What an honour it was having Sophie B Jacques return to the Femme Filmmakers Festival after a few years since the brilliant Foyer, which won three prizes including Directing. I couldn’t miss the chance to pick her brains again, this time on her new short film Cemetery.
Hello Sophie, it’s so good to have you back at the Femme Filmmakers Festival. Of course, last time you were here with the brilliant short film Foyer you won the Directing prize. And well deserved.
Thank you so much! It’s an honor to have a film presented once again at your festival.
Your new film Cemetery does rely on the screenplay perhaps more so than Foyer as the dialogue helps carry the story. Was this difficult to write? Is the writing and your style based on anything?
It was pretty fun to write actually. The idea came to me from a real promise I made to one of my friends. I have always been curious about the afterlife, even more so since I lost my brother all of a sudden 11 years ago. I had no budget and only one night to bring this movie to life, so I figured I’d keep the screenplay simple and focus on the dialogues. Chaloupe / Lifeboat, a short film I created in 2014, was also based on this principle: a suspense felt through the dialogues that leverages the viewers’ imagination.
I noticed Marianne Farley’s name pop up in the credits. Wasn’t she in the Foyer? And I believe it is the same Marianne Farley who directs Frimas, also in Competition at this year’s FemmeFilmFest. How did you meet? Are you close friends?
Yes, that’s her! She is such a magnificent and natural actress, in addition to being a talented director. We met a few years ago thanks to Foyer’s producers, who are Marianne’s close friends. Given that the protagonist’s best friend had to be a little older than I am for the sake of the story, she came to my mind as a great choice and a little nod to Foyer at the same time. I like to make the characters I created intersect in my different stories. Is Marianne playing the same character in a different context of her life? Maybe…
How did you cast the actor? And what made you play the lead role yourself?
Since I’ve met Jason Roy-Léveillée several years ago, we’ve collaborated on a few projects and I’ve long wanted to have him play in one of my films. He’s open minded, patient and has a great sense of humor. Directing him and playing together with him has been a real charm.
For the actress, I had casted a good friend of mine but she had to cancel on short notice. Even though I was terrified to take on the lead role, I decided to dive right in just for the thrill of it. The simple staging of this film was the perfect opportunity for me to try it out.
Where did you shoot Cemetery? And did you need any special permissions? How long did the shoot take?
We shot at night in a real cemetery located in St-Eustache (a little town near Montreal) outside of opening hours. The owner kindly lent us the place pro bono with a single condition: we had to make time for greeting the dead and thanking them for welcoming us. Everything went well, except for the first scene we shot, when the characters enter the cemetery. The soundman heard a lot of weird noises in those takes…
How long did the shoot take? Did you have much of a budget? Did you need one?
This film was created for the Kino Kabaret SPASM, which means it had to be produced in an incredibly short amount of time with no budget by a really motivated and passionate crew. The shooting lasted 17 consecutive hours… It was exciting, but a little exhausting too! The coordinator’s house was just behind the cemetery, so we had our base camp there. Thankfully, part of the equipment was provided by the Kino organization and all the crew worked pro bono, but I had to cover all of the remaining expenses (decor, costumes, craft, transport…).
How would you describe your filmmaking style? I know you like to move the frame slowly and tend to tell stories in the dark. Am I wrong?
I’ve always loved story-telling in the dark around a bonfire for as long as I can remember. Unsurprisingly, Are you afraid of the dark? was one of my favorite TV shows as a little girl. I am calm and enigmatic by nature, and I think that’s reflected in my films. I like to keep the mystery for as long as possible while sprinkling clues as the story unfolds. I like to think that a second listening of my films can be interesting, once you know how it ends.
What are your favourite parts of film production from start to finish? What are the most challenging?
As far as I’m concerned, the most challenging part of film production is definitely the shooting. You have an incredibly small period of time to bring to life months, sometimes years of preparation. It requires directing with finesse every head of departments to have them give their best, while building on the initial vision you had in mind for the project.
My favorite part is the editing. You now have the concrete material to finally make the movie. It’s getting real! It can be challenging when the shots don’t match exactly what you first had in mind, but you need to make the best out of what you’ve got. It’s a lace work, I love it.
And I believe I am to congratulate you on another, much more personal production. Tell us more. How does this change your plans for the next year?
Thank you! This personal production was carefully planned and very much wanted, so it fits perfectly with my plans. I just finished another short film this month called ECHOES, just in time before the birth of my child. So I’ll spend the year to come learning how to be a mother and… probably writing a bit too.
Are you sitting on any ideas at the moment? Is there a story you are desperate to tell?
Yes there is, it’s a story inspired by the life of someone I love. The journey of a fundamentally good person caught up in the worst and most unimaginable situations. More to come!