable! Cinema one day, theater the next, or the circus. I hate being bored!

FA: How was the “virtual” part of shooting “Calibre 9”? Were you on the set for the scenes in which you are not physically on screen? Or did you do all the gun voice-overs during post-production?

NH: I was not on the set for those scenes. That was nice! I had never worked on post-production voice-over before, and we recorded in a studio at one of Jean-Christian’s friends’ place. It gave me ideas for future; if I ever record tales, or if I sing…and then, poems! Ah, life is beautiful!

FA: Did you see any footage other than the trailer?

NH: No. I did the voice-over pretty blindly, based on the teaser trailer and the script. I just did [a rough] voice-over to help JC with the editing. Later I will do a real, definitive voice-over.

FA: When did you find out you would have to do that?

NH: I figure I would have to when I did the first voice-over almost a year after the shooting. It was in a studio, one year later, with no footage to watch. I knew it would not be very good and that we would have to do a new sound take after the editing.

FA: Do you know when you will do it?

NH: I don’t know. JC is still working on the editing.

2009 Tentative poster for "Calibre 9"

FA: Let’s talk about your many other activities. You sing in an electro band named LMZ, right?

NH: I don’t really sing in LMZ. I recite poems, excerpts from “Pierrot le Fou” and from a poet named Laura. And I dance and perform during the concerts. Originally LMZ was a duo with Philo Fournier from the 80’s band Les Ablettes, and Franck Flies. After he left Les Ablettes, Philo started to make electro music. We met each other at a show where I was making costumes...

Philo Fournier and Franck Flies: The creators of LMZ

FA: And now LMZ is a trio...

NH: Hmm. We were a trio. Now we are only a duo, without a drummer. But we can have two or three people. It depends. Philo is a guy who likes strange adventures. There were two dancers in his live shows and two pianists including him, and a lot of people on stage. He had created a kind of live performance event around the previous album. When we met, he wanted things a little off-beat, so we started talking about what we would be able to do together. And then we started to work together.

Philo Fournier and Nathalie Hauwelle (LMZ press photo for "La Machine Zoo")

FA: When you joined the band in 2005, was it to work on the third LMZ album or just for the live performances?

NH: To work on the album. He was composing the album with Frank when I came. We were rehearsing in a tiny cellar. I created characters for their songs.

LMZ: "La Machine Zoo" front cover (2008)

FA: What kind of characters?

NH: Crazy kinds of characters: a kind of squeaky mouse that eats apples, a woman who is devoured by her children, some ogresses and other little odd characters (laughs).

LMZ mosaic video (from the song "Un monde Parfait")

FA: Do these characters recite poems and perform on stage?

NH: Exactly.

FA: Where do these characters come from?

NH: This was not improvisation. We searched quite a lot while they were working on the songs. …After that it became a kind of zoo machine. There are different kinds of monster-plants (laughs)...ogres, half angel-half demons... they derived from the research we did together. LMZ means “The Zarma Manifest”, and it became a zoo machine, you know, a big mixture of species...I don’t know, it’s something a little weird, and that's what Philo wanted. It has become a three-headed monster or something like that.

LMZ mosaic video (from the song "Un monde Parfait")

FA: I saw some excerpts of LMZ concerts. If you just listen to the album, will there be something missing?

NH: The album was recorded in a studio, so it's definitely more sanitized. It is something different. I guess when you see a live band, you expect something different than the studio. It is true that the album is smoother. The concert that we did in Fumel was quite extraordinary. When my characters started to speak, it became a kind of trance. Even if we rehearse in a certain way, it becomes something else during a live performance. Like in Seville, the end of the show completely changed (laughs). That is what is so great about it: you never know what will happen to you. You are always the first to be surprised by your own production.

LMZ mosaic video (from the song "Un monde Parfait")

FA: Where have you toured with LMZ?

NH: We did Toulouse, Fumel, and the Seville Festival. We toured a little bit, but things happened and Philou started a trip around the world. So now, regarding the band, everything is on stand-by. Philo is still away. He's in Brazil right now. He’s a crazy guy! He’s a great traveller. I think travel was missing him. But I think LMZ will get back on track because we have both been tickled by our adventure.

LMZ mosaic video (from the song "Un monde Parfait")

FA: Why and when did you create your theater company, Groenland Paradise [Greenland Paradise]?

NH: I didn’t want to just work for other people. I created Groenland Paradise two years ago. I was always making installations and doing small performances alongside my job as a performer and actress. So Thierry De Chaunac and I set up a company that blends installations and theater, and installations and performances. We did our first show, which is a work based on a text by Lagarce [Le Bain - 1993]. During the show I do live installations in a micro-space and then a larger version, which creates other mental spaces.

Nathalie Hauwelle + Thierry de Chaunac = Groenland Paradise

FA: How did you learn the art of installation performance?

NH: Savagely, I can say (laughs). I don’t know, I like to try a little bit of everything. I do a lot of things and I always want to show it somewhere. So “J'aimais un homme a tête de squelette, a tête demesurée” [I loved a man with a skeleton head, a disproportionately large head], which is the name of the show, is like a hybrid between installation and theater. It is interesting to question things differently, and especially to go places I don’t know. I wanted to do it because I didn’t know how to do it. I like to put myself in danger; that's why we’re preparing a new performance for March [2009]. It is crazy because I feel like I’ll never succeed in finishing it. We have several people working on the project, which is from a biography of King Louis II de Bavière. It’s also about a construction in real-time. Because we have several people it is damn disturbing, but it is what drives us to move forward. Without that, I would stop.

“J'aimais un homme a tête de squelette, a tête demesurée”

FA: Do you prefer to stage your own creations?

NH: Yes, I want to share. The new work we are doing and thinking about is: Do we want to share? Because theater is about sharing. The public is on one side and the actors are on the other side. But who are the professionals? We’re questioning ourselves about all that. But for now, our company is not commercial at all; we’re not earning any money. We’re really doing it for the research, you know.

“J'aimais un homme a tête de squelette, a tête demesurée”

FA: How long have you had the desire to create?

NH: Since always. I have been an actress, but when I do acting for too long it pisses me off because I need to do my own thing. I enjoy working with others, it brings me a lot, and I very much like working with people, but it is not enough. I need to recharge in more intimate ways.

“J'aimais un homme a tête de squelette, a tête demesurée”

FA: You have a very loaded schedule right now. You’re working on five projects. Can you tell me about them?

NH: We just created "Marat/Sade" [directed by Eric Sanjou], which will tour this year. I also have a show for children, “La princesse au petit poids” [The Princess and the Pea] (5), in which I dance.

FA: What role do you play in “Marat/Sade”?

NH: Charlotte Corday.

Nathalie Hauwelle as Charlotte Corday in "Marat/Sade" directed by Eric Sanjou
(Photos: ©2009 Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche)

FA: While preparing for this role were you inspired by what has been done before, by watching old plays or movies? Or did you approach this play in a fresh way?

NH: This is the first time that I have worked with Eric Sanjou, and I wanted to start working on this play like a virgin, you know? It's always a great adventure to work with another person whose work you admire. So I wanted to be very receptive to what he proposed, and really get into his research. So I did not watch a lot of movies. I went to see exhibitions and thought about the play. In “Marat/Sade”, a lunatic plays Charlotte, so there are different levels of interpretation. I thought about it, but I did not do too much work in advance because I told myself that I know how he [Sanjou] works; I don’t want to arrive already prepared and show off.

Nat Hauwelle with Frédéric Klein as Marat and Christian de Miègeville as Sade
(Photos: ©2009 Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche)

FA: Did you do further research after meeting Sanjou?

NH: When you see how the other person works, you can help him or her by getting into their research, but for this work I didn’t want to arrive with plenty of "Charlotte is like this, Charlotte is like that." I said to myself, “He’s a super complex director, so let yourself be guided.” And it was true; I was right for once (laughs).

Nathalie Hauwelle and Frédéric Klein in "Marat/Sade"
(Photo: ©2009 Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche)

FA: What do you think of Peter Brook’s “Marat/Sade” [1967 movie adaptation of the play]?

NH: I found it very boring. I have a bizarre relationship with Brook’s work. I like him a lot. He’s a part of theater history. When you go to see “Le Costume”, it’s super, but only for the 70’s. He was such an important guy that everybody copied him, but now we have gone further. It’s super to see Peter Brook’s work. He’s a super intelligent guy, and he shares a lot. But he’s a bit like the archeology of theater. It’s interesting, but I find it super “old school”. When I saw “Marat/Sade” I got super bored.

FA: So what is your version of “Marat/Sade”?

NH: Crazier, because there are several levels. We are actors playing insane people who play actors, so it’s an abyss in which we are playing on all these levels. We act insane, and we act like we’re acting insane. It’s very interesting for us as actors because we’re always acting on different levels.

FA: That is the same situation as the movie version.

NH: Yes, but I think they did too much insanity. I don’t trust intelligence. I am very wary. I love instinctive actors and…. I love actors less and less, actually.

FA: Really?

NH: Yes (laughs) because I find that actors are tricky. You know, Peter Brook wrote super things in his memoirs but he said that “Marat/Sade” was not good. I think it’s great that a director can say, “I messed up; it happens.” He said they tried to be smart. They used acting study techniques, spent 15 days in a psychiatric hospital and then played lunatics. But they admitted they were wrong. It’s seducing to play lunatics. It’s seducing, but false. We’re not crazy. We act crazy. So for me, the movie didn’t work.

Peter Brook's "Marat/Sade" (1967) starring Patrick Magee (Sade),
Glenda Jackson (Corday) and Ian Richardson (Marat)

FA: How do you play your character? Do you use your instinct, or did you do any research?

NH: I don’t know how to say this: I try not to act. It’s horrible, I’m telling you. My goal is this: to not act, to be the least technical. I don’t want to be technical. Maybe that’s why I always change roles and mediums. I don’t trust know-how. I’m very wary. Or, at least you have to be very strong. I like imperfect things.

Nathalie Hauwelle as Charlotte Corday in "Marat/Sade" directed by Eric Sanjou
(Photo: ©2009 Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche)

FA: Can you choose the theater plays in which you want to act, or the people you want to work with? In films, you may not always have the choice…

NH: I'm lucky enough now to be able to choose my projects, so I choose people whose inner search excites me. I don’t want to do things that do not bring me something more. What is hard in cinema is that before being a star, you have to do a lot of roles as nurses and prostitutes. I think that what is good about theater is that you can really do everything. Even if you’re not well-known, you have the opportunity to play very interesting roles and work with people who have very complex worlds. On another hand, it's not easy to have a starring role in a movie with a guy that you're passionate about. I think that's why theater gives me more joy today. That’s certain.

FA: It sounds like you can have more fun doing what you want in theater.

NH: No, it's not like that. I work harder at theater, so it has become more my way of functioning. I do not know if this will last, but I hope I have the opportunity to work with people I admire. So that's great. And these people give me roles that interest me, so it's a nice exchange. Whereas in cinema, it is very rare to get a big role. You are often stereotyped because of your face. I find it more difficult to be adventurous in cinema. That’s my opinion, anyway.

FA: When the role of prostitute in “Calibre 9”was offered to you, you could easily have refused.

NH: Yes, I could have, but JC knows me well now (laughs). He saw a lot of things that I did and he knew that I need to improvise, to be able flip out, to do things that I want to do on the spur of the moment. And he was a wise director because at times he was very controlling, and when he saw I was reaching my limits he would tell me to improvise. So we found a nice balance. I proposed a lot of ideas he may not keep, but it was important for me to show him so he could take what he wanted. This was hard sometimes. There was a good understanding between us, and he was super smart for doing it that way.

FA: Is there a commonality between the different characters you have played? I have the impression that you often play off-beat characters. Is this on purpose? Have you ever played a “normal” character?

NH: Yes, I played a housewife. But it was quite strange to me. I went through that stage; I learned to act by playing those kinds of roles. But now I want to do different things, weirder, crazier. But it’s difficult to play a common character and make it interesting. It’s a much more difficult thing to do than to play crazy characters.

FA: Do you think people want to work with you because of your “crazy characters”?

NH: I don’t know. I like to work. Right now, I’m doing some very serious things. I think that people hire me because I like to work. And I’m not reluctant. I like adventures, places that I don’t know. I don’t think everybody likes to do that.

FA: Tell me about your other projects.

NH: I work with a circus called Palais Nibo.

Left: Nathalie Hauwelle dancing at the Palais Nibo
Right: Philippe Decouflé's "Cœurs croisés" (Photo: ©2007 Suzanne Brun)

FA: What do you do in it?

NH: I dance, and I eat…an apple (laughs). I am also working in a play called “Coeurs Croisés” [“Crossed Hearts”], a burlesque play by Philippe Decouflé. There is also work being prepared with Groenland Paradise for the March performance. That’s quite a lot of work. We have a big tour with “Coeurs Croisés” and “La Princesse au Petit Pois”. And in between…

FA:…you’re working on your personal project with Groenland.

NH: Yes, I still work when I’m not touring. Right now, I’m working on my own adventures. I’m relaxing.

FA: Relaxing while you work?

NH: Yeah! (laughs) Holidays are boring.

FA: Do you plan to take any real holidays?

NH: In 2015 (laughs). No, maybe before that, but I have a lot of things that I want to do. And because I still have some energy, I’m taking this opportunity to do all my projects. I mean, I’m trying (laughs).

FA: Any other movies planned for the future?

NH: I'm not going to look for it but if you come to me, why not? But I don’t go to casting and all that. I have no energy to put into it. Doing that takes too much of my energy. I did it a little bit, and I thought it was not for me. Going to castings, and playing only very small parts, I felt that I would become totally depressed. Now I have found a nice balance of the projects I want to explore. I like that, it suits me better. Paths are ultimately so personal. If for example Jean-Luc Godard wants to work with me, or Terence Malick, of course, I’ll say I’ll be there (laughs), but there is so far no news regarding this. I have no scoop to reveal about that.

FA: Tell me about your work with Jean-François Daviaud (6). It’s almost impossible to find a photo of you except the ones taken by him.

NH: Jean-François is a friend of mine. He’s one of my Dark Factory buddies. He’s not only a photographer, but also a director of photography. He also organized the photography festival ManifestO. I’ve known him for a very long time, at least ten years.

Left: 'Hija de pelicula' (Nat wears a dress made with a Super 16 mm film (Creation 2002,2004)
Right: 3 of the 8 allegorical boards of 'Goldfish' (Installation Performance ManifestO - 2007)

FA: How did he get you to participate in his photo projects?

NH: Well, he always needs models. So he called when he wanted me to do something, that’s all. We’re buddies. We help each other. I work on his projects, he helps me with mine. It’s a free exchange.

Left: One of the 6 actual size photos of 'Frigo radeau de la méduse'
Right: Floating art work of the same series on the river Garonne (Sept. 2004)

FA: Do you pose for other photographers or do casting photos?

NH: I’m not interested in that. I did a commercial once, and I hated it. I don’t really like to be photographed, but I do it for Jean-François because he’s a friend. I don’t like my image circulating. I don’t like that! I’m not on FaceBook. My job is to be an actress, but I don’t want photos of me everywhere. It’s just not my thing.

FA: Would you prefer to focus on your acting and leave your marketing to others?

NH: I don’t want to create a cult of my own image. I just want to be a good actress, and to be hired on that basis. That’s it. The rest, the blah blah blah, I’m not into it. I do photos for JF or for my friend Kathy Sebbah, or I shoot a movie with my friends. But I’m not looking for a job from it. I have other preoccupations.

FA: So you don’t have agent, you take care of everything yourself?

NH: Yes, and it’s too much work! (laughs). Last year, there was a lot of tension for me. I was doing a show in the morning and another one at night. I had to stay focused. And this year will be hardcore as well. But now I’m doing a lot theater work in a circus and for big companies. They handle all the tours, and so on.

Nathalie Hauwelle in "La Princesse au Petit Poids" - Written and illustrated by
Anne Herbauts, directed by Nathalie Bensard and produced by Compagnie La Rousse

FA: You seem to be in an ideal situation.

NH: You think so?

FA: You’re working with several companies. They handle everything and you can just concentrate on your acting.

NH: That’s right. That’s great! It’s true. I have to remind myself of that. I do complain, but ultimately, it’s super. I’m lucky.

Interview conducted in French in August 2009 by Frédéric Ambroisine. Translated by Frédéric Ambroisine and edited by Sylvia Rorem for ActionQueens.com in October 2009.


Many thanks to Jean-Christian Tassy, Nathalie Hauwelle, Jean-François Daviaud, Eric Cherrière, Axel Guyot, Maurice Salmon (photos "Calibre 9"), Pidz, Polo Garat, Odessa photographies, Palais Nibo, Groenland Paradise, Compagnie La Rousse, LMZ, Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche, K Production, Les Films d’Avalon, & Dark Factory.

(1) Check out the LMZ official website and MySpace page and the following videos featuring Nathalie Hauwelle: Un Monde Parfait + Live in Fumel
(2) Dark Factory was created in 2004 by Eric Cherrière. It is composed of Cherrière and four other directors from Toulouse: Catherine Aïra, Julien Fournet, Kevin Favillier and JC Tassy. Dark Factory’s mission is to produce indie genre movies in southwest France. Contact: ladarkfactory@gmail.com
(3) “John 32” first cut (27 minutes) is available as an extra on the French DVD version of “Beyond Re-animator” (released in 2006). A new, more energetic 23 minute cut has just been edited by JC Tassy.
(4) JC Tassy shot “Calibre 9” in June and August 2007 and in June 2008 (Total days of shooting: 45). Nathalie Hauwelle shot her scenes in one week during June 2007.
(5) This play is adapted from Anne Herbauts, not from the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.
(6) Check out JF Daviaud works with Nathalie Hauwelle here: 'Frigo radeau...', 'Goldfish', 'Hija de pelicula', 'Daunless film suit', 'Jardin Japonais' & 'Blood Doll' (on the set of "Calibre 9")