Nicholas Philibert - director
Interview
French director Nicholas Philibert talks about his film To Be and To Have
by Federico Greco
French director Nicholas Philibert talks about his film To Be and To Have.
Is this school anything like the ones you attended as a child ?
“Not in the least. I lived in the city and have bad memories of my school days. I was unhappy, nervous, and unable to adapt to the routine of school to such a degree that my parents moved me around every year. It was thanks to this film that I finally managed to reconcile myself with that institution. “
Where did you get the idea for this film?
“I am not a director who’s always looking for the right story, I leave things to mature and see what the result is. I wanted to make a film about school, from learning about literature to country life, and wanted to make it long before I came across that particular type of school. The search was a difficult one because I wanted to express the very essence of teaching and learning and there are very few schools of this kind around in France. Slightly over 7000. “
How did the project develop? Did you manage to capture the special moments that pass between a teacher and his pupil or was it all prepared beforehand?
"You and your camera have to be accepted by your subjects, especially with a film such as this where the protagonists are children. I managed to shoot the first day, but not before I presented my equipment as trivia. It has to be said that you never know what can happen during the making of a film like this. The tears that Nathalie cries when she talks to the teacher after school is out were not planned for. During the editing process I wondered whether or not to cut that scenes. But if you portray a school of that type, it follows that you must also portray the more private aspects of these people’s lives".