Thefirst edition of the International Film Festival in the Médoc, alias the Harvest of the 7th Art, which took place from 15 to 19 July, has been the opportunity to meet one of the French actresses of the most popular of French cinema, Nathalie Baye, during a Master Class, followed by a brief interview with the Blog of the Film. We offer you his portrait, and most of what she has delivered with authenticity and spontaneity-the cinema of yesterday and today, the choice of its roles, the art of lasting in the business, his own gaze on herself or the films she likes to see at the cinema…and a few life lessons !
Finding its place in the business: I started by doing the dance. I started body lost in to escape from school which made me very unhappy. Then I accompanied a friend to an audition, that I myself have past, and I felt in my place, as a highlight, I realized that the dance didn’t please me as much as I would have hoped. I followed the course Simon then prepared the Conservatory, but I dreamed more of the theater because the dance taught me to love the stage. My meeting with François Truffaut for The American Night was a chance. Moreover, there is always a chance in life, we know to seize it.
Last in the profession: It however, this is not luck, but labour and perseverance. The time was different from today, that which was essential, this was not a career, but to work with directors who interest me , regardless of the roles. It was not the quantity but quality that mattered.
The three very important things in this business, it is a certain talent, a lot of work, and the talent to live this work, because the most difficult thing is to keep the desire of his trade, and play the comedy, make it so that the desire does not move over another object, such as money; it is necessary to keep balance and not let themselves be fooled by the glitter or the facility – the Star System is wrong and dangerous – nor by the discouragements, because it is a profession very difficult, he must be strong…and be known is not the key to happiness!
Its criteria of choice: What is obsessive-compulsive in me is be sincere and keep my freedom, including that of choose my roles. I can make the first movies or even short films, working with people of any generation, and what is challenging in this job is that there is no age limit. I have thus witnessed the birth of Nicole Garcia as a director in A weekend on two, I have worked twice with Xavier Dolan, a UFO, a genius (Laurence Anyways and Just the end of the world which is scheduled to release in 2016) and I just spin with Antoine Cuypers, belgian producer of short films (Prejudice which is scheduled to release in 2015).
I don’t choose my roles based on my public image : playing the prostitute in The Balance for me no problem, I do not consider that I take a risk… I do not go to war ! The roles that I have marked are the ones that I have interpreted in The american Night, The Little Lieutenant, The return of Martin Guerre, Venus Beauty, California; A week-end on two is a role that taught me a great deal, I am finally out of that mold of the woman reassuring in which I identified with: I have often played people who are supportive, caring, but play the mothers quiet is boring, and I love the good roles of crazy, as in My son to me, or Absolutely Fabulous, it is great for an actor! Also I like to play in comedies, it is in my nature, but it should be noted that the scenario would make me laugh!
Her way of working her role: I work more than before, upstream, notably at the level of scenario : I just found the reading, then I am comfortable discussing with the director, to learn more about his idea, and if one has this chance, I read with the other actors: this allows you to hear the lengths, bellies soft, what doesn’t work. I reminds me of the work of François Truffaut, who was very attentive to the understanding of things. Then throughout the shoot, I re-read it thoroughly and regularly, even when it is not scenes in which I play, to have keys on my character.
A role is like a puzzle, it is often a detail that feeds the character, as my aunt and her bracelets that had me inspired to Maguy in California. I sometimes also the characters that I interpret, as the lawyer Frédérique Pons in The Case of SK1.
Working with directors: I never asked a developer why he has chosen me, I’m not going to be fishing for compliments ! There are no roles that I expect that someone offers me, because the desires to work together are born more meetings, it is wonderful to enter the world of a filmmaker. Work with Godard , for example, it takes your breath away! And with François Truffaut, it is vouvoyait, we never managed to get close. It was funny and sometimes acid. When the great directors of today, who could leave their mark, I think Xavier Beauvois, Xavier Dolan, Noémy Lvovsky… But we will see this in twenty years!
I don’t distinguish between a filmmaker and a director, but I find that a director who is also an actor knows how to talk to actors, it is the building… there are filmmakers who are afraid of the actors, who do not love us always…I remember having given courses at the FEMIS with young directors on the direction of the actors, I had helped them to understand that it is living matter!
In the film The Flying, for the first time, I had two directors that I have led..they are complementary with their own universe, each one is very precise, the other very blurry! (Christophe Ali and Nicolas Bonilauri, released on September 2, 2015)
”This is very important in this business, it is a certain talent, a lot of work…and the talent to live this job and keep the desire !”
Turning again to the United States: Steven Spielberg (with whom she played Catch me If you can) is a man who seeks, very warm and very active on a shooting in which the team is huge ! But I don’t have theAmerican Dream, and the u.s. proposals that I made were not very interesting, I wouldn’t have accepted in France ; I’m very spoiled in my country.
Its partners on the screen: I do not work at all in the conflict… I want to love the people with whom I dream to play !
The way she judge her own work: I don’t like to see me at the cinema, I have often to wait ten years, I am then able to judge the film more objectively. But the years do not change anything and even if I am not more harsh with myself… I’m not in the least! When I turned I married a shadow, the shooting had been difficult, I did not like and I thought that I had made the bide of my life. The success has, however, been enormous, and it is true that seeing it again today, I can’t find it so bad !
The rewards: receive is a true pleasure, but then, as the sang Jeanne Moreau in one of her songs Fame “success, it’s not warm at night” !
The achievement: It begins to me tickle, I understand that it happens, because directing actors is wonderful. I do not have yet a precise idea of a topic but I’ll start with a short film.
Movies she likes: I have little time to see movies, but recently I have loved Mustang by Deniz Gamze Ergüven , or A screaming man by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. I also love movies, English and Asian.
His vision of a good film at the cinema: I quite agree with the definition of Robert Redford on what makes a good movie: “a good story, emotions, characters.” I love movies that provoke emotions, and those who are smart, who are also to reflect, to learn, to discover and feed.
THE FLYING will be in theatres on September 2, 2015 !
