With the release of his new film "Be Kind Rewind," French director Michel Gondry is back in the spotlight and being praised for his quirky humor and creative antics. This time, his movie is about moviemaking itself, as the characters create "Sweded" versions of well-known films, so named because they pretend that the remakes must be shipped from Sweden (as a way to explain the long wait and higher fees for each rental movie). The Daily caught up with Gondry at MIT, where he hosted a screening of his newest creation, and discussed filmmaking philosophy, cornstarch and the erasure of memories.
Question: I was wondering about the idea of community in this film. It's obviously a film about making films with other people and getting them involved. How do you make a community out of your own set, and how do you collaborate with actors?
Michel Gondry: In this case, for instance, how I create this sort of community you're describing ... The director of cinematography worked on "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" [2004] with me, and we took most of the crew from "Eternal Sunshine." I really think that I developed this concept of working with community with people inclined to work with community. From Mia Farrow, Danny Glover and Mos Def ... those three dedicate their lives to [different causes]. One is for Darfur, Danny Glover for African American community and poverty and lots of problems ... They are really political and activists. I think that we're involved in the spirit of the film by who's there. It's important to have an ensemble [of actors] who really care. I think it really affects the film at the end of the day.
Q: How do you think "Sweding" something can make it better?
MG: I'm not saying it's making it better. If it is better, it's because by the way they are made, they involve so much of what [the filmmakers] are. First of all, they just make them from the memory they have. They don't watch the film or compare or imitate; it's just a sort of a collective memory that they are all sharing. They recycle the location and such, and they have recycled respectfully in a way. It is different than watching a whole movie, than watching a movie on TV. You look at yourself, you look at something you created, so you enjoy that because you sort of feel good about yourself. You're not going to be too hard on yourself because it's good enough that you did it
Q: In the film, Mia Farrow makes a toast to films with "heart and soul." What, to you, gives a film heart and soul?
MG: It's complicated. I think it's who you are when you make it, who you are in general. I think it's a million questions and issues to solve [and] technical problems. Each time you solve a problem, you solve it with who you are. So it's a combination of all the parts of yourself that make a film what it is. I'm not saying I'm necessarily the best person, or a good person, but I think when I make a movie, I'm aiming for this sense of oneness and community and participation, and I think that's where you put your heart. The problems you have to solve when you do a movie are so vast and diverse that I think you have to build your own philosophy. If you talk to any director, they have their own philosophy ... Everyone has something strong to say. It doesn't really matter if you don't want to be influenced by [others]. What matters is that you have your own philosophy because that's the only way to solve the question you have to solve. If your philosophy is being cynical, then your movie will be cynical. If your philosophy is about trying to be more caring for others, then your film will be about caring for others. You answer the question with your principles or beliefs.
Q: In all of your films you touch on perception and memory. In this movie Mia Farrow says "It's our past, we can change it if we want." I was wondering if these themes are all present for a reason in your movies, and if so, at what point did you start becoming interested in the idea of memory?
MG: I think I wished to disappear ... As I grew up, my faith sort of disappeared. And I thought about how I'll be dead one day and about what's going to happen to me. Will I continue thinking? Will I not think anymore? I wanted to think about things like how when you're old and when you die, are you just a collection of a human brain? You still are somebody but you're done living. What's the difference from when you're dead and when you're living? What's the difference if you had a good or a bad life? In this case I remember about erasing ... I remember in 1981 my daughter had this camera, a VHS camera that recorded in black and white. We all [made] video sketches and stories, anything we wanted to create. Ten years later we could still watch it. My brother gave [a video] to a friend who wanted to watch it, then some years later [my brother] asked what happened to the tape. [His friend said], "Oh sorry, I recorded a football game." This is so frustrating, and I think maybe that was in the back of my head when I created the concept.
Q: As far as foreign film directors who have to learn English and then make movies, do you think that makes them more visually minded? Do you think that reflects in your work?
MG: I think maybe I'm more visual, and it's a way I've expressed myself since I was born. Even though my vocabulary isn't good, people ask me questions ... People see my movie and say, "Oh your movie is great! Tell us what you think of this or that." People really care about what I think so I think I'm more confident, which I was completely not when I was younger. I was more like, "Oh, I'm going to do a drawing," and that's how people received who I am.
Q: So you were a 2005 Rubin Artist in Residency at MIT, and from what I hear you really like it at MIT. When we think of MIT we usually think of technology of the future, but what you seem to really love is low technology, like [in "Be Kind Rewind"] taking "RoboCop" [1987] or "2001: A Space Odyssey," [1968] which were cutting edge at the time, and making them into low-budget pieces. What do you see as the relationship between low and high technology?
MG: When I came here the person I wanted to meet was this person called Star Simpson; she was actually arrested because she seemed out of her mind, and I can really relate to her craziness. Lots of people here are making projects like Star that themselves fit in with that spirit. In execution they feel like a bunch of wire mixed together, like they made some experiment in a microwave with some crazy new textures. I was here last time and made some special effects with corn starch. When you mix it with water you get a texture so that it's soft if you go slow and hard if you go fast. But I'm not only low-tech, I'm good with high-tech as well, a lot of complex special effects. I like the combination. I like the people making their projects here. There is a sense of since you are students and are not in the producing world you can try things and even if they don't work you can try something else. I really like that.
