FemmeFilmFest7 Interview: We speak to 'Down From the Clouds' Director Cansu Boğuşlu

Cansu Boğuşlu Down From the Clouds Filmotomy

Let me just say first of all without any bias that the short film submitted by Cansu Boğuşlu to this year’s Femme Filmmakers Festival is extremely good. Down From the Clouds elicits all manner of emotive nudges of fatherhood and being a kid – but also demonstrates the beauty of cinema in a number of ways. I was excited to speak with Boğuşlu about her work – and anything else I could find out. Have a read:

If you could have a free lunch with any three people in the world today, who would they be, where would you go and what would you order?

Having a cocktail and tapas with David Lynch at Hotel Costes.

Having sea food by Bosporus with Mads Mikkelsen in Istanbul.

Meeting with Joaquin Phoenix in New York and have vegan burger would be nice as well.

Where did the dream of filmmaking begin? Childhood? When did you realise you had made it?

Actually I was more into journalism and theatre when I was little. My passion to make films started when I saw Amelie. I was like, “she is like me and the direction of photography, colors. I should make films like this.” and then Wong Kar Wai, Kieslowski. I was inspired to be filmmaker after seeing them…

If you had to stop making films right now, what what you pursue instead?

I am really into cooking and music… so probably I would focus on one of them.

Which filmmakers, men or women, do you feel have shaped your own style?

Kieslowski, David Lynch, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Michel Gondry, Tarkovsky, Wong Kar-Wai…

What a wonderful short film Down From the Clouds is. How has it been received so far? Have you been to many festivals and events with film?

Thank you so much. We had a premiere at French Riviera Film Festival in Cannes and got an award for best actor. Then we were in Paris at Children Care Film Festival and audience loved it and we had an award also. This our third festival. I am really happy that this film is touching to social topics and people witness little girl’s point of view.

It has this organic blend of both joy and sadness creeping up on you. Did you intend for the mix of emotions? Is it based on anything personal?

Actually I like melancholia and I try to understand each character in this film. In life also I always think that there is a back story so I would not judge people but question their actions.

How do you collaborate with the writers on this? Do you work together in the same room? How did you overcome disagreements?

Actually I had this story from my childhood. But my screenplay writer friend and our producer added something to make the story more interesting and clear.

Where was the film shot? How long did it take?

We had 3 shooting days in magical Cappadocia.

And the cast. Oh wow. The young actress and the father were terrific. How did you find them? How natural was their chemistry? How do you work with actors?

Thank you so much. I really care about realism in acting and I was lucky with my actors. Little Lavinya was really professional and she thought us a lot. She knows her weak and strong points very well and she was telling me from very beginning that she needs to sleep and so on. As our film takes a place during the night we could manage very well with young actress to have everything we needed.

And Cansel Elçin… He is also very talented and he loved the story and he felt the character. He improvised sometimes which I used in the final edit. I knew what I wanted but I also gave space to actors to play around.

What do you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses as a film director? Did Down From the Clouds teach you anything new?

With this film I spent years to prepare so I already had this in my blood I can say. I think this is very important to see the film before you shoot it.

I did my master degree as a cinematographer at Łódź Film School. So I also thought a lot about cinematography and dramaturgy for this film in the storytelling. I had a great cinematographer friend Szymon Kuriata from school as well so we could communicate very well and understand each other.

Also the music for this film was already in the script with lyrics and mood. Kaan Tangöze’s song helped to create mood and inspired Rahman Altın to compose original score for this film. I am really happy about the result and my team’s excellent work.