The director of High Tension and Horns takes on producing duties for this India-based horror tale.
But I cannot help myself either.
I will do things such a way.
But in a bigger sense, what I want is that the movie needs to be real.
Thats a weird adjective, but, at the same time, it means a lot for me.
For me, a movie is an experience.
And if there is anything that stops me from the experience, I dont like that.
A lot of the genre community are huge fans of the old Italian horror movies and stuff like that.
There are some great moments, great scenes.
But some of those classic movies are just not cohesive.
You just dont believe in the acting.
You dont believe in the directing.
Everything feels tacked on and just there for those payoff moments, which I dont understand.
Every movie I need to be able to actually forget that Im watching (a movie).
What impressed you the most about Johannes?
I didnt see any of his movies when I read the script.
And then I asked him what I should be watching because he had made a few of them.
I felt thatFwas really interesting.
In the filmmaking there are some very good ideas.Storageas well was a good concept.
But at least they were something.
The Other Side of the Dooris not a giant budget either.
But its a comfortable number.
And, going in India, of course, gives you huge production value.
There is something thats inherently eerie about dealing with the supernatural in other cultures.
it’s possible for you to set horror movies in America, but were only 250 years old here.
Theres not that kind of back history, except among Native Americans.
There is so much more spirituality.
Living, by definition, is resisting death.
So its the concept of life.
But were not really embracing it in the same way that I think the Indian culture is doing.
Of course it brings a lot of opportunity to create fear and a better grounded supernatural background.
Because you step into Mumbai and its so chaotic and beautiful at the same time.
Its so scary and mesmerizing.
You feel that everything is possible.
I think that belief helps to create that fear.
Did you find that the Indian film crews all responded in a spiritual way to the material as well?
For them it was definitely different.
Most of the crew were local and very, very experienced people who had done tons of Bollywood movies.
They are always very baroque and over-exaggerated.
The kind of naturalistic approach of what we were doing was very interesting for them to work on.
I think we had a really good time altogether because we were doing something new.
But in terms of superstition, I didnt feel that from the crew.
I felt that from the Indian authorities.
At some point we were pushing the script toward more use of (Hindu goddess) Kali.
And they were not very comfortable of us using a proper goddess.
So we had to name the creature and call it something else.
But in the movie no one is really talking about the creature by name.
I think that was one of the elements.
The Aghori are a real group of people.
They live in burial grounds.
They cover themselves with ashes.
So you have to come so close to death that you actually can experience the beyond.
Each of them are based on real photos.
Theres a lot of journalist work on them and documentary work on them.
But we couldnt use any of (the real ones).
They are very respected by the population, but they are very feared by the population.
They are considered bad luck.
So we had to recreate them.
And if we had shot with the real ones, I think people would have been very uncomfortable.
You came out of the French film industry.
Youve worked the Hollywood system now for a decade or so.
Do you feel like you know how to work the system?
Or every time you do a movie is it something new?
I think I know now where the boundary is.
But its always very hard.
We all are audience members or we would not be working in this industry.
This category of people, they like that.
Thats where everything gets really weird, because there are no such rules.
You cannot think for the others.
Its an interesting thing.
It keeps you on the tip of your toes always.
What are your thoughts on where the horror genre stands today?
Its a fascinating thing.
I think the only common thing that they have is both are like riding a roller coaster.
They are a very physical experience.
The spectacle in one hand, the fear in the other hand that can only compete with the spectacle.
So its a great opportunity to make horror movies.
Its a really challenging thing.
Im reading a lot of scripts.
The number of directors that are doing genre has also increased a lot.
Its a very competitive space now.
People know whats going to happen.
Its challenging but exciting in the same time.
I know youve got a film in post-production which is a different jot down of film.
Tell me a little bit about that.
And also tell me aboutScannersbecause that is also in the works.
I have a few different things happening.
One of them is I finished this movie,The 9thLife of Louis Drax, for Miramax.
Im so proud and so happy with the movie.
I cant wait for people to be able to see it.
We finished it a few months ago.
Its a real psychological mystery/drama.
Its not horror at all.
But its very emotional.
Aaron Paul is amazing.
Sarah Gadon and Jamie Dornan are great.
The movie, its really, really original and unique, the story is.
And it was a movie that Anthony Minghella was supposed to do before he passed.
Im really proud to have been part of it.
I cannot wait for the movie to come out.
Its really different from anything Ive been doing.
Meanwhile, I really love what we call the genre.
I love that kind of story.
So Ive been developing this TV showScannersfor a very, very long time.
But its hard, Again, TV is so competitive.
And there is so much going on.
But Im working on other TV projects too because its also an interesting place to push the boundary.
So Im also looking into that.
And Im getting ready for my next one.
Whats your next film project?
I cannot say.
But its coming very soon.
The Other Side of the Dooris in theaters now.
