Carax in St. Louis!

Well, not exactly… but his 1991 Lovers on the Bridge (Les Amants du Pont-Neuf) is playing at Webster as part of the annual Robert Classic French Film Festival!
— An evening with the irreducible, improbable and irreverent Carax (l’irréductible & improbable & irrévérent Carax) —
The direct link is here.

Finir un film… à la fois c’est un soulagement et un échec. To finish a film… is both a relief and a failure.
Question: What do you think of the mistrust of French cinema towards you? – Answer: It has never equaled mine towards it.
Q. “Que pensez-vous de la méfiance du cinéma français à votre égard ?”  A. “Elle n’a jamais égalé celle que j’ai moi-même à son égard.”
Leos Carax

Les décors dans le Sud de la France. Crédits : Laurent Canches & CAP

“La modernité, c’est la confusion. N’importe qui aujourd’hui peut être journaliste, policier ou critique. Ca fait peur. Mon quartier est infesté de policiers et de critiques. Je vais déménager…
La critique doit rêver tout haut le cinéma d’avenir, avec bel espoir, belle hargne, il doit préparer les pistes d’atterrissage pour les OVNIs, crier que tout est enfin, déjà, toujours, encore à l’infini possible, vanter le risque et la brutalité, cracher sur les fameuses valeurs et la violence.” Leos Carax
In English (my translation): “Modernity is confused. Anyone can today become a journalist, a policeman or a critic. It’s scary. My neighborhood is infested with cops and critics. I am going to move…
Critics have to dream aloud the cinema of the future, with the greatest hope and vengeance, they have to prepare the landing grounds for the UFOs, and shout that everything is finally, already, always, infinitely possible, flaunt risk-taking and savagery, spit upon the well-known values and violence.“

— Ce rare entretien avec Carax de plus de 3 heures pour Les Inrockuptibles Numéro 32 Décembre 1991 —
A l’impossible on est tenu

Extraits:
My translation from the French:
I started from a sentimental score: the film had to find a balance between the irremediable – because the homeless are living the irremediable – and a feeling that is the closest to being in love, the undreamt of.
So by starting with this character that lived within the irremediable as well within painting, the fact that she was losing her sight – or at least thought she did – imposed itself.
To all of this, as in music, I imagined a counterbeat in the form of the young man who spits fire. He both bedazzles her as a fire-eater when he appears extremely radiant and generous., but it is the first time he really looks at him, and at the same time, he burns her eye.
… It may be a bit naive on my part but I have always wanted to film, the momentum, the take-off, movement… My films have always told the story of characters who look for this momentum and that fall back down to earth; and find gravity.
––––
Je suis parti d’une partition sentimentale; le film devait balancer entre l’irrémédiable — parce que les clochards sont absolument dans l’irrémédiable — et un sentiment plus proche du sentiment amoureux, l’inespéré.
Donc, en partant de ce personnage qui était dans l’irrémédiable ainsi que de la peinture, s’imposait le fait qu’elle perdrait la vue, ou du moins qu’elle penserait la perdre. À cela, comme en musique, j’ai imaginé un contre-temps qui est que le garçon lui crachait le feu. À la fois il l’éblouit, parce que quand il crache le feu, il est extrêmement beau et généreux, mais c’est aussi la première fois qu’elle le regarde vraiment, et à la fois il lui brûle l’œil.
… C’est peut-être un peu naïf chez moi mais j’ai toujours voulu filmer l’élan, l’envol, le mouvement. Mes films ont toujours raconté l’histoire de personnages qui cherchent l’élan et qui retombent sur terre; ils trouvent la pesanteur.

–––––

From Mr. X, a documentary about Leos Carax.
I must admit I have a certain contempt for the press. All these faces that show up. 
After all, if I were an animal in the wild, I would go after anyone trying to film me.  

Les Amants du Pont-Neuf : la malédiction Carax sur Affaires Sensibles (France Inter) en 2016

The theme song by the Rita Mitsouko

Le producteur Alain Dahan, sur les décors.

Le Chef Décorateur, Michel Vandestien (le pompier dans le film), souvent avec Robert Guédiguian.

La Musique des Amants du Pont-Neuf – The Music from The Lovers on the Bridge

• Les Amants – Les Rita Mitsouko
• Time Will Crawl – Written and performed by David Bowie
• Strong Girl Written & performed by Iggy Pop
• You’re Gonna Get Yours written by Chuck D (as Carl Ridenhour) & Hank Shocklee performed by Public Enemy
• Cantus In Memory of Benjamin Britten written by Arvo Pärt performed by Staatsorchester Stuttgart conducted by Dennis Russell Davies
• Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge: Opus 10 composed by Benjamin Britten performed by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ronald Thomas
• An Der Schonen Blauen Donau composed by Johann Strauss performed by Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest(as Concertgebouw Orchestra d’Amsterdam) conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
• Sonate Pour Violoncelle Seul: Opus 8 composed by Zoltán Kodály performed by Chrichan Larson
• Mains de Velours Written & performed by Jo Privat
• Romanella Written & performed by Jo Privat
• Jayebli Salam written by Assi Rahbani, Mansour Rahbani& Philemon Wehbe performed by Fairuz
• Ya Saken Elali written by Assi Rahbani, Mansour Rahbani& Philemon Wehbe performed by Fairuz
• La Marseillaise Written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle
• Quatuor a Cordes No.3 in F Major: Opus 73 written by Dmitri Shostakovich performed by The Fitzwilliam String Quartet
• Harke, Harke written by Tobias Hume performed by Jordi Savall
• Suite des Danses Rituelles ref. ARN 64016 performed by the Master Drummers of Burundi
• Concerto for 12 Cellos written by Einar Englund performed by the Finnish Cello Ensemble conducted by Ulf Söderblom
• Byte Of The Devil Written & performed by Gilles Tinayre
• Les amants lyrics by Catherine Ringer music by Fred Chichin Performed by Les Rita Mitsouko

And more recently, the outrageous adventures of Monsieur Merde.

Provocation is one way to reset reality back on its feet./ La provocation est une manière de remettre la réalité sur ses pieds. Brecht



And, for now, the whole episode of MERDE (from Tokyo!)

AND SOON!
Russell Mael & Ron Mael, from the Sparks, co-writers of Annette to be released in 2018 (or later!) – with Adam Driver.
A musical!
(A stand-up comedian whose opera singer wife is deceased. He finds himself alone with his 2 year old daughter who has a surprising gift.)