Jacqueline Alexandre
Andre Delvaux, you are a bit of an awards man. I have read an incredible list.
Since you started in cinema, you have always been appreciated, either when you had a film presented at the young cinema festival, at the Pesaro festival, etc.
I'm not going to list them because there are so many.
So your film "Belle" is the most recent, do you think that it has a chance at the Cannes festival?
André Delvaux
It's not very important.
At the Cannes festival there are about ten Belgian films, some years ago, there might not have been one, that's the important thing.
In any case, we've moved on to something else, "Belle" has been very well received, very well understood by the people who are talking about it, and that's clearly the main thing.
As for the rest, you know I'm not against awards.
Jacqueline Alexandre
So there is Belgian cinema at the moment?
André Delvaux
I think so.
Jacqueline Alexandre
For how many years in your opinion?
André Delvaux
It all started three or four years ago, very progressively.
Production is continuous now, you can see at Cannes for instance certain films by young people notably, which have real quality.
Jacqueline Alexandre
You are Belgian I believe, you say it with all the images throughout your film "Belle", you are really very used to the Belgian landscape where you were born.
Do you find it important to develop this landscape?
André Delvaux
I find that essential, that is, that the subject is born of the landscape.
Nevertheless I come from there, these are the people that I know, the lifestyle that I know well.
And I believe that if you are going to talk, you have to talk about what you know and nothing else.
Jacqueline Alexandre
On the other hand, you have hired foreign actors to make this film, Daniele Delorme, the French woman who is here on this stage, Adriana Bogdan, you were born in France I believe?
Adriana Bogdan
No I was born in Romania.
Jacqueline Alexandre
You were born in Romania but you came to France.
Adriana Bogdan
Yes
Jacqueline Alexandre
And the main actor who is Swiss. Why did you not choose Belgian actors?
André Delvaux
In Belgium, there is only a very small pool of actors.
Furthermore when they are good, they systematically work in the theatre, they're not free.
So I looked in the French speaking world, that is, in France, in Switzerland, in Belgium or in Canada, for people who could suit the roles exactly.
And I believe that the choices ended up being very effective, it's quite a stroke of luck.
Jacqueline Alexandre
Daniele Delorme, the critics were unanimous, everyone was delighted that you played the role of Mattieu's wife.
Did you like this role?
Danièle Delorme
It's one of the most beautiful roles that you can offer someone, she's not the perfect woman.
So it's rare. And as Andre has shown very well, yes I was very happy.
And then I was just plain happy because it was an epic film, it's a film where you could talk, it's a film where you could discuss, exist, live.
And I believe that the joy that we had in shooting it, in being together, in understanding, shows in a certain way on the screen.
So there are people who say of Andre that he's a poet, it's true, and that he has secrets, it's true.
And I believe that these secrets, he has tried to share them with us in a certain way during filming, and I think that also shows on the screen, in a certain way.
Maybe secretly, but there's a charm which comes out of all that which means that there's a...life.
Jacqueline Alexandre
It's true that this film is not shocking, it isn't...
Danièle Delorme
But what does not shocking mean?
Jacqueline Alexandre
Just, I agree with you when you say that it's quite secretive, that it has quite a secret charm, but I believe that's why people can love the film.
You said just now that during the film, it was interesting and important for you to be able to talk,
and yet you, Adriana Bogdan to be precise, you have a practically silent role, I believe that you say four or five words throughout the film.
André Delvaux
Four
Adriana Bogdan
Yes but you know, in order to communicate, you don't need many words.
You know, I don't speak in the film not because I can't speak.
Jacqueline Alexandre
It's a great role.
Adriana Bogdan
But because it's not necessary to speak.
So...
Jacqueline Alexandre
I believe that it's important to explain that you play the role of a woman who Mattieu meets while leading a perfectly normal life, what's more you even feel that he's in love with his wife, who is played by Daniele Delorme in the film.
But there is a huge problem that he resolves a bit with us, that is the disappearance of his daughter who ran away to get married.
You, you are the woman who he meets at that moment where he is a little bit lost, he falls in love with you,
And then there is this man, who he discovers and who he didn't expect to be with you, and who becomes the same enemy as the future husband of his daughter.
Adriana Bogdan
Yes, you understood this film very well, that's how it is.
Jacqueline Alexandre
I understood the film well?
Adriana Bogdan
Yes, very well.
Jacqueline Alexandre
Thank you. I wonder, no, we don't have any other extracts from this film.
We will now show you a little report which we made yesterday evening.
