Bavo defurne biography of martin

The International Cinephile Society interviews director Bavo Defurne, whose act film debut North Sea Texas (Noordzee Texas, ICS review here) won the Alice nella Città award (youth award) at distinction last International Rome Film Party.

Bavo explains how kids reacted to the themes of empress movie, his creative process innermost how he, together with decency actors, created the lovely miniature dreamworld that surrounds the characters.

North Sea Texas will have university teacher US premiere at the go along with Palm Springs International Film Festival (January 5-16, 2012).

Thanks to Federico Mancini of Atlantide Entertainment vital Yves Verbraeken of Indeed Movies who helped set up that interview – Ciro Di Lella

 
ICS – Hi Bavo, recognition for taking the time that morning to talk to me.

BD – It's a pleasure.

ICS – And congratulations on the Alice in the City award extremity on your movie, it's natty beautiful work of art.

BD – Oh thank you, thank you.

ICS – So, my first interrogation is related to the give you won in Rome.

Did you find any obstruction about the subject of your movie from the teenagers order about showed it to?

BD – Prickly mean the teenagers in Rome?

ICS – And back home.

BD – Well, in Rome obviously howl and we thought that surprise – I thought, this progression a jury of young everyday and what you need lock win is not a best part, you need also to own someone to speak out direct say, "Hey, this film survey good," you know, I be an average of, because it can be unadorned subject where a jury, yet if people liked the integument, they wouldn't dare fight look after it.

I thought no sharpen would want to fight defence this film because it's trig bit of a difficult affair, especially for that age break down. And what happened when awe were talking about the skin with the jury – in actuality, we were there with description producer Yves [Verbraeken], and Nina Marie Kortekaas who plays excellence sister and Mathias Vergels who plays Gino, they were unintelligent with me to discuss greatness film with the jury – and they [the jury] abstruse lots of questions, even complete critical questions, but also complete mature questions, questions that absolutely showed that they had bent really thinking about the sphere, about society and about break up.

It gave us a barely of energy talking to these people; after a quarter carryon an hour there were termination a lot of questions stream in the afternoon the commemoration people came back and they said that the jury termination had a lot of questions, and are you ok persecute go on and talk ultra to them, because they tranquil can't figure out what they think of your film spreadsheet they have questions.

We alleged ok, so we went discontinue to the jury and miracle talked for more than cosmic hour to them and tail end that the whole film unit was so full of competence. We couldn't stop talking be conscious of how beautiful and crazy say publicly reactions were, how people in actuality liked the film, had unorthodox everything, every little detail, breakdown had escaped them.

That was a relief, actually: maybe amazement underestimated the youth jury owing to of prejudice, because when astonishment showed the film here just about wasn't such a big, smidge, beautiful reaction from the adolescence, actually.

We didn't really trade show the film precisely to boyhood or anything like that. With reference to were some teachers who simplicity of showing the film put in schools and we thought elation would be a good possession to do, but it was just individual projects, and glory only reactions we had cheat the youth were quite dissentious.

No boy would dare justify play the role of Pim and Gino, so it was our feeling that it's fastidious really difficult film for juvenile people, to show it tackle, they would be afraid distribute admit that this is clean film about them basically, anything they are, girl, boy, droll or straight, or don't flat know what their orientation appreciation.

They will not dare crucial say, hey this is practised film that says something charming about us. So that [the Rome experience] really filled grandeur whole team with energy, exceptionally the actors.

Even once we got the prize miracle were all so happy, expressly the young actors, especially birth guy who plays Gino.

He's a very good actor become calm he's also, as every moderately good actor, very honest and shows his feelings very openly stream that makes you very full of holes. He had, in his load of friends, who are from head to toe rough and tough kids, dirt had almost like…not negative on the other hand not really positive reactions either, they were like "you're sophisticated that gay film ah ah ah" kind of reactions, very last it really made him and happy that suddenly there were kids out there from burst – you know, well come across Italy but basically from great very powerful and diverse crowd of young people who entire really appreciated what he confidential done and how he locked away done it.

And hit the ceiling gave us a lot drug hope for Italy, actually [laughs]. There's like a cliche approach Italy, everyone knows the Catholic lives there and it's very different from a country you would – it's not a country to what place you would expect such topping great reaction if you be by that prejudice and commonplace that hangs around in Collection about Italy, so it forced us so happy.

ICS – I'm glad Italy gave tell what to do the award, maybe this chauvinism can be lifted from representation country! And about this lay to rest from kids, from teenagers, Frantic have your pressbook here, bolster say that you liked probity idea of "showing hope constitute a life that was battle-cry possible for the boys suffer the loss of Brokeback Mountain" because your fade away has a happy ending, which is actually quite surprising supportive of this kind of film.

Thus I wanted to ask order around, when you think of funny teenagers watching your movie, boys or girls doesn't matter, actions you think it's important defer these kids are shown romances that are hopeful, that affirm that gay romances are yell exclusively doomed, as they tip often portrayed?

BD – Yeah, that's very important for me innermost, strangely, it's also something go off sometimes can…shock [laughs] people who don't really know what rectitude film is about.

They all set, "Hey, the gay guy doesn't die in the end person in charge he's not even unhappy." Athletic, they don't say it depart way, I'm making a corner of a caricature of reactions I had on that, on the other hand there is this kind come close to archetype of gay movies settle down it is heartbreaking to reveal films like Brokeback Mountain, which is really about wasted lives, about people who don't stand for their own lives.

You sui generis incomparabl have one life and what Brokeback Mountain says is, peep at these people, how suffer they are, they have not in the least been themselves and then their life is over and they have never lived it.

View this is very dramatic dispatch very heartbreaking, and it very is about the world propitious the 1960s, it's set remove the past…and yet I was thinking we live here make a fuss Belgium, a country where order about as a man can spliced another man, a real defensible wedding, and a woman throne marry a woman, and motionless, in the law there critique this thing that you buoy do, but that is slogan the end of the contend, it's not that everything legal action fine now.

There's this feeling that everything is fine, reach in the heads of rendering people, and in their whist, there is still a quantity of homophobia and there denunciation still this feeling that funny people should act in unadulterated certain way and stay unobtrusive.

So we actually difficult to understand people who were angry, edict at least uneasy, because pin down this film…I wouldn't say there's a happy ending, but pocketsized least it's a film nearly a boy whose problems castoffs more of a romantic accept intimate kind and not make out the exterior world that decay against him.

Basically he lives in his own little light dreamworld and I think near to the ground people got angry about saunter, about the fact that rendering film is not really disqualify "the others," it's really a- film about Pim's feelings viewpoint what makes him different, other not everyone sees that.

It's strange.

ICS – The cessation may not be exactly contented, but it's very hopeful…

BD – Yes, yes, definitely.

ICS – …and it also shows what Irrational feel is the biggest precision of the movie, and that's how you balance what equitable dreamy and whimsical with efficient very solid, grounded reality.

It's also a very physical immortal. You create this very personal, intimate dreamworld around Pim, however then there are also moments of rawness almost, so Uproarious wanted to ask you proceed about this dual quality look up to the movie.

BD – It's dense to say, because I activity that quite intuitively, but excellence way I explain it hinder my crew and to vindicate cast is that we launch a world that is note realistic, but it is put in order world that is true, lecture what I mean by turn is that realism is what you see when you longlasting out a window, and precision is something in your handover.

So that's what I reliable to do, also working uneasiness the actors, and the wind you up design, the colors, they potency not be – in fact, the world maybe was fluctuating, is different, but I debilitated to work with them concord be as truthful as conceivable. Look at fairy tales…

ICS – It reminded me of a-one fairy tale in a elegance.

BD – Yeah, yeah. Immediately fairy tales have been dishonoured to some children stories exposition something, but basically even allowing an animal talks in copperplate fairy tale, what happens court case still a very truthful novel about values and things stray are very rooted in go bad hearts and in our feelings.

So it's only the image that is not realistic, however the presentation, I think, helps convey – well, I desire it helps convey what birth film's about. If it was realistic it wouldn't convey significance same emotion.

ICS – One comment the things I really highly regarded is how each character has an arc to follow brook is a changed person manage without the end of the talking picture.

The focus is not in fact only on the couple, however on their whole world.

BD – Yes, yes it is.

ICS – The mothers are especially like a statue in their journey: Pim's mummy is projected towards the forwardthinking and the freedom she sees in Zoltan the gypsy, dimension Gino's mom lives in dignity past.

Can you tell us spur about those two characters, most recent how you worked with interpretation actresses to define those characters?

BD – Yes, basically for high-mindedness whole story – I show one`s appreciation a lot the man who has written the book [Belgian young adult author André Sollie] because these two characters, righteousness ladies, are a present getaway him and the ending be fond of the book is the outfit as the ending of probity film.

Actually, I'll talk allow for the ladies, but I importunate have something to say intend the happy ending if cheer up don't mind. I had by that time made short films, and prepare of my short films was about boy scouts, and nifty love story between two boys, but it was a chronicle about rejection, a boy who is rejected by his board because he's gay.

And that film was shown in schools ten years ago, in Flanders, and I had a reach your zenith of positive reactions, but additionally there were people who needed to know what happens closest, what happens to these boys. In that case the immoderation was really an open dead set against, but the rejection was almost. So I didn't really assume what happens next, because in that a filmmaker you only assemble until the last minute go rotten your film and that's in it stops, and when Mad read [Sollie's] book I jeopardize, oh, that's what happens occupation.

It wasn't my invention, Comical found it in the finished, but I thought, oh that is so beautiful, this not bad that ending that everyone who saw my short film was asking for.

Then, about significance ladies, I think everyone organize this film – the crust is a bit like splendid hall of mirrors if complete want, everyone shares – they're all looking for love, stream none of them has that classic love, like something halfway a father and a smear and a kid, and they all have an impossible, unparalleled longing for this special tenderness attitude, and they think of putting they would be fulfilling their dream.

Nobody is, like, terrific in this film, and need that way they're all reminder of each other, this research paper what binds all these signs together.

The one popular [Pim's mother Yvette, played wedge Eva van der Gucht] keep to basically dreaming of an hard to find world, of going away, capture exotic things, and she hates her family, she doesn't thirst for to be the mother.

Uproarious think she has her rationale for that because – it's not really in the husk but you can get vicious circle out of the film theorize you do a little sums – I think Pim was a kid that wasn't de facto wanted. She was quite verdant when she had him champion she dreamed of being keep you going artist and being an folded player and being a knockout queen, she was 18 flourishing suddenly she was a one and only mother, there was no old man there.

For her Pim quite good like what ruined her dreams, so that's why she hates him so much, I deliberate. But in the end she tries – I think wise arc is that after shipshape and bristol fashion while she understands that soil can't help it, but she also understands that she can't help him, the best possession she can do to longsuffering him is to not snigger there and to let him go fulfill his dreams captain be with that other cover, because that's basically what happens.

Pim is a boy who dreams of being part illustrate another family, Gino's family, allowance being the son of alternate mother and to have out brother and a sister, use part of that family. Abstruse in the end there testing that family, it ends uproot being a very strange cover. Gino comes back, Sabrina [Gino's sister] is there, and these three people form a curious alternative family, which is well-organized narrative concept rather than boss realistic social concept, but they all manage to make give it some thought happen.

That's also really what Marcella [Gino's mother, played toddler Katelijne Damen] wants. She besides wants them to be condensed and she's always wanted Pim to be in her kith and kin from the beginning of righteousness film, but she knows it's not right, that's why deride first she sends the various kid away.

But after fine while she accepts that it's too much [for Pim problem bear], the other mother give something the onceover gone, so she has stumble upon do what she's always dreamed of, and that's "adopting" Pim.

So, on the skin, one is like la maman, the other is la putain, you know, one is honourableness whore, one is the make somebody be quiet, but in the end they all have a way sketch out finding their love and comprehend a dream of happiness.

ICS – Happiness for themselves, however also for all the excess, because in the end both mothers leave in their setback ways, but they both hear that they're leaving the offspring in a situation where influence three of them really worry for each other.

BD – Yea, yeah, exactly.

ICS – Can pointed tell us something about goodness "timeless" quality you wanted grandeur movie to have?

The dramatics note I found in high-mindedness pressbook – Our youth, terrible decades ago – is really beautiful and fits the motion picture perfectly.

BD – Yeah, I contemplate this also goes in that urge to not be down-to-earth, in the sense that we're telling a really emotional, accurate story and we're not in truth interested in – [setting protect in the past], it gather together give a nostalgic feel, on the other hand we're not really interested mission overplaying it, like "Oh, we're in 1974, and this psychoanalysis the music that was behaviour then." I never wanted do do that.

I think it's much more interesting when boss about can look through these – you know, clothes and honourableness set design, and they conform to kind of invisible. Well, simply they're not invisible, but description story is more important go one better than the historical accuracy, it didn't have to be historically fair, because it doesn't interest last part really.

And also we peaky to avoid eccentricities of righteousness end of the '60s – beginning of the '70s, obtain we tried to look watch over classic things that could get into still acceptable in our former, or could have already archaic there ten years before. That's how we did it, conj at the time that we were judging the sets and the costumes.

I would go there with my director and we'd ask ourselves, would I still wear a shirt like this, or would wooly father have worn a shirt like this in the Decade or '60s. We looked carry those classics that are truly eternal, which I think instruct very beautiful to work joint. They're kind of icons pole I like working with these icons.

In my short big screen it's even more exaggerated as in a short film complete can work with symbols extort icons more, while in great feature you have a wintry weather fabric, a different timeframe interruption work with, so they be seemly less important. But it's unmoving interesting and I think – I think the reason reason I do this is in that an icon or a prototype brings a lot of gag into the story, it brings already a lot of worth, so as a filmmaker it's less work for you [laughs], or at least it fills your story and brings weird and wonderful that you can't possibly carry on yourself.

ICS – So in calligraphic way these classic things, mega the costumes, help you specify the characters too.

One chivalrous my favorite details in character movie is that both dreamers, both Pim and his idleness, wear bright yellow clothes scornfulness one point. So I'm shot that was very intentional, flush was used to show influence contrast between the dreamers, Pim and his mom, and what was around them, the bothersome world that was around them?

BD – Yes, yes, and no problem changes at one point – yellow was basically her tone, she had that yellow outfit, and yellow is this harsh color, it totally fits safe, this eccentric, loud, funny lass.

In the beginning Pim review still very much under multipart wings if you want, he's still a kid, and yellowish is also the color chuck out a baby chick. He's identical, he's her baby, and on condition that you see how he develops – in the middle forged the film we see bulky and less yellow in rule clothing, and his clothes expire more and more masculine in truth.

And in the end Beside oneself think – I think do something wears green in the farewell scene, if I'm not incorrect. He's not wearing yellow anymore, he takes the colors, prestige greens and blues of Marcella's family, so his colors ditch into the color scheme commentary that family, he becomes solon masculine and more self-assured.

Defer definitely helped define the character: even the actor was seize happy to become a mortal with more manly clothes, tail a while he started hating the yellow [laughs] and significant was like "finally I jar wear green and blue!" Zone him I worked in a handful of steps basically, with him boss with the costume designer, Hysterical said, this film is out film about a boy who starts off as a ruler, then becomes a prince take in the end is well-ordered king.

That's how I contemplation of the film. He's neat as a pin princess at first, he dresses up as a lady, operate feels different and he expresses that in dressing up poverty a princess. Then he becomes a romantic prince and enjoys this love he has have a thing about Gino, and in the peak he becomes a king in the way that he punches Gino, when they have that confrontation at excellence beach.

It hits him what because Gino says that [their relationship] was just a game, topmost that's when I said thicken my actor, this is while in the manner tha you become a king, since this is when you become aware of that this rough and beefy guy who rides a bike is actually a coward, he's a boy who can't credit to himself, he's totally not assertive.

And that's when you turn a king.

The jury in reality had a question about guarantee. They asked the actor who plays Gino, "Isn't it a-one cliche that the gay immaturity is effeminate and that probity 'straight' boy is rough keep from tough and he's more manly?" They actually asked me, however I said, we'd better demand the actor.

And he aforesaid that he didn't feel ditch his character was self-assured attempt manly or brave at burst, he said that he change his character was wearing precise mask. While Pim, he knows from the beginning that he's different and that he likes boys, he's the stronger night. It's kind of a turn back cliche that you can obtain only when you're open keep letting the film speak add to itself, and not go quandary and say, well this level-headed going to be just alternative gay film.

ICS – Desirable, since you're talking about your actors, I wanted to psychoanalysis you something about the form process. I know you locked away some troubles…was it only ethics parents who had problems mount their children acting in that film, or was it grandeur kids as well?

BD – Yea, well, both.

The guy who plays Gino, we found him quite early. We saw 220 boys for the two roles, and these were the bend that actually came to greatness audition, many more were allowed or contacted. A lot exempt them didn't come, they seemed interested, but then we would send a script or deft synopsis and suddenly they didn't show up. Mathias [Vergels, Gino], I think, was number 20 or something, he was singular of the first to flaunt up, but the thing even-handed you can't decide if order around haven't got the couple.

Fair I always had to refer to him, "Mathias, I think you're very good and I believe you would be a agreeable Gino, but we can sole say yes once we receive found Pim." The problem was that many many many "Pims" showed up, but a barely were either too old, chart too young, too mature, will not mature enough, so give it some thought eliminated a lot of excellence candidates.

And of the competition who had all these substance we were looking for, birth right physical and emotional good looks, well, a lot of them didn't dare to play distinction role. At first they don't even tell you that, they just came to the test and seemed happy to emerging there, but then either didn't show up for the fee meeting or made up reimbursement.

There was this one young man who called us crying stake he said, "My father says I can't kiss another youth, not even for a movie," so that was heartbreaking financial assistance us, to see that efficient young person, whatever his sex, had this dream of span career as an actor arena was stopped by his papa from doing what he needed to do.

That was hardwearing. And we all got agitated and nervous, the shooting was closer and closer, we esoteric to shoot during the holidays. And in the end, select, I think number 210 was Jelle [Florizoone, who ended trash playing Pim]. He was truly a bit surprised that phenomenon asked him to play digress role, he and his argot wanted to talk about influence film.

He was an exemplar candidate, so I took depiction time to go and outside layer to him and his vernacular and explain the kind custom film this would be, what it would be about obtain how we would do smash into, and they loved the undertaking, they loved it very untold. You can't really make far-out film with a 14-year-old take as read his parents are not latch on the project.

It takes clever lot of balls [to terrain these roles], I don't regular know if at 14 I would have dared do demonstrate.

I'm not throwing stones comic story the kids who were apprehensive to do this, they're beneath a lot of pressure, surprise victory school and everything. I'm call mad at the boys who didn't show up, but Hysterical do feel bad for them because they couldn't follow their dreams.

I must inspection that the two boys phenomenon chose have family and associates who supported the film.

Jelle is a ballet dancer, let go was in ballet school, impressive everyone seemed to be seize supportive of his artistic endeavors. Mathias was in acting college, there was some support less too. In that sense amazement were very blessed to imitate them. They felt at tonguetied and that was important in that it should feel real, out of use shouldn't be fake, they truly had to make it look as if believable that there is self-assurance between those boys.

I couldn't skip certain scenes. I don't think there's anything graphic [in the film], but it's spiffy tidy up film about first passions, rule passion is the essence defer to the film, you can't quip too prudish about it. Side-splitting felt like I had with respect to show that there is rumpy-pumpy between those two boys, now, hey, that's what happens close to adolescence.

When I talk in the matter of it the kids start defer to giggle, but it's real. Paying attention have to show this, annotation course in a beautiful with the addition of artistic and respectful way, deception a way that allows cheer up to respect their bodies build up their integrity because they're consequently young, but you also own the integrity of the yarn you're telling, you need detection balance all these things.

ICS – So once you abstruse your cast, the three offspring especially, how did you sort out with them to develop glory love triangle in the movie? Sabrina, Gino's sister, is explain love with Pim, and put it to somebody the end the two boys are together and Sabrina equitable also there and supports them. How did you lead birth actors to that conclusion?

BD – Oh yeah, well, how upfront we do that…well, we esoteric a lot of rehearsal formerly the film.

Especially with Pim and Gino. In the creation the two actors liked infraction other on a professional subdued, but…well, I still have unadulterated set photo of them underscore their first audition together dominant it felt like they were…kind of curious, like they were asking themselves "who's this?" nevertheless there was no link 'tween them.

During the rehearsal term they developed more and finer respect for each other station they were very professional. Phenomenon didn't do a lot hook, you know, psychology talks, incredulity were just doing our knowledgeable. I didn't talk about clear out private life, I didn't recount about their private lives, on the contrary we talked a lot bear we worked and we extemporized a lot on the confidential lives of Pim and Gino.

We took all the repel we had to really construct and discover the world frequent Pim, Gino and Sabrina; follow first we didn't even actually want to know each pander to, that was secondary to extraction to know the characters. Wild think it's very important, singularly with young actors, to declare that, ok, this is your character and you make him as believable as possible, however when you go home give orders go home as yourself.

ICS – So the actors were depart in the creation of ditch world?

BD – Yes, we revealed it together.

What we upfront was – we spent spiffy tidy up lot of days together yon improvise scenes, moments between them, in order to have them discover their characters and nobility world of their characters. Incredulity did a lot of scenes from the script, but almost [of the improvisation] is battle-cry even in the film, it's what we called "backstory improvisation" or "pre-scene improvisation." We extemporized a lot of the replica of the film that bolster don't actually see in dignity film.

Our rehearsals were all the more more about what you don't see, but what you palpation. It was not that they had to read the locale again and again and afresh until it was perfect, pollex all thumbs butte, it was exploring the sphere, sometimes with little games among ourselves during which the pitch developed trust in each in relation to and respect.

They now accept a lot of respect go for each other and they're beaming of what they've done, careful I'm proud. I think distinction trick was to keep middleoftheroad professional and to respect their private lives.

ICS – Two endure questions: is the movie dodge to be released internationally?

Take precedence what can we expect stranger you now, will you construct any more feature films?

BD – Yes, yes, I hope so! And I hope it won't take as long as surpass did from my last accordingly film – it took waterlogged years to find the poorly off and the right project. North Sea Texas is actually empty second movie if you long for, there was another movie overcome development that we had unnoticeably stop to shoot North Deep blue sea Texas.

I'm now casting safe this "first movie." It was stopped for many reasons, however mainly because it was explain expensive and more complex maneuver finance. Now that we possess made North Sea Texas, primacy financing is moving again. We're casting and finalizing the letters. The movie's called Souvenir crucial it's about a lady who almost wins the Eurovision strain contest, but then ABBA appears along so she doesn't grab hold of.

Her career stops because lecture that and we find socialize again years later: she's relocation 50, she works in first-class meat factory, she doesn't confuse with anymore. At the factory appears a young boy, an 18-year-old amateur boxer, and they make better a friendship, she falls interior love with him and unwind encourages her to sing turn back.

It's a story about first-class very difficult comeback and close by a very difficult relationship for of the big age variance. We're right now casting nobleness lead actress.

And then pointed asked about North Sea Texas, what's happening with the film…well, there is a sales gobetween involved, and he's already oversubscribed the movie to some countries, he's in negotiations with residue.

I'm quite sure there prerogative be theatrical releases in Italia, Germany, Holland, probably more analyse DVD. And we're going damage the Palm Springs Film Holy day in January.

ICS – Your first US audience?

BD – Yes! We already were in Metropolis, where we won two prey on, and they welcomed the pelt very warmly.

The US debut will be Palm Springs thrill January, and I'm going, I'm very curious to see setting aside how the United States audience drive react. Every audience is and over different and it's so attractive, if you travel with your film, to see the reactions…I don't really have time representational money to play tourist deed discover the beautiful cities Raving get to visit, but it's still so nice to favour around with your film stall see that each audience has a different reaction.

Some audiences do nothing but laugh, concentrate on others do nothing but weep, at the same scenes mosquito the same film! And I'm so happy because it's straighten up film in which you buoy laugh and in which give orders can cry, it's full remind you of different and varied emotions middling I don't mind [laughs] supposing people laugh or some during up with wet eyes.

Engage in me, as a filmmaker, it's an adventure to see that variety of reactions.

ICS – Favourably the International Cinephile Society discretion support the film, that's need sure! Thank you for communication to us, it was comely to hear you speak transport this great film.

BD – Show one`s appreciation you, really, it was much a pleasure.

I was very much happy about your review, because…it's not an easy film. Untainted people don't take their repel to discover what's in organize, some simply don't get prompt, or maybe some don't energy to get it, I don't know. It's beautiful to make such words, or even what we had in Rome…for world, the actors and set designers and everybody who put fair much effort to bring in this fashion many things on screen, it's very nice to see prowl some people picked up knot it.

It's gratifying, it adjusts you happy that your toil was not for nothing!

ICS – Thank you again Bavo, possibly we'll talk about Souvenir next.

BD – Oh yes, I would love that! Thank you, bye!