Academy Award-winning French actor Juliette Binoche took a playful jab at Timothée Chalamet on Wednesday when asked about recent comments about the “Marty Supreme” Oscar nominee’s ballet and opera.
At last month’s CNN & Variety Town Hall Event, Chalamet said he didn’t want movie theaters to go down the path of “ballet or opera.” There, artists want “to keep this alive” even though “no one cares.” He was asked about this statement during a lively question-and-answer session at Thessaloniki International Airport. “I thought film was a dying art,” Binoche quipped at a documentary festival.
Binoche, who is at the Greek festival with his dance-themed directorial debut In-I In Motion, was speaking to a packed auditorium during a masterclass on the path from acting to directing.
Towards the end of the Q&A, an audience member asked the Oscar-winning actress for “The English Patient” what she thought about Chalamet’s viral comments. The comments outraged critics, from London’s Royal Ballet and Opera to The View hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin and ballet dancer Misty Copeland, who helped promote Marty Supreme.
Binoche was momentarily taken aback by the question, but needed to be made aware of the controversy before setting it aside.
“It doesn’t matter what he says. It doesn’t matter. Don’t make it a big deal,” she said. “What matters is what feeds your heart and soul. It doesn’t matter if you watch a bunch of movies that feel empty and dry up in the end. What matters is what feeds your soul and life.”
During an hour-long session Wednesday morning, Binoche delved into the creative process behind the documentary “In-I In Motion,” which chronicled his candid 2008 stage collaboration with British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan.
The film, which premiered in San Sebastian last year and will next be shown at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen, was assembled entirely from rehearsal footage and live recordings of completed stage productions.
In his review of the film, Variety’s Guy Lodge said, “The film gives viewers raw access to the creative process, offering the rare charm of watching two master artists step out of their depth and discover new dimensions of their craft on the hooves, so to speak.”
Speaking in Thessaloniki, Binoche opened up about the nearly 20-year process of getting his directorial debut off the ground, revealing how dance and acting taught him how to “embrace” fear, and sharing what he learned working with acclaimed directors such as Leos Carax, Abbas Kiarostami and Olivier Assayas.
“Be yourself. Trust your instincts. Don’t try to be someone else,” she said. “Everyone is different. Believe in your differences and do your best.”
Binoche also credited Robert Redford, who passed away last September, for encouraging him to make a film based on Khan’s acclaimed 2008 stage performance, which he watched live in New York.
“I heard Robert Redford say to me, ‘We have to make a movie out of this show.’ I just listened to him, and I knew he was right, but I didn’t know what to do,” Binoche said. “I didn’t have a production company. I didn’t have any money. I didn’t know[which editor]I was going to work with.”
The French star added that it wasn’t until producers Ola Strom and Solène Leger got involved that she realized “the world wants me to do this.”
Asked about the art of documentary filmmaking, Binoche downplayed her contributions to documentary filmmaking, pointing out that “In-I In Motion” marked her finding herself in front of the camera, as she had throughout her acclaimed career. (The film features footage shot by Binoche’s sister, Marion Stallens.)
Still, Binoche paid tribute to Frederick Wiseman, the “master of documentary” who passed away last month, and praised the broader community of documentary filmmakers as “warriors” of the unprecedented craft.
“They’re trying to survive. They’re not making a lot of money with their movies. It’s a struggle, but I think the struggle is worth it, because we need these documents to get closer to the truth of what’s going on,” she said. “It’s very admirable for people to be out there and risk their lives to actually find out what’s going on.”
Thessaloniki International Airport Documentary Festival will be held from March 5th to 15th.
