Gaspar Noé Considers His Next Move: ‘I’d Like to Do a Movie With Kids, or for Children’

As a seasoned cinephile with decades of film-watching under my belt, I find myself captivated by the audacious and unapologetic storytelling of Gaspar Noé. His latest revelation about venturing into genres like documentary, war films, horror, and even children’s movies, is a testament to his fearless approach towards cinema.

After concluding a two-hour masterclass at the Cairo Film Festival, Gaspar Noé discussed potential future genres he’s keen on exploring with EbMaster: “Intriguing film genres that I might delve into for an upcoming project are documentaries, war films, and horror. Perhaps I should attempt to blend these three genres. Additionally, I have a desire to create a movie featuring young children or a children’s film.

The filmmaker behind “Irreversible” (2002) and “Vortex” (2021), who hails from Argentina, once shared at a packed event: “Children are essentially miniature adults. As kids, we’re vulnerable. We encounter everything life throws at us. I have a deep affinity for children, even though I don’t have any of my own. The bond between adults and children is raw and fun. I’d love to create a film featuring young actors. They instinctively understand vulnerability and the risks they face.

Noé often discusses the impact his mother had on his movie-making – her work as a social worker led him to focus on society’s most disadvantaged individuals, while her passion for cinema inspired him to watch a wide variety of films at an early age. “When I was just four years old, I recall the bone-crunching fight between skeletons in ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ (1963), and when I was six, I saw ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968). At that time, I didn’t even understand what a baby was. I asked what that large object at the end of the film was.” The emotional resonance from these experiences shaped his entire career, and this is particularly evident in “Enter the Void” (2009) – a movie he often refers to as his “Kubrick film.

Through his mother’s preference for boundary-pushing movies, he received an unconventional introduction to content that some considered provocative at the time: “I watched a Fassbinder film when I was 10 with her at the cinema in Buenos Aires. I didn’t understand what lesbians were and I was watching films about them.

Noé derived his artistic playfulness from his father, an artist. He enjoyed incorporating tricks into his art, like the on-screen warning in his 1998 debut film “I Stand Alone”, urging viewers to exit the theater. This idea was inspired by a title card from an old William Castle movie titled “Homicide” starring Joan Crawford. The movie had a similar warning, but Noé felt he could utilize it more effectively. Interestingly, Vittorio de Sica’s film “Umberto D” (1952) also left an impact on Noé, although not as obviously.

The thought-provoking film ‘Irreversible,’ released in Cannes in 2002 and featuring Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel, drew inspiration from several sources. It borrowed the concept of presenting scenes in reverse chronological order from Harold Pinter’s play ‘Betrayal’ (1983), and it was influenced by Michael Winner’s movie ‘Death Wish’ (1974) in other aspects. The innovative subjective camera work used in ‘Enter the Void’ was inspired by the 1947 film noir ‘Lady in the Lake.’

As numerous films he’s made have stirred up controversy due to their intense nature, I inquired if he had ever felt remorse over his choices or if he wished he had taken things even further: “Fortunately, I have no regrets about my past movies. However, there were concepts I once found intriguing that don’t excite me as much now. It’s essential to begin film production when the subject still captivates you. Sometimes, movie ideas lose their appeal as the world and our own lives change, and fresh ideas may suddenly seem more compelling.

It’d be quite surprising if that novel concept led to an unprecedented milestone for Gaspar Noé – a children’s film among his works.

2024-11-18 16:46

Gaspar Noé Considers His Next Move: ‘I’d Like to Do a Movie With Kids, or for Children’

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