Description

French director Bertrand Tavernier discusses his love of British cinema and his admiration for Michael Powell films, especially Peeping Tom 1960. He met with Powell, who showed him several unreleased films which were very impressive and inspiring. Tavernier went on to work with iconic director Stanley Kubrick, whom he descries as a creative genius but an imbecile in regards to organisation and impossible to work with. Things became so bad he had to quit. Tavernier details slowly learning his craft and spending two nightmarish years making his first film The Clockmaker 1974. Sunday in the Country 1984 a dark film about failure, a failing artist and his journey of acceptance. Daddy Nostalgie 1990 starring Jane Birkin and Dirk Bogarde who he describes as a very angry and bitter man who wanted to escape his Mr Nice Guy reputation and throw himself into European films instead. The next film discussed is In the Electric Mist 2009 a film set in the mist and swamps of Louisiana, he describes the importance of the location defining the atmosphere - so much so it became more than a back-drop but an actual character in itself. L.627 1992 a gritty Parisian police drama, here Tavernier reflects on it being so true to life, a wholly realistic depiction, that it became endorsed by the actual police themselves. Round Midnight 1986 is a film about a jazz saxophonist played Dexter Gordon. Tavernier talks of growing up with Jazz music, especially Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong - his biggest influences. The Princess of Montpensier 2010 set in 16th Century France is a period love story, where everybody is murdering people in the name of Christ. Tavernier always approaches each film as if it's his first, 'don't use a recipe, don't think you know everything, be prepared to discover, explore and be astonished and surprised'.

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