But for me, my main focus was really both of them (Alexia and Vincent). And it’s not always my pleasure to do this because you get rid of some things that you actually like. Everything somehow diverting us from that would have to go away. I know it because I actually wrote the scenes, but I’m not going to tell you because in the end for me, I made the decision that it would only be about my two characters. In the end, I know exactly for example, what happened to Vincent’s son, but I’m not going to tell you. You can bet that I knew the background of my characters.īut the background is something that you explore through the drafts, and you get rid of everything that you assume is superficial and doesn’t help in the narrative or doesn’t help in the arcs. And I was like, yes, of course I knew it. Julia Ducournau – Well, you know, it’s funny because I was asked recently the question of the background of my characters – someone asked me if I knew it. How do you decide what you’ll reveal and what you’re going to play close to the vest? Victor Stiff – Like most great art, your film poses more questions than it answers, and the audience is so hungry to get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding these characters. Julia Ducournau - Credit: Philippe Quaisse

The conversation touches on Ducournau’s screenwriting method, casting Vincent Lindon, and shooting Titane during COVID. That Shelf spoke with Ducournau during Titane’s press tour. All the bloodshed and car sex are just shiny hood ornaments. At its core, Titane is the story of two broken people giving each other what they need to feel whole. There’s a secretly sweet, life-affirming tale at the heart of this outlandish genre-bender. In reality, the film’s dark premise and tone serve up one big swerve. And earlier today, Titane was chosen as France’s submission in the 2022 Oscars’ Best International Film category. Last month Titane swept through TIFF, dazzling audiences and taking home TIFF People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award. This past July, Ducournau became only the second woman ever (and first in 30 years) to earn Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or. It’s also one of 2021’s most highly-praised films. With its bonkers plot, relentless violence, and gruesome body horror, Titane is one of the year’s most challenging movies.

The film’s second half sees Alexia hide from police by posing as a grieving father’s (Vincent Lindon) missing son. Titane tells the story of Alexia (Agathe Rousselle), a cold-blooded young woman who has sex with a car, gets knocked up, and goes on a killing spree. Raw’s stylish visuals and cannibalistic violence may grab your attention, but it’s the film’s singular perspective and resonant themes that add bite.ĭucournau’s flamboyant follow-up, Titane, makes Raw look like A Charlie Brown Christmas. The writer-director’s critically acclaimed feature debut Raw is a lurid coming-of-age story that uses cannibalism as its central metaphor.

Julia ducournau