Wes Anderson

“I fell in love with the
words of Roald Dahl”

Posted on 17.10.2023

Cheered like a rock star, the American filmmaker won over the audience at the Lyon Auditorium, who were able to see his delightful adaptation of Roald Dahl's short story The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar on the big screen.

Being a filmmaker, but not just that...

To make films, I believe you need to have, above all else, an unwavering love for the human soul. But from my point of view, without the intervention of fate, making a career in the 7th Art is difficult. Luck is an important factor. When all these elements come together, it opens its doors wide, as it has done for me over the last twenty-five years. I see myself as an artist and a filmmaker, but also as a writer and an architect, two professions that I dreamt of when I was younger. And the great thing is that cinema now allows me to put on all these different costumes. When I finish a film, I can't wait to open the page to the next one.

Constant renewal with perfect consistency

I never start directing a film with the initial idea that it has to be in my style. I always approach it by focusing on the story I want to tell and on what is new in my vision of things. Above all, I ask myself how I can make what I want to tell intelligible to the viewer. Of course, my films are visually interconnected and I often hear people say that my cinema is instantly recognisable. It's a bit like my handwriting style: I do Wes Anderson and I accept it! But I always try to approach each story differently.

Animation akin to an isolated retreat

The first time I made an animated film was for Fanstastic Mr Fox. I was interested in the stop-motion technique, which I had wanted to experiment with since I was a child. The second time was like a new departure, even though I'd acquired a method. I wanted to experience teamwork in animation cinema in greater depth. Its technical and human dimensions. I knew what was involved in directing an animated film. I had a precise objective in mind and I knew the difficulties as well as the joys that come with an animation project. Of course, I had a story to tell, but I also wanted to experience this project as a team of people. For me, directing an animated film is a bit like starting a retreat in a monastery.

The art of writing and mise en scène

When I write a feature film, I never really know how I'm going to put it into images. Initially, I focus totally on the story. I first try to clarify what the audience needs to know and understand. This process gives me a much clearer idea of what I'm going to direct. I know that many filmmakers develop their directing skills in parallel with their writing. Personally, I've never been able to handle these two projects effectively at the same time, even though animation, due to its nature, has helped me to anticipate shots and settings much more, and therefore to enrich my films, without increasing their budget.

His troupe of actors and his... bus!

It's a very important element for me. I didn't plan to create one, but it's built up quite naturally over the years, from film to film. I'm lucky enough to work with actors I admire. When I start work on a feature film, I manage to find them. I like my cast to experience filming as a troupe. We live with each other, eat together and go through the stages of filming in a close-knit spirit. It makes the whole experience that much more moving for the whole team. It's very important for me to build a family atmosphere. It's the same when we get together at a festival to promote the film. I like to offer my team the same group experience as we had on the set. In Cannes, for example, we all stay outside the city. We can go to the beach without being mobbed, and then we go to the Croisette in my converted German bus. It has a table, a small kitchen, big seats for relaxing and even wifi. My dream is to arrive in front of the Palais des Festivals with it!

Towards further visual extremity?

Whatever film I direct, there's always a moment when I wonder whether I'm going to lose the viewer because I'm pushing the cursor a little too far in terms of visual extremity. My goal is always to be as intelligible as possible for the general public. However, I always try to go as far as I can with my ideas when I think that's the best way to stage what I want to tell. In adapting The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, I opted for a very particular form, and for a moment I imagined that it might throw viewers off balance. On this film, I set out to stage Roald Dahl's short story with great discipline. I fell in love with his words and was very worried that I wouldn't succeed in paying tribute to them. I hope I succeeded.

Crazy characters, really?

One day, at a screening of The Royal Tenenbaums at the former Cinémathèque Française, an old Monsieur who looked like Michel Ciment asked me why I always put such crazy people on the screen. I told him the truth, which was that they were inspired by my friends and family! I'm not attracted to weird people and, from my point of view, my characters are not. When it comes to the emotion they convey, I trust my characters and the actors who play them. That's why casting is such an important part of my process.

Reported and edited by Benoit Pavan

Categories: Lecture zen

Wes Anderson

“I fell in love with the words of Roald Dahl”

“I fell in love with the
words of Roald Dahl”