Sunday, August 22, 2010

Interview with Roxane Mesquida - October 24th, 2007

Promoting: The Last Mistress
Venue: Sofitel Hotel
Interview type: One-on-one



ViewLondon (VL): Obviously you've worked with Catherine Breillat before (in A Ma Soeur and Sex Is Comedy). Were you always going to play the character that you play? Was it written for you?

Roxane Mesquida (RM): Well, no. Not really. I didn't know that I was going to play this character. We really want to work together all the time but this character is only 16 so she was scared that I was maybe too old for the role (I'm 26). She needed a big difference between (co-star) Asia Argento and the girl playing Hermangard. So she had these doubts about me for the role and one day we went to a retrospective of her movies and there was a screening of A Ma Soeur and Sex is Comedy, so we saw them together and she looked at me and said, “Oh my God, you're exactly the same! You haven't changed!” And at this moment, she realised it was completely possible for me to play a 16-year-old girl. Well, I'm always 16, in all the movies I make! And it's really funny because it's the third time I play a virgin in her movies – I've started to specialise in losing my virginity on screen.

VL: What was your favourite scene to film?

RM: My favourite scene was when I cried on the cliffside. It was really cool, because it was really hard. I had to run upstairs like maybe 20 times, it was really high and every time Catherine said, “No. You smiled a little. Go back.” I didn't smile! I almost passed out, I was like, “Please Catherine, I promise, I didn't smile...”. And so I cried for real.

VL: You don't have many scenes with Asia Argento. Did you get to know her at all?

RM: I have only one scene with her and the really interesting thing is that Catherine asked me to never speak with her. And I never spoke to her on the set, so I don't know her at all. And when I saw the movie for the first time, I realised why Catherine asked me to do that. So, in this scene with Asia, where I'm looking at her, you can see in my eyes that I really don't know her and I'm asking myself questions about her.

VL: What was it like working with (male lead) Fu'ad Ait Aattou?

RM: He's a model and it was his first role. It was really interesting. I really love acting with actors who've never acted before because there is something fresh and spontaneous about them. And Catherine is so good at directing actors – even if you're not an actor, you can only be good in her movies.



Note: I've posted interview notes in the comments section below.

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1 Comments:

At 2:04 AM , Blogger FilmFan said...

Interview with Roxane Mesquida – Notes

00.25 – How long have you been here?

01.20 – Discussion of Funny Games

03.35 – Mysterious Skin discussion

04.00 – Obviously you've worked with Catherine Breillat before. Did she write the part for you? This character is only 16 so she was scared that I was maybe too old for the role (I'm 26).

05.00 – Discussion of A Ma Souer

06.00 – She needed a big difference between the two women. Festival, retrospective, screening of A Ma Soeur and Sex is Comedy, I'm always 16 in all the movies I make. It's the third time I play a virgin in her movies – I've started to specialise in losing my virginity on screen.

07.00 – Part not as exciting as Asia Argento's part / was it difficult to do not very much while everyone else is having all the fun?

08.20 – Going blonde wasn't the hard part of the character. I had to have emotions without being too extreme. I felt the frustration because at that time it was prohibited to show emotion when you're a countess and just a woman.

09.20 – I had to never stay in my home. (French word).

11.00 – These moments were really intense.

11.10 – What was your favourite scene to film? My favourite scene was when I cried on the cliffside. It was really cool, because it was really hard. I had to run upstairs like maybe 20 times, it was really high and every time Catherine said, “No. You smiled a little. Go back.” I didn't smile! I almost passed out, I was like, “Please Catherine, I promise, I didn't smile...”. And so I cried for real.

12.20 – You don't have many scenes with (co-star) Asia Argento. Did you get to know her at all?

I have only one scene with herand the really interesting thing is that Catherine asked me to never speak with her. So I never spoke to her on the set, so I don't know her at all. Maybe I said hi to her maybe two times in my life, and nothing more than hi. And when I saw the movie for the first time, I realised why she asked me to do that. So, in this scene with her, where I'm looking at her, you can see in my eyes that I really don't know her and I'm asking myself questions about her.

13.15 – Continued discussion of same scene.

13.50 – Discussion of Fwad, lead actor. Scarlett Johansson's older brother. First role.

14.50 – I really love working with actors who've never acted before. Catherine great at finding young actors. So good at directing actors.

15.38 – Still in contact with Anais? We really don't know where she is. Too bad, because all of Catherine's actresses had a small role in the movie, but not her.

Not acting anymore. 13 during A Ma Souer.

17.00 – Discussion of A Ma Souer again.

18.00 – Discussion of Lust, Caution

18.50 – What can you tell me about the sex scenes in A Ma Soeur?

29.00 – Story of how she met Catherine Breillat.

34-00 – Plans for the future

34.50 – I don't want to be French French.

35.00 – Spanish, Italian and French. Romy Schneider.

 

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