Joel Coen: "There’s always an emotional side to it"
- CANNES 2015: The presidents of the jury of the Cannes Film Festival and their jury members talked to the press about how they see their role
There was an excited buzz among members of the press this afternoon on the Croisette for the press conference of the jury of the 68th Cannes Film Festival. Presidents Joel and Ethan Coen answered questions (the latter being decidedly more talkative than the former) along with the seven members of their jury: Sienna Miller, Sophie Marceau, Rossy de Palma, Rokia Traoré, Guillermo del Toro, Xavier Dolan et Jack Gyllenhaal. Below are some of the highlights.
How are you going to judge the films? On what criteria?
Joel Coen: When I see a film, I try to experience it just like any other viewer would and there’s always an emotional side to it. That said, being part of a jury does affect the way you observe, as we’re being asked to judge and defend our opinion before the other members of the jury. But we’re not film critics. We’re here to reach a consensus on the films we all like, even if having to decide which is the best film is a bit of a peculiar notion in the field of art.
Guillermo del Toro: It’s not about being judges that know everything, but presenting to the other members of the jury, in few words, what we like the most. We all have our preferences, but we have to take our role very seriously, as the films being shown in competition here deserve our full attention. Then there’s the fact that we’re part of a group of people who are admired and respected, and I hope to learn a lot from this experience and come out of it enriched.
Xavier Dolan: I’m here to see some films as a cinephile, with my heart, and say what moves me. Whether the films are highbrow or commercial, it doesn’t matter. This is a laboratory, twenty or so universes will play out before our eyes and we have the opportunity to debate them with people of great prestige. It’s an immeasurable privilege.
How do you feel about the newly emerging ways of seeing films, via the Internet and other means?
Joel Coen: How would you feel about watching Lawrence of Arabia on an iPhone? Nothing can replace the experience of watching a film in a cinema with lots of other people around you.
(Translated from French)
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