Denis Villeneuve

For Tracy, that's the composer Hans Zimmer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why did you choose the composer first? Because I knew that I will need the score in Dune will be essential, will be absolutely crucial to the success of the movie to bring that kind of sacred quality that I wanted. And also because it's like, it's a matter of context. I was working with Hans. He asked me, what will you do next?

For Tracy, that's the composer Hans Zimmer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why did you choose the composer first? Because I knew that I will need the score in Dune will be essential, will be absolutely crucial to the success of the movie to bring that kind of sacred quality that I wanted. And also because it's like, it's a matter of context. I was working with Hans. He asked me, what will you do next?

And we were talking about Dune and I saw his face change because it's start to talk about it and brainstorm about it. And Hans said to me that he had not seen the David Lynch movie because he wanted to stay pure, a virgin. He didn't want to see... He said, one day I know I'm going to make the score for a new adaptation and I want to know nothing about what has been done.

And we were talking about Dune and I saw his face change because it's start to talk about it and brainstorm about it. And Hans said to me that he had not seen the David Lynch movie because he wanted to stay pure, a virgin. He didn't want to see... He said, one day I know I'm going to make the score for a new adaptation and I want to know nothing about what has been done.

I want to stay... Why am I talking about this? It's because... Hans, right at the beginning, said, but is it a good idea to get close to a teenager dream? To try to bring to the screen something that is so dear to our hearts. It is dangerous. You're meant to fail. You're going to fail.

I want to stay... Why am I talking about this? It's because... Hans, right at the beginning, said, but is it a good idea to get close to a teenager dream? To try to bring to the screen something that is so dear to our hearts. It is dangerous. You're meant to fail. You're going to fail.

It's like you have to accept that you're going to fail, that you will be able to bring a little bit of it, a part of that dream on screen, and the rest will be far away from it. And that space between what you achieve, what you were able to bring, and the things that are different means that I have space to grow and to get better, to make another movie.

It's like you have to accept that you're going to fail, that you will be able to bring a little bit of it, a part of that dream on screen, and the rest will be far away from it. And that space between what you achieve, what you were able to bring, and the things that are different means that I have space to grow and to get better, to make another movie.

If I had absolutely succeeded, then I'd be in deep trouble.

If I had absolutely succeeded, then I'd be in deep trouble.

Like, this is the kind of thing that inspires me. I remember that one of the first movies that had a big impact on me was, and I saw it on TV, frankly, was 2001, A Space Odyssey. Yes.

Like, this is the kind of thing that inspires me. I remember that one of the first movies that had a big impact on me was, and I saw it on TV, frankly, was 2001, A Space Odyssey. Yes.

trauma at first yeah those apes uh being afraid of that sculpture in the middle of the desert it was so frightening and strange and poetic and powerful images uh i will say that uh discovering the work when i was young um discovering the work of steven spielberg uh it was a through Close Encounter of the Third Kind. That's a movie that really blew my mind when I was a kid. Totally.

trauma at first yeah those apes uh being afraid of that sculpture in the middle of the desert it was so frightening and strange and poetic and powerful images uh i will say that uh discovering the work when i was young um discovering the work of steven spielberg uh it was a through Close Encounter of the Third Kind. That's a movie that really blew my mind when I was a kid. Totally.

Also, when I saw Blade Runner the first time. That is another one. The original Blade Runner. That was something that I really... And I'm a Star Wars generation. Yeah. The first movie that I asked my parents to see in the theater, the first time I said, I want to see that.

Also, when I saw Blade Runner the first time. That is another one. The original Blade Runner. That was something that I really... And I'm a Star Wars generation. Yeah. The first movie that I asked my parents to see in the theater, the first time I said, I want to see that.

Usually they were bringing me to the theater, but the first time I said, I would love to see that, looking at my dad's newspaper, it was Star Wars. And that was something that changed. I remember the...

Usually they were bringing me to the theater, but the first time I said, I would love to see that, looking at my dad's newspaper, it was Star Wars. And that was something that changed. I remember the...

oomph the energy coming out of this movie it was incredible at the time I was 10 years old like probably you I was like the target audience I was like it was the impact of that film was insane yeah and we will be right back and now back to the show

oomph the energy coming out of this movie it was incredible at the time I was 10 years old like probably you I was like the target audience I was like it was the impact of that film was insane yeah and we will be right back and now back to the show

I think that scope and visual effects and things, it's not that difficult. I think the thing that is a challenge that I'm focusing a lot on set is to try to make sure that the emotional journeys of the actors, of the characters, are authentic. People are talking to me about intimacy, but I think it's more... Everybody, all the directors are trying to...

I think that scope and visual effects and things, it's not that difficult. I think the thing that is a challenge that I'm focusing a lot on set is to try to make sure that the emotional journeys of the actors, of the characters, are authentic. People are talking to me about intimacy, but I think it's more... Everybody, all the directors are trying to...

to bring the intimacy, the inner world of the characters, their inner journey on screen. But it's about the inner logic, the authenticity of that journey to make sure that it feels like genuine human reactions. And I think that's where the strong emotional impact comes from, when you feel that there's something that feels real, that feels like you can relate to.

to bring the intimacy, the inner world of the characters, their inner journey on screen. But it's about the inner logic, the authenticity of that journey to make sure that it feels like genuine human reactions. And I think that's where the strong emotional impact comes from, when you feel that there's something that feels real, that feels like you can relate to.

And it sounds obvious, but specifically in sci-fi, I feel that very often characters don't behave like real humans. It's a personal sensation sometimes I have. They can be two-dimensional. It's coming from the documentary. I did documentaries when I was young.

And it sounds obvious, but specifically in sci-fi, I feel that very often characters don't behave like real humans. It's a personal sensation sometimes I have. They can be two-dimensional. It's coming from the documentary. I did documentaries when I was young.

It's something that I think that I'm really focusing as I'm writing, when I write or when I read the screenplay or when I participate in the writing process of a screenplay, I try to focus on and with the actors as well to make sure that that journey feels like grounded. It has roots in something real. So when Amy Adams sees the alien, we believe it because it feels genuine.

It's something that I think that I'm really focusing as I'm writing, when I write or when I read the screenplay or when I participate in the writing process of a screenplay, I try to focus on and with the actors as well to make sure that that journey feels like grounded. It has roots in something real. So when Amy Adams sees the alien, we believe it because it feels genuine.

It feels like a real human reaction.

It feels like a real human reaction.

I thank you so much because you're the first one who's talking about that moment. It's exactly this idea of addiction to power. The man is about to die, but still the idea that he could get closer to power is like a human addiction. Thank you very much for pointing that out.

I thank you so much because you're the first one who's talking about that moment. It's exactly this idea of addiction to power. The man is about to die, but still the idea that he could get closer to power is like a human addiction. Thank you very much for pointing that out.

It's a very good question, thank you. All shots are different from that specific moment where the Baron is lying on the stairs. It's a character, for those who haven't seen the movie, it's a character that is just about to die and sees suddenly the throne. The king has left the throne and the throne is up the stairs and he's looking at the throne and he's crawling towards it.

It's a very good question, thank you. All shots are different from that specific moment where the Baron is lying on the stairs. It's a character, for those who haven't seen the movie, it's a character that is just about to die and sees suddenly the throne. The king has left the throne and the throne is up the stairs and he's looking at the throne and he's crawling towards it.

And with a moment like that, I will say it's a very simple image. So it's about Stellan. I explained to Stellan the idea, and Stellan Skarsgård, who plays the Baron, will perform and bring that to life. Sometimes I will say that the camera angles and the camera movement can help to enhance or... Elevate. Thank you very much. That's why I'm here. To bring force into an idea.

And with a moment like that, I will say it's a very simple image. So it's about Stellan. I explained to Stellan the idea, and Stellan Skarsgård, who plays the Baron, will perform and bring that to life. Sometimes I will say that the camera angles and the camera movement can help to enhance or... Elevate. Thank you very much. That's why I'm here. To bring force into an idea.

The camera is always very powerful, but the birth of the idea is acting, of course. Yeah, that's cool. But let's say perhaps, especially in this... About music, it's something for me that it's a power. Music is super powerful, but I try to not think about it. as I'm shooting because it needs to be on screen first. It's something that... Well, I had a question about that.

The camera is always very powerful, but the birth of the idea is acting, of course. Yeah, that's cool. But let's say perhaps, especially in this... About music, it's something for me that it's a power. Music is super powerful, but I try to not think about it. as I'm shooting because it needs to be on screen first. It's something that... Well, I had a question about that.

It depends. A good example will be the sandworm riding where Timothée Chalamet playing Paul Atreides will attract a sandworm and then when the sandworm arrives nearby him, he will jump on the worm and ride the worm. So it's a sequence that is like heavily storyboarded and needs months of prep.

It depends. A good example will be the sandworm riding where Timothée Chalamet playing Paul Atreides will attract a sandworm and then when the sandworm arrives nearby him, he will jump on the worm and ride the worm. So it's a sequence that is like heavily storyboarded and needs months of prep.

And at this moment, let's say that the choreography that I impose, I'm more of a dictator, I impose a rhythm, a precise choreography that Timothée has to follow. But inside that choreography, there's tiny moments where Timothée, when I'm in close-up on him, how he can anticipate the arrival of this beast toward him, the way you can act with

And at this moment, let's say that the choreography that I impose, I'm more of a dictator, I impose a rhythm, a precise choreography that Timothée has to follow. But inside that choreography, there's tiny moments where Timothée, when I'm in close-up on him, how he can anticipate the arrival of this beast toward him, the way you can act with

with his eyes, there's tiny things, the micro-precision of acting that he can bring. I mean, I'm open to ideas, but in general, sometimes it's more loose, some sequences, there's more space for the actor, and those are also I love when I have time to give space to the actors to bring some ideas. I'm talking about the settings of a scene. It's very inspiring when when people bring good ideas.

with his eyes, there's tiny things, the micro-precision of acting that he can bring. I mean, I'm open to ideas, but in general, sometimes it's more loose, some sequences, there's more space for the actor, and those are also I love when I have time to give space to the actors to bring some ideas. I'm talking about the settings of a scene. It's very inspiring when when people bring good ideas.

Exactly. But at the same time, it requires tremendous acting skills. to be able to uh to perform and and to bring life to to uh like timothy facing the worm or amy adams facing the aliens or to be in relationship with something that doesn't exist it's like it requires nice uh imagination and and and it's not easy to to for actors to perform in those

Exactly. But at the same time, it requires tremendous acting skills. to be able to uh to perform and and to bring life to to uh like timothy facing the worm or amy adams facing the aliens or to be in relationship with something that doesn't exist it's like it requires nice uh imagination and and and it's not easy to to for actors to perform in those

movies with big toys and all these things and to answer to your first part of your question about techno cranes or dollies etc those are it's all planned in advance as when I built the scene it's all drawn prepared so we can we know exactly what kind of technology we'll use on the day of course

movies with big toys and all these things and to answer to your first part of your question about techno cranes or dollies etc those are it's all planned in advance as when I built the scene it's all drawn prepared so we can we know exactly what kind of technology we'll use on the day of course

No, we were almost as possible outside in the real environment or with real sets. We built as much as we could. And we were in the real environments, in the desert. And those landscapes are, for the people who have been in the landscape that are bigger than life, that bring humility inside you, that the impact on those landscapes is tremendous, on the actors and myself.

No, we were almost as possible outside in the real environment or with real sets. We built as much as we could. And we were in the real environments, in the desert. And those landscapes are, for the people who have been in the landscape that are bigger than life, that bring humility inside you, that the impact on those landscapes is tremendous, on the actors and myself.

The right crew. It requires a certain amount. We can erase footsteps in the background, things like that with CGI, but you cannot have an actor walking in their own footsteps again because that's a nightmare for VFX. So you have a crew with rakes? So it means that we have to plan to find areas where we will each take, move the camera, put the camera on a dolly and move. Find another spot.

The right crew. It requires a certain amount. We can erase footsteps in the background, things like that with CGI, but you cannot have an actor walking in their own footsteps again because that's a nightmare for VFX. So you have a crew with rakes? So it means that we have to plan to find areas where we will each take, move the camera, put the camera on a dolly and move. Find another spot.

To make sure that we have the perfect place to do five or six or seven or eight takes, that we will also have, the crew will have the discipline not to make any footsteps. It sounds simple, but it's not. It's like when you have a crew of 800 people in the sand to make sure that everybody follows the same path. Yeah. Amazing. And it gives the opportunity to see crazy things.

To make sure that we have the perfect place to do five or six or seven or eight takes, that we will also have, the crew will have the discipline not to make any footsteps. It sounds simple, but it's not. It's like when you have a crew of 800 people in the sand to make sure that everybody follows the same path. Yeah. Amazing. And it gives the opportunity to see crazy things.

Like every night when I was going back from the set, at sunset, there were 100 people grooming the sand dunes. That's terrible. So the wind will do its work during the night. And it's very poetic. That I felt, oh my God, am I Miguel Omani? Yeah, you're a monster.

Like every night when I was going back from the set, at sunset, there were 100 people grooming the sand dunes. That's terrible. So the wind will do its work during the night. And it's very poetic. That I felt, oh my God, am I Miguel Omani? Yeah, you're a monster.

Yeah. But, yeah, it's all about the nature of the project and the parts are a bit boring, but I wish I could work with all of them again. I'll do it. But it's just... But it's a thing that, honestly, I adore working in the United States, to have access to all these incredible actors. I mean, it's like... And casting is very strange.

Yeah. But, yeah, it's all about the nature of the project and the parts are a bit boring, but I wish I could work with all of them again. I'll do it. But it's just... But it's a thing that, honestly, I adore working in the United States, to have access to all these incredible actors. I mean, it's like... And casting is very strange.

I mean, you bring someone and its intuitions about the proximity of an actor and a role, and it's a gamble in some ways. But...

I mean, you bring someone and its intuitions about the proximity of an actor and a role, and it's a gamble in some ways. But...

I'm going to be very honest. Every time I write or direct listening to music, and that's why I say music, I'm very sensitive to music. I absolutely love music, but it does like, you know, I remember once one of my first film,

I'm going to be very honest. Every time I write or direct listening to music, and that's why I say music, I'm very sensitive to music. I absolutely love music, but it does like, you know, I remember once one of my first film,

I was directing a specific scene and as I was alone in my bubble with my headphones listening to this fantastic piece of music and I was saying to myself, it's going to be amazing. It's going to be something. It's the power of music. Then you look at this scene without the music. It's the same with writing. Sometimes I write something and I get emotional. I'm like, oh my God. Maybe I'm great.

I was directing a specific scene and as I was alone in my bubble with my headphones listening to this fantastic piece of music and I was saying to myself, it's going to be amazing. It's going to be something. It's the power of music. Then you look at this scene without the music. It's the same with writing. Sometimes I write something and I get emotional. I'm like, oh my God. Maybe I'm great.

And then you read it the next morning. It's like, no, it's the music. It sounds stupid, but it's the truth. I cannot work with music. I work with silence. And silence is my friend. My sets are very boring. I'm not a funny director. I'm someone who loves to be... When I get in the car in the morning, it's total silence. I need silence. I arrive on set, I need silence.

And then you read it the next morning. It's like, no, it's the music. It sounds stupid, but it's the truth. I cannot work with music. I work with silence. And silence is my friend. My sets are very boring. I'm not a funny director. I'm someone who loves to be... When I get in the car in the morning, it's total silence. I need silence. I arrive on set, I need silence.

And I try to protect that bubble all day long. That's where I can... find my way when there's music, I'm gone. It's too powerful. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And this is why, to answer your question, it's like if I have music from the past movies right now, I cannot listen to this music. It's too powerful. Yeah.

And I try to protect that bubble all day long. That's where I can... find my way when there's music, I'm gone. It's too powerful. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And this is why, to answer your question, it's like if I have music from the past movies right now, I cannot listen to this music. It's too powerful. Yeah.

First of all, yeah, I try to think about the sound and the structure of the sound design as much as possible in the screenplay. And I know as I'm writing that I will need music there, there. I will create a sequence, a musical sequence more. It's something that is embedded in the DNA of the screenplay.

First of all, yeah, I try to think about the sound and the structure of the sound design as much as possible in the screenplay. And I know as I'm writing that I will need music there, there. I will create a sequence, a musical sequence more. It's something that is embedded in the DNA of the screenplay.

But then when we edit the film, there's like, I'm working with an editor, Joe Walker, who is a master that Joe is coming from, was a... studied as a composer. He was a composer first, then he did sound at the BBC as a sound editor. So where I'm going is that sound, what I love, and one of the reasons I started to work with Joey, we made many movies together, is that for him,

But then when we edit the film, there's like, I'm working with an editor, Joe Walker, who is a master that Joe is coming from, was a... studied as a composer. He was a composer first, then he did sound at the BBC as a sound editor. So where I'm going is that sound, what I love, and one of the reasons I started to work with Joey, we made many movies together, is that for him,

sound is as important as the image. And it's something that when I was making indie movies, I felt that the sound was coming at the end of the process and with very little time. And I was always kind of disappointed not having the proper time to make a real embedded sound design. And so now I try to bring the sound as early as possible.

sound is as important as the image. And it's something that when I was making indie movies, I felt that the sound was coming at the end of the process and with very little time. And I was always kind of disappointed not having the proper time to make a real embedded sound design. And so now I try to bring the sound as early as possible.

So it's like, as I'm shooting, we have a sound designer that starts to create, specifically with Syfy, to create sounds that will be fed to the editing room very early on. So these sounds are timed to... live with them and make sure that they will enter the test of time and get used to them and make sure that they are right through time. It's not just flashes that are last minute flashes.

So it's like, as I'm shooting, we have a sound designer that starts to create, specifically with Syfy, to create sounds that will be fed to the editing room very early on. So these sounds are timed to... live with them and make sure that they will enter the test of time and get used to them and make sure that they are right through time. It's not just flashes that are last minute flashes.

And it gives, of course, more time to explore, experiment. And so the sound is something that is, again, as important as the image. And with Johan Johansson and Hans Zimmer,

And it gives, of course, more time to explore, experiment. And so the sound is something that is, again, as important as the image. And with Johan Johansson and Hans Zimmer,

both composers were flirting close to the sound design sometimes and meaning that the music sometimes there's like a dance that I installed between the designers and the composer that they will flirt and cross sometimes the border of one of each other and for that it needs communication.

both composers were flirting close to the sound design sometimes and meaning that the music sometimes there's like a dance that I installed between the designers and the composer that they will flirt and cross sometimes the border of one of each other and for that it needs communication.

Yeah, but I will say that it depends on the sequence. Sometimes I say to the team, here it's Hans. Hans Zimmer is not known to be subtle. When he invades the soundtrack, it means there's no... So there are some moments where we say, okay, that's the area. I said, here it's going to be, we go full on. It's trying to find the right balance between what the scene needs. It's the movie that guides me.

Yeah, but I will say that it depends on the sequence. Sometimes I say to the team, here it's Hans. Hans Zimmer is not known to be subtle. When he invades the soundtrack, it means there's no... So there are some moments where we say, okay, that's the area. I said, here it's going to be, we go full on. It's trying to find the right balance between what the scene needs. It's the movie that guides me.

It's so visceral. I've been very interested by the border between the United States and Mexico. I thought it was very meaningful... about our reality, it was very... I was looking for, I was reading about it, I was looking for a project that will be, for a story, something that will allow me to explore that zone.

It's so visceral. I've been very interested by the border between the United States and Mexico. I thought it was very meaningful... about our reality, it was very... I was looking for, I was reading about it, I was looking for a project that will be, for a story, something that will allow me to explore that zone.

And came into my hands at one point, I read a lot, but one project came called Sicario, written by Taylor Sheridan. Yeah, the great Taylor Sheridan. Taylor Sheridan is well known now for all the work he's done, but at that time it was one of his first screenplays. And still today, it is by far, by far one of the best screenplays I ever read. Wow. The amount of research...

And came into my hands at one point, I read a lot, but one project came called Sicario, written by Taylor Sheridan. Yeah, the great Taylor Sheridan. Taylor Sheridan is well known now for all the work he's done, but at that time it was one of his first screenplays. And still today, it is by far, by far one of the best screenplays I ever read. Wow. The amount of research...

that Taylor had done to bring that world to life. The best compliment I have about Sicario is when I meet border officers or policemen or DEA officers or people who work at the border who saw Sicario and said, that's the real deal. And honestly, it is because of the work that Taylor had done. He had done his homeworks. And when you were reading the screenplay, you knew you

that Taylor had done to bring that world to life. The best compliment I have about Sicario is when I meet border officers or policemen or DEA officers or people who work at the border who saw Sicario and said, that's the real deal. And honestly, it is because of the work that Taylor had done. He had done his homeworks. And when you were reading the screenplay, you knew you

in front of something that felt authentic. Very, very strong screenplay. I remember reading it, and I was like, the screenplay was so intense. I finished the screenplay, I was drained of energy. I was like, oh, my God. I love it. I'm so sad that I love this so much. I would have to go in the dark, and I was just out of three very dark movies in a row, and I said, to go back there.

in front of something that felt authentic. Very, very strong screenplay. I remember reading it, and I was like, the screenplay was so intense. I finished the screenplay, I was drained of energy. I was like, oh, my God. I love it. I'm so sad that I love this so much. I would have to go in the dark, and I was just out of three very dark movies in a row, and I said, to go back there.

But it was exact. And it's by far the movie that was the fastest process. I read the screenplay, met the studio. We got along spontaneously and we did the casting. It went bang. I was behind the camera with Roger Dickens. It was like one of the fastest projects I ever made. And still to this day, it's a very nice shoot because there was like just a nice balance between the budget and the subject.

But it was exact. And it's by far the movie that was the fastest process. I read the screenplay, met the studio. We got along spontaneously and we did the casting. It went bang. I was behind the camera with Roger Dickens. It was like one of the fastest projects I ever made. And still to this day, it's a very nice shoot because there was like just a nice balance between the budget and the subject.

And it went quite, it was a nice shoot.

And it went quite, it was a nice shoot.

I mean, like that border shoot, that slow motion truck car chase at the border. Great ideas. Great. Taylor is amazing to write cinema. Very cinematic ideas. Great dialogues, great characters, but very strong sense of cinema. I'm still grateful that I had the chance to bring that on screen.

I mean, like that border shoot, that slow motion truck car chase at the border. Great ideas. Great. Taylor is amazing to write cinema. Very cinematic ideas. Great dialogues, great characters, but very strong sense of cinema. I'm still grateful that I had the chance to bring that on screen.

It's a sequence like that battle sequence, for instance, has to be planned months in advance because it's a puzzle. Different parts have been shot in different places and you have to create a piece of highway sequence With all these cars, it has to be very, very well planned according to its sun positions. And so it's storyboarded. And of course, working with someone like...

It's a sequence like that battle sequence, for instance, has to be planned months in advance because it's a puzzle. Different parts have been shot in different places and you have to create a piece of highway sequence With all these cars, it has to be very, very well planned according to its sun positions. And so it's storyboarded. And of course, working with someone like...

Roger Dickens will have a strong input. That's what I love. It's like a collaboration. I mean, it's like we will find together the right angle according to the board that I did, but I'm always open if someone has a better idea on set that will make the shot even stronger.

Roger Dickens will have a strong input. That's what I love. It's like a collaboration. I mean, it's like we will find together the right angle according to the board that I did, but I'm always open if someone has a better idea on set that will make the shot even stronger.

The thing I love working with Roger is that we both are, when we are looking for a shot, looking for the angle, not multiple angles, But one, we used to work with one camera and just making sure that that's something, that search for the best angle possible is something that would... You're only working with one camera? It's something I really, really love. On Sicario, yes. Only one? Wow.

The thing I love working with Roger is that we both are, when we are looking for a shot, looking for the angle, not multiple angles, But one, we used to work with one camera and just making sure that that's something, that search for the best angle possible is something that would... You're only working with one camera? It's something I really, really love. On Sicario, yes. Only one? Wow.

That's crazy. No, no. I will say it's because I'm monomaniac and it's something that Roger has. We try once to put a second camera on one and it was a disaster. I mean, you feel it. You know it's not right. It's like there's one place to put the camera and the rest is... We are both On a movie like Doom, sometimes there was additional cameras.

That's crazy. No, no. I will say it's because I'm monomaniac and it's something that Roger has. We try once to put a second camera on one and it was a disaster. I mean, you feel it. You know it's not right. It's like there's one place to put the camera and the rest is... We are both On a movie like Doom, sometimes there was additional cameras.

It's because of the nature of the beast, I didn't have the choice. And Greg Fraser had that flexibility to...

It's because of the nature of the beast, I didn't have the choice. And Greg Fraser had that flexibility to...

Yeah. Actually, my first feature film was some kind of a rom-com. Was it? Yeah, it's not a good one, but it was. She did lose her life at the end. Actually, he dies. Wow. No, no, no, no, no. Hopeless. But it is one of the reasons when I did Sicario, I knew Arrival was coming after. And I did Sicario knowing that I would make a movie with more light.

Yeah. Actually, my first feature film was some kind of a rom-com. Was it? Yeah, it's not a good one, but it was. She did lose her life at the end. Actually, he dies. Wow. No, no, no, no, no. Hopeless. But it is one of the reasons when I did Sicario, I knew Arrival was coming after. And I did Sicario knowing that I would make a movie with more light.

And because I was like, it's true that I had made a series of films that were pretty violent and dark. And that is a, there's a toll to this. There's like a weight that... And I needed to go toward, and I think that science fiction also helped me to go toward something like looking in the future or something that's more, there's more light there, I feel right now.

And because I was like, it's true that I had made a series of films that were pretty violent and dark. And that is a, there's a toll to this. There's like a weight that... And I needed to go toward, and I think that science fiction also helped me to go toward something like looking in the future or something that's more, there's more light there, I feel right now.

You know that the past movies are like, I'm the father of those movies. It's like, I see movies sometimes as a selfie of yourself. You know when you look at pictures of yourself when you were a teenager? The shame?

You know that the past movies are like, I'm the father of those movies. It's like, I see movies sometimes as a selfie of yourself. You know when you look at pictures of yourself when you were a teenager? The shame?

Honestly, very simply, I need good hours, sleeping hours. And one thing that I did on the past two movies, which was like... advice from Ridley Scott, because I said, I asked Ridley, how do you do it?

Honestly, very simply, I need good hours, sleeping hours. And one thing that I did on the past two movies, which was like... advice from Ridley Scott, because I said, I asked Ridley, how do you do it?

How do you, how can you make, say when I make a movie, Ridley makes three movies, and he has a very high pacing, and it's just how to make sure that your hours, shooting hours are regular, that there's no, so I, we do what we call French hours, meaning we shoot 10 hours a day, But without break, no lunch, no breaks. So it means that the hours are always the same.

How do you, how can you make, say when I make a movie, Ridley makes three movies, and he has a very high pacing, and it's just how to make sure that your hours, shooting hours are regular, that there's no, so I, we do what we call French hours, meaning we shoot 10 hours a day, But without break, no lunch, no breaks. So it means that the hours are always the same.

You always start the day at the same time and end the day no overtime. So it's like it creates a balance in your schedule. I love that. So you're not content. You do that on every job, right? On the past jobs, yes, yes, yes. I didn't do that on Blade Runner and I almost died. How are you on night shoots?

You always start the day at the same time and end the day no overtime. So it's like it creates a balance in your schedule. I love that. So you're not content. You do that on every job, right? On the past jobs, yes, yes, yes. I didn't do that on Blade Runner and I almost died. How are you on night shoots?

Yeah, it's about to create a balance in the schedule. Trying to find a balance so you will protect the crew from being exhausted. Because for the people who don't know about shooting, it's just that... The nature of the structure of the schedule because of the turnaround of the actors. Sometimes you end up starting your day in the middle of the afternoon and finishing late at night.

Yeah, it's about to create a balance in the schedule. Trying to find a balance so you will protect the crew from being exhausted. Because for the people who don't know about shooting, it's just that... The nature of the structure of the schedule because of the turnaround of the actors. Sometimes you end up starting your day in the middle of the afternoon and finishing late at night.

So it's like being in constant jet lag. It's not good for creativity.

So it's like being in constant jet lag. It's not good for creativity.

No, but as I'm shooting, honestly, when I shoot, I'm like, I make a film, it's a 24 hours, seven days a week commitment. way to relax. For me, I'm 100% present to the project.

No, but as I'm shooting, honestly, when I shoot, I'm like, I make a film, it's a 24 hours, seven days a week commitment. way to relax. For me, I'm 100% present to the project.

So there's no, specifically my movie of the sci-fi movies, it's every second, not even sci-fi, any movies, there's no, the way I will recover from a movie is to go back home in Canada, in the forest, go with my family, spend time with the kids. And that's where I recharge my batteries. But during a shoot, there's no moment where I know that.

So there's no, specifically my movie of the sci-fi movies, it's every second, not even sci-fi, any movies, there's no, the way I will recover from a movie is to go back home in Canada, in the forest, go with my family, spend time with the kids. And that's where I recharge my batteries. But during a shoot, there's no moment where I know that.

Yeah. Three great movies that are connected. No, but it's not bad. It's just that I was not saying to myself, okay, I'm starting a franchise. There wasn't your goal. I'm adapting this book in two movies and we'll see what happens after.

Yeah. Three great movies that are connected. No, but it's not bad. It's just that I was not saying to myself, okay, I'm starting a franchise. There wasn't your goal. I'm adapting this book in two movies and we'll see what happens after.

I don't know if it had happened or something, but it would be moving to think that people could be inspired. One thing for sure is that I made those movies. We were talking about darkness and violence earlier. The movies were made for PG-13 instead of rated R. It was the first time after, apart from Arrival, all my other movies are for adults. This one, I insisted...

I don't know if it had happened or something, but it would be moving to think that people could be inspired. One thing for sure is that I made those movies. We were talking about darkness and violence earlier. The movies were made for PG-13 instead of rated R. It was the first time after, apart from Arrival, all my other movies are for adults. This one, I insisted...

I agreed with the studio also to make it PG-13 because I wanted the movie to be accessible to a younger audience that would have the same age as when I read the book. So I thought it was inspiring for me.

I agreed with the studio also to make it PG-13 because I wanted the movie to be accessible to a younger audience that would have the same age as when I read the book. So I thought it was inspiring for me.

Yeah, at best. Yeah, but for me, I like the idea that those movies are taking themselves seriously, meaning that they are sci-fi that doesn't apologize to be sci-fi or I love... I remember when I saw The Empire Strikes Back when I was 13 years old, the impact of that movie on me at 12 years old. I thought the darkness of it, I felt that someone was talking to me as I was trusting me as a kid.

Yeah, at best. Yeah, but for me, I like the idea that those movies are taking themselves seriously, meaning that they are sci-fi that doesn't apologize to be sci-fi or I love... I remember when I saw The Empire Strikes Back when I was 13 years old, the impact of that movie on me at 12 years old. I thought the darkness of it, I felt that someone was talking to me as I was trusting me as a kid.

Bye.

Bye.

I'm not sure I got that.

I'm not sure I got that.

All right. I go back in the dark. No, no, no. All right. Yeah, but it was pretty dramatic because I don't know you, gentlemen. And it was a very intense conversation you were having about your common friend. Right.

All right. I go back in the dark. No, no, no. All right. Yeah, but it was pretty dramatic because I don't know you, gentlemen. And it was a very intense conversation you were having about your common friend. Right.

Yeah, yeah, that's it. But the thing is that it's good that Sean is actually taking care of it and making tests. Because the bad thing is when you have a surprise that comes out of nowhere. Oh, God, yeah. I lost a friend of mine that was like 58, Jean-Marc Vallée, the director of... Dyer's Buyers Club. And just biggest surprise, he was a healthy guy. He just fell on the floor, bang.

Yeah, yeah, that's it. But the thing is that it's good that Sean is actually taking care of it and making tests. Because the bad thing is when you have a surprise that comes out of nowhere. Oh, God, yeah. I lost a friend of mine that was like 58, Jean-Marc Vallée, the director of... Dyer's Buyers Club. And just biggest surprise, he was a healthy guy. He just fell on the floor, bang.

And it's good that at least you know you are taking care of it. There's someone, so it's going to be good.

And it's good that at least you know you are taking care of it. There's someone, so it's going to be good.

Big shock, yeah. The things that the doctor said, what is shocking and what we don't accept is that people actually have dates of preemption. I mean, sometimes we are meant to be of a certain length, and sometimes some people are meant to live less long. It's shocking, but it's true. And expiration date. Yeah, expiration date. I was doing French studies.

Big shock, yeah. The things that the doctor said, what is shocking and what we don't accept is that people actually have dates of preemption. I mean, sometimes we are meant to be of a certain length, and sometimes some people are meant to live less long. It's shocking, but it's true. And expiration date. Yeah, expiration date. I was doing French studies.

But it's a theme that is one of the main themes of Arrival. And that's one of the things that I loved about the short story. It was based on the story of your life written by Ted Chiang. That is a little masterpiece. And it's about, yeah, living to the present time to make the best out of it and not to be afraid of living because of the fear of death.

But it's a theme that is one of the main themes of Arrival. And that's one of the things that I loved about the short story. It was based on the story of your life written by Ted Chiang. That is a little masterpiece. And it's about, yeah, living to the present time to make the best out of it and not to be afraid of living because of the fear of death.

And that I thought was a nice thing in this movie. In the short story, sorry.

And that I thought was a nice thing in this movie. In the short story, sorry.

You have to read the short story. The short story is a masterpiece. It's like 28 pages or something written by Ted Chiang, a very, very strong sci-fi writer. And it's like, it's a little gem, yeah.

You have to read the short story. The short story is a masterpiece. It's like 28 pages or something written by Ted Chiang, a very, very strong sci-fi writer. And it's like, it's a little gem, yeah.

It's a good question because through the movies I've made, I always have the weird impression sometimes that the movie are choosing me more than us. It's like the project comes and there's something, a connection that is sometimes difficult to explain that is very intimate with the project. But recently, I've been more drawn towards books that I've been with me since a long time.

It's a good question because through the movies I've made, I always have the weird impression sometimes that the movie are choosing me more than us. It's like the project comes and there's something, a connection that is sometimes difficult to explain that is very intimate with the project. But recently, I've been more drawn towards books that I've been with me since a long time.

Like the Dune books, the books that I read when I was a teenager and those books have deep roots in my mind, in my soul. Those books have been with me through through the years, and I know that because I have a relationship of decades with these books, I know that it means something so deep that it makes sense to spend years trying to adapt them.

Like the Dune books, the books that I read when I was a teenager and those books have deep roots in my mind, in my soul. Those books have been with me through through the years, and I know that because I have a relationship of decades with these books, I know that it means something so deep that it makes sense to spend years trying to adapt them.

I would have the same relationship with a book that I'm starting to work on in an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke, Rendez-vous with Rama, which is a space movie that takes place in space. It's a book I have read when I was very young. Again, it's a book that stayed with me through the years. And when they have roots like that, it's a... But to answer to your question, yeah, existential is moving.

I would have the same relationship with a book that I'm starting to work on in an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke, Rendez-vous with Rama, which is a space movie that takes place in space. It's a book I have read when I was very young. Again, it's a book that stayed with me through the years. And when they have roots like that, it's a... But to answer to your question, yeah, existential is moving.

About the question about our... Why are we here?

About the question about our... Why are we here?

For Tracy, that's the composer Hans Zimmer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why did you choose the composer first? Because I knew that I will need the score in Dune will be essential, will be absolutely crucial to the success of the movie to bring that kind of sacred quality that I wanted. And also because it's like, it's a matter of context. I was working with Hans. He asked me, what will you do next?

And we were talking about Dune and I saw his face change because it's start to talk about it and brainstorm about it. And Hans said to me that he had not seen the David Lynch movie because he wanted to stay pure, a virgin. He didn't want to see... He said, one day I know I'm going to make the score for a new adaptation and I want to know nothing about what has been done.

I want to stay... Why am I talking about this? It's because... Hans, right at the beginning, said, but is it a good idea to get close to a teenager dream? To try to bring to the screen something that is so dear to our hearts. It is dangerous. You're meant to fail. You're going to fail.

It's like you have to accept that you're going to fail, that you will be able to bring a little bit of it, a part of that dream on screen, and the rest will be far away from it. And that space between what you achieve, what you were able to bring, and the things that are different means that I have space to grow and to get better, to make another movie.

If I had absolutely succeeded, then I'd be in deep trouble.

Like, this is the kind of thing that inspires me. I remember that one of the first movies that had a big impact on me was, and I saw it on TV, frankly, was 2001, A Space Odyssey. Yes.

trauma at first yeah those apes uh being afraid of that sculpture in the middle of the desert it was so frightening and strange and poetic and powerful images uh i will say that uh discovering the work when i was young um discovering the work of steven spielberg uh it was a through Close Encounter of the Third Kind. That's a movie that really blew my mind when I was a kid. Totally.

Also, when I saw Blade Runner the first time. That is another one. The original Blade Runner. That was something that I really... And I'm a Star Wars generation. Yeah. The first movie that I asked my parents to see in the theater, the first time I said, I want to see that.

Usually they were bringing me to the theater, but the first time I said, I would love to see that, looking at my dad's newspaper, it was Star Wars. And that was something that changed. I remember the...

oomph the energy coming out of this movie it was incredible at the time I was 10 years old like probably you I was like the target audience I was like it was the impact of that film was insane yeah and we will be right back and now back to the show

I think that scope and visual effects and things, it's not that difficult. I think the thing that is a challenge that I'm focusing a lot on set is to try to make sure that the emotional journeys of the actors, of the characters, are authentic. People are talking to me about intimacy, but I think it's more... Everybody, all the directors are trying to...

to bring the intimacy, the inner world of the characters, their inner journey on screen. But it's about the inner logic, the authenticity of that journey to make sure that it feels like genuine human reactions. And I think that's where the strong emotional impact comes from, when you feel that there's something that feels real, that feels like you can relate to.

And it sounds obvious, but specifically in sci-fi, I feel that very often characters don't behave like real humans. It's a personal sensation sometimes I have. They can be two-dimensional. It's coming from the documentary. I did documentaries when I was young.

It's something that I think that I'm really focusing as I'm writing, when I write or when I read the screenplay or when I participate in the writing process of a screenplay, I try to focus on and with the actors as well to make sure that that journey feels like grounded. It has roots in something real. So when Amy Adams sees the alien, we believe it because it feels genuine.

It feels like a real human reaction.

I thank you so much because you're the first one who's talking about that moment. It's exactly this idea of addiction to power. The man is about to die, but still the idea that he could get closer to power is like a human addiction. Thank you very much for pointing that out.

It's a very good question, thank you. All shots are different from that specific moment where the Baron is lying on the stairs. It's a character, for those who haven't seen the movie, it's a character that is just about to die and sees suddenly the throne. The king has left the throne and the throne is up the stairs and he's looking at the throne and he's crawling towards it.

And with a moment like that, I will say it's a very simple image. So it's about Stellan. I explained to Stellan the idea, and Stellan Skarsgård, who plays the Baron, will perform and bring that to life. Sometimes I will say that the camera angles and the camera movement can help to enhance or... Elevate. Thank you very much. That's why I'm here. To bring force into an idea.

The camera is always very powerful, but the birth of the idea is acting, of course. Yeah, that's cool. But let's say perhaps, especially in this... About music, it's something for me that it's a power. Music is super powerful, but I try to not think about it. as I'm shooting because it needs to be on screen first. It's something that... Well, I had a question about that.

It depends. A good example will be the sandworm riding where Timothée Chalamet playing Paul Atreides will attract a sandworm and then when the sandworm arrives nearby him, he will jump on the worm and ride the worm. So it's a sequence that is like heavily storyboarded and needs months of prep.

And at this moment, let's say that the choreography that I impose, I'm more of a dictator, I impose a rhythm, a precise choreography that Timothée has to follow. But inside that choreography, there's tiny moments where Timothée, when I'm in close-up on him, how he can anticipate the arrival of this beast toward him, the way you can act with

with his eyes, there's tiny things, the micro-precision of acting that he can bring. I mean, I'm open to ideas, but in general, sometimes it's more loose, some sequences, there's more space for the actor, and those are also I love when I have time to give space to the actors to bring some ideas. I'm talking about the settings of a scene. It's very inspiring when when people bring good ideas.

Exactly. But at the same time, it requires tremendous acting skills. to be able to uh to perform and and to bring life to to uh like timothy facing the worm or amy adams facing the aliens or to be in relationship with something that doesn't exist it's like it requires nice uh imagination and and and it's not easy to to for actors to perform in those

movies with big toys and all these things and to answer to your first part of your question about techno cranes or dollies etc those are it's all planned in advance as when I built the scene it's all drawn prepared so we can we know exactly what kind of technology we'll use on the day of course

No, we were almost as possible outside in the real environment or with real sets. We built as much as we could. And we were in the real environments, in the desert. And those landscapes are, for the people who have been in the landscape that are bigger than life, that bring humility inside you, that the impact on those landscapes is tremendous, on the actors and myself.

The right crew. It requires a certain amount. We can erase footsteps in the background, things like that with CGI, but you cannot have an actor walking in their own footsteps again because that's a nightmare for VFX. So you have a crew with rakes? So it means that we have to plan to find areas where we will each take, move the camera, put the camera on a dolly and move. Find another spot.

To make sure that we have the perfect place to do five or six or seven or eight takes, that we will also have, the crew will have the discipline not to make any footsteps. It sounds simple, but it's not. It's like when you have a crew of 800 people in the sand to make sure that everybody follows the same path. Yeah. Amazing. And it gives the opportunity to see crazy things.

Like every night when I was going back from the set, at sunset, there were 100 people grooming the sand dunes. That's terrible. So the wind will do its work during the night. And it's very poetic. That I felt, oh my God, am I Miguel Omani? Yeah, you're a monster.

Yeah. But, yeah, it's all about the nature of the project and the parts are a bit boring, but I wish I could work with all of them again. I'll do it. But it's just... But it's a thing that, honestly, I adore working in the United States, to have access to all these incredible actors. I mean, it's like... And casting is very strange.

I mean, you bring someone and its intuitions about the proximity of an actor and a role, and it's a gamble in some ways. But...

I'm going to be very honest. Every time I write or direct listening to music, and that's why I say music, I'm very sensitive to music. I absolutely love music, but it does like, you know, I remember once one of my first film,

I was directing a specific scene and as I was alone in my bubble with my headphones listening to this fantastic piece of music and I was saying to myself, it's going to be amazing. It's going to be something. It's the power of music. Then you look at this scene without the music. It's the same with writing. Sometimes I write something and I get emotional. I'm like, oh my God. Maybe I'm great.

And then you read it the next morning. It's like, no, it's the music. It sounds stupid, but it's the truth. I cannot work with music. I work with silence. And silence is my friend. My sets are very boring. I'm not a funny director. I'm someone who loves to be... When I get in the car in the morning, it's total silence. I need silence. I arrive on set, I need silence.

And I try to protect that bubble all day long. That's where I can... find my way when there's music, I'm gone. It's too powerful. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And this is why, to answer your question, it's like if I have music from the past movies right now, I cannot listen to this music. It's too powerful. Yeah.

First of all, yeah, I try to think about the sound and the structure of the sound design as much as possible in the screenplay. And I know as I'm writing that I will need music there, there. I will create a sequence, a musical sequence more. It's something that is embedded in the DNA of the screenplay.

But then when we edit the film, there's like, I'm working with an editor, Joe Walker, who is a master that Joe is coming from, was a... studied as a composer. He was a composer first, then he did sound at the BBC as a sound editor. So where I'm going is that sound, what I love, and one of the reasons I started to work with Joey, we made many movies together, is that for him,

sound is as important as the image. And it's something that when I was making indie movies, I felt that the sound was coming at the end of the process and with very little time. And I was always kind of disappointed not having the proper time to make a real embedded sound design. And so now I try to bring the sound as early as possible.

So it's like, as I'm shooting, we have a sound designer that starts to create, specifically with Syfy, to create sounds that will be fed to the editing room very early on. So these sounds are timed to... live with them and make sure that they will enter the test of time and get used to them and make sure that they are right through time. It's not just flashes that are last minute flashes.

And it gives, of course, more time to explore, experiment. And so the sound is something that is, again, as important as the image. And with Johan Johansson and Hans Zimmer,

both composers were flirting close to the sound design sometimes and meaning that the music sometimes there's like a dance that I installed between the designers and the composer that they will flirt and cross sometimes the border of one of each other and for that it needs communication.

Yeah, but I will say that it depends on the sequence. Sometimes I say to the team, here it's Hans. Hans Zimmer is not known to be subtle. When he invades the soundtrack, it means there's no... So there are some moments where we say, okay, that's the area. I said, here it's going to be, we go full on. It's trying to find the right balance between what the scene needs. It's the movie that guides me.

It's so visceral. I've been very interested by the border between the United States and Mexico. I thought it was very meaningful... about our reality, it was very... I was looking for, I was reading about it, I was looking for a project that will be, for a story, something that will allow me to explore that zone.

And came into my hands at one point, I read a lot, but one project came called Sicario, written by Taylor Sheridan. Yeah, the great Taylor Sheridan. Taylor Sheridan is well known now for all the work he's done, but at that time it was one of his first screenplays. And still today, it is by far, by far one of the best screenplays I ever read. Wow. The amount of research...

that Taylor had done to bring that world to life. The best compliment I have about Sicario is when I meet border officers or policemen or DEA officers or people who work at the border who saw Sicario and said, that's the real deal. And honestly, it is because of the work that Taylor had done. He had done his homeworks. And when you were reading the screenplay, you knew you

in front of something that felt authentic. Very, very strong screenplay. I remember reading it, and I was like, the screenplay was so intense. I finished the screenplay, I was drained of energy. I was like, oh, my God. I love it. I'm so sad that I love this so much. I would have to go in the dark, and I was just out of three very dark movies in a row, and I said, to go back there.

But it was exact. And it's by far the movie that was the fastest process. I read the screenplay, met the studio. We got along spontaneously and we did the casting. It went bang. I was behind the camera with Roger Dickens. It was like one of the fastest projects I ever made. And still to this day, it's a very nice shoot because there was like just a nice balance between the budget and the subject.

And it went quite, it was a nice shoot.

I mean, like that border shoot, that slow motion truck car chase at the border. Great ideas. Great. Taylor is amazing to write cinema. Very cinematic ideas. Great dialogues, great characters, but very strong sense of cinema. I'm still grateful that I had the chance to bring that on screen.

It's a sequence like that battle sequence, for instance, has to be planned months in advance because it's a puzzle. Different parts have been shot in different places and you have to create a piece of highway sequence With all these cars, it has to be very, very well planned according to its sun positions. And so it's storyboarded. And of course, working with someone like...

Roger Dickens will have a strong input. That's what I love. It's like a collaboration. I mean, it's like we will find together the right angle according to the board that I did, but I'm always open if someone has a better idea on set that will make the shot even stronger.

The thing I love working with Roger is that we both are, when we are looking for a shot, looking for the angle, not multiple angles, But one, we used to work with one camera and just making sure that that's something, that search for the best angle possible is something that would... You're only working with one camera? It's something I really, really love. On Sicario, yes. Only one? Wow.

That's crazy. No, no. I will say it's because I'm monomaniac and it's something that Roger has. We try once to put a second camera on one and it was a disaster. I mean, you feel it. You know it's not right. It's like there's one place to put the camera and the rest is... We are both On a movie like Doom, sometimes there was additional cameras.

It's because of the nature of the beast, I didn't have the choice. And Greg Fraser had that flexibility to...

Yeah. Actually, my first feature film was some kind of a rom-com. Was it? Yeah, it's not a good one, but it was. She did lose her life at the end. Actually, he dies. Wow. No, no, no, no, no. Hopeless. But it is one of the reasons when I did Sicario, I knew Arrival was coming after. And I did Sicario knowing that I would make a movie with more light.

And because I was like, it's true that I had made a series of films that were pretty violent and dark. And that is a, there's a toll to this. There's like a weight that... And I needed to go toward, and I think that science fiction also helped me to go toward something like looking in the future or something that's more, there's more light there, I feel right now.

You know that the past movies are like, I'm the father of those movies. It's like, I see movies sometimes as a selfie of yourself. You know when you look at pictures of yourself when you were a teenager? The shame?

Honestly, very simply, I need good hours, sleeping hours. And one thing that I did on the past two movies, which was like... advice from Ridley Scott, because I said, I asked Ridley, how do you do it?

How do you, how can you make, say when I make a movie, Ridley makes three movies, and he has a very high pacing, and it's just how to make sure that your hours, shooting hours are regular, that there's no, so I, we do what we call French hours, meaning we shoot 10 hours a day, But without break, no lunch, no breaks. So it means that the hours are always the same.

You always start the day at the same time and end the day no overtime. So it's like it creates a balance in your schedule. I love that. So you're not content. You do that on every job, right? On the past jobs, yes, yes, yes. I didn't do that on Blade Runner and I almost died. How are you on night shoots?

Yeah, it's about to create a balance in the schedule. Trying to find a balance so you will protect the crew from being exhausted. Because for the people who don't know about shooting, it's just that... The nature of the structure of the schedule because of the turnaround of the actors. Sometimes you end up starting your day in the middle of the afternoon and finishing late at night.

So it's like being in constant jet lag. It's not good for creativity.

No, but as I'm shooting, honestly, when I shoot, I'm like, I make a film, it's a 24 hours, seven days a week commitment. way to relax. For me, I'm 100% present to the project.

So there's no, specifically my movie of the sci-fi movies, it's every second, not even sci-fi, any movies, there's no, the way I will recover from a movie is to go back home in Canada, in the forest, go with my family, spend time with the kids. And that's where I recharge my batteries. But during a shoot, there's no moment where I know that.

Yeah. Three great movies that are connected. No, but it's not bad. It's just that I was not saying to myself, okay, I'm starting a franchise. There wasn't your goal. I'm adapting this book in two movies and we'll see what happens after.

I don't know if it had happened or something, but it would be moving to think that people could be inspired. One thing for sure is that I made those movies. We were talking about darkness and violence earlier. The movies were made for PG-13 instead of rated R. It was the first time after, apart from Arrival, all my other movies are for adults. This one, I insisted...

I agreed with the studio also to make it PG-13 because I wanted the movie to be accessible to a younger audience that would have the same age as when I read the book. So I thought it was inspiring for me.

Yeah, at best. Yeah, but for me, I like the idea that those movies are taking themselves seriously, meaning that they are sci-fi that doesn't apologize to be sci-fi or I love... I remember when I saw The Empire Strikes Back when I was 13 years old, the impact of that movie on me at 12 years old. I thought the darkness of it, I felt that someone was talking to me as I was trusting me as a kid.

Bye.

I'm not sure I got that.

All right. I go back in the dark. No, no, no. All right. Yeah, but it was pretty dramatic because I don't know you, gentlemen. And it was a very intense conversation you were having about your common friend. Right.

Yeah, yeah, that's it. But the thing is that it's good that Sean is actually taking care of it and making tests. Because the bad thing is when you have a surprise that comes out of nowhere. Oh, God, yeah. I lost a friend of mine that was like 58, Jean-Marc Vallée, the director of... Dyer's Buyers Club. And just biggest surprise, he was a healthy guy. He just fell on the floor, bang.

And it's good that at least you know you are taking care of it. There's someone, so it's going to be good.

Big shock, yeah. The things that the doctor said, what is shocking and what we don't accept is that people actually have dates of preemption. I mean, sometimes we are meant to be of a certain length, and sometimes some people are meant to live less long. It's shocking, but it's true. And expiration date. Yeah, expiration date. I was doing French studies.

But it's a theme that is one of the main themes of Arrival. And that's one of the things that I loved about the short story. It was based on the story of your life written by Ted Chiang. That is a little masterpiece. And it's about, yeah, living to the present time to make the best out of it and not to be afraid of living because of the fear of death.

And that I thought was a nice thing in this movie. In the short story, sorry.

You have to read the short story. The short story is a masterpiece. It's like 28 pages or something written by Ted Chiang, a very, very strong sci-fi writer. And it's like, it's a little gem, yeah.

It's a good question because through the movies I've made, I always have the weird impression sometimes that the movie are choosing me more than us. It's like the project comes and there's something, a connection that is sometimes difficult to explain that is very intimate with the project. But recently, I've been more drawn towards books that I've been with me since a long time.

Like the Dune books, the books that I read when I was a teenager and those books have deep roots in my mind, in my soul. Those books have been with me through through the years, and I know that because I have a relationship of decades with these books, I know that it means something so deep that it makes sense to spend years trying to adapt them.

I would have the same relationship with a book that I'm starting to work on in an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke, Rendez-vous with Rama, which is a space movie that takes place in space. It's a book I have read when I was very young. Again, it's a book that stayed with me through the years. And when they have roots like that, it's a... But to answer to your question, yeah, existential is moving.

About the question about our... Why are we here?