It was presented by French director and screenwriter Cedric Klapisch 22nd Seville European Film Festival his new movie, “Colors of Time”a film included in the official section of the competition. True to his style, Klapisch enters again … In search of identity, this time, with a journey through time through family memories and emotions, and exploring the impact left by family ties and art. The movie shows how Looking back can help us understand ourselves better And communicate with those around us. Known by titles like “Crazy House” or “Russian Dolls”The Parisian director combines sensitivity and visual beauty in this new work that invites us to look back and inward as well.
-How did the idea of making a film about the passage of time, family ties, and art come about?
– I wanted to make a film about all of this. The idea was to compare today’s era with the era before 1900. I believe that these two moments are witnessing a massive technological revolution. Before 1900, electricity, trains, photography, cinema… all of this changed painting with the Impressionist movement, which broke away from what had been done before. Today, since 2000, we have the Internet, social networks, smartphones, Instagram, TikTok and the coming artificial intelligence. All of these new technologies are very similar to the tools that appeared at the end of the 19th century, so I thought it would be interesting to compare them and see how similar they are.
The film is very visual, like a painting. Did any particular artist inspire you to create the “Colors of Time” aesthetic?
-I was inspired by all the Impressionist painters, especially Claude Monet. I approached him because of the film’s story and his way of showing nature, as he was one of the first to paint outdoors. Previously, a forest was not enough for a painting, and Monet and the Impressionists inspired me a lot with their use of colour. I also admire photographers who work a lot in color. Since my first feature film, I have realized that color management in cinema is a complex matter, and that few directors master it. Almodóvar, for example, is a great master of it, but not many others are.
– What is the biggest challenge for this film?
Achieving this was one of the biggest challenges. It’s my fifteenth film, and it’s definitely the most difficult. Working with period costumes adds difficulty. Furthermore, there was a lot of time for documentation and post-production required modern techniques to reconstruct an ancient era. All of that makes it more complicated than any other film I’ve made. In fact, before writing the screenplay, I spent almost a year visiting museums, looking at photographs and reading books about Paris and Normandy in the early 20th century. Then came the writing of the script and then filming, which lasted nearly two years until the film was completed. Post-production was longer than usual because of the digital work, so from when I started thinking about the film until everything was finished, it was three years. But I am very happy with the result.
-How did you build these similarities between the past and the present, and what role does the search for identity play in both?
– At the beginning of the film, Adele, 20 years old, lives in the countryside, in Normandy, in 1895. She wants to go to Paris because she does not know her mother and feels that she will not be able to grow up without knowing her. Her journey is like an expedition into the Amazon, but it is also a journey of reflection: meeting her parents and wondering about her family allows her to know herself. Meanwhile, in the present, four cousins discover an abandoned house dating back to 1944. They find photos, letters and paintings of their ancestors and begin investigating. The film shows introspective work similar to that of psychoanalysis, where the past and family help to understand one’s identity.
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Wednesday, November 12, at 9:30 p.m., at the Odeon Cinema in Plaza de Armas.
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Friday, November 14 at 5 p.m., at Cervantes Cinema.
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Buy tickets: at this link.
– What prompted you to present the film “Colors of Time” at the Seville European Film Festival?
– When the film was released, I presented it in Rome and Naples, and the distributor wanted me to come to Spain to support its release. Since the festival coincided with its dates, we thought it would be a good idea to present it here. Moreover, I love Europe and I believe that cinema fulfills the function of European identity; Although the film is very French, it also defends European identity.
-Is this the first time you came to Seville?
– No, it is the second, but it is the first time that I have presented a film at the European Film Festival here.
– As a director and producer, do you consider that such festivals help pave the way for the new generation of directors?
– Absolutely. The goal of all festivals is for filmmakers to meet, watch each other’s work, be curious and learn. I arrived on Saturday and saw that there were many young directors. This is important: learning about different generations and promoting curiosity. I was able to become a director thanks to the festival in which I became famous, and I think it is important in cinema for different generations to coexist.
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