He is a prestigious director, whose work is rewarded by film buffs as well as by the public.
Cédric Kahn, Louis-Delluc Prize in 1998 with Boredom; and Silver Bear in 2018, with Prayer, is the president of the jury of the Ciné-Clap festival. He evokes his vision of cinema with The Republican Echo.
The Ciné-Clap festival in Chartres takes refuge on the Internet
We are all coming out of the confinement period. What is your state of mind ?
I was stuck in Paris, but it was fine. As a screenwriter, I used to be stuck in front of a computer at home. It is not, for me, an abnormal situation. The most complicated is deconfinement. We don’t dare to take our life back too much.
Family storm in the new film by Cédric Kahn with Catherine Deneuve
Did the situation force you to give up projects?
As a director, no, because I’m in the writing phase. As an actor, some of my shoots have been canceled, with no replacement date. But I don’t complain. Some are more fragile than us, like the theater.
Have you ever been a member or president of a jury?
It happens to me, but I don’t accept it very often.
So why did you say yes to Chartres?
Because of the confinement, I have a little time. And then, I’m really curious to find out what vision children have of cinema. I’m looking for the same thing as in pro movies: creativity, originality. I don’t necessarily expect something to happen, but I want to be touched. I’m looking for the cinematic gesture, an image, the magic of a face.
The pupils of the Saint-Jean school participated in the Ciné-Clap festival, in Chartres
Do you prefer to be a jury member or competitor?
The competition is exciting. We feel more alive. It feels like you are in life.
“I am really curious to discover what vision children have of cinema”
Cedric Kahn (Director)
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You have been rewarded several times. Is it important to you? Of course. Many say they do not do this job for the prizes, but when you are rewarded, it is very pleasant. We all need recognition. A film is the result of long, lonely work. We go through a lot of doubts, questions.
Two award-winning Eure-et-Loir establishments at Ciné-Clap
What is the underlying reason that drives you to make films?
It’s very mysterious. It’s an impossible feeling to describe. It takes a desire, a conviction that does not falter, because the genesis of a film can be very long. By turning a story, you tell something about yourself.
The Ciné-Clap association in Chartres is back
You are also an actor. Is it a different profession from filmmaker?
The difference between actor and director is almost the same as that between an adult and a child. I agree to make films that I believe in, but they are not my responsibility. I focus on my character. Being a director means having to manage everything.
Rémi Bonnet
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