Michel HAZANAVICIUS at ESRA Thursdays

It was the amphitheater of the very big days for Michel Hazanavicius's visit, and the students were up in arms to ask questions. It has to be said that the masterclass lasted over two hours, and it's obvious that it could have gone on until midnight without some of the students' enthusiasm flagging. In terms of content, the questions were, no doubt, extremely varied. Some came from admirers with an intimate knowledge of our guest. Every period, every film, every aspect of his work was discussed, from his debut with Le Grand Détournement to The Search, which had been screened earlier. Technical questions, of course, but also many about his choice of genres and his enduring inclination towards comedy. There were also political questions about Chechnya, including an intervention in English by a Chinese student who found The Search too aggressive towards the Russians. All in all, in over two hours, the filmmaker spared no effort, but the buzz was such that the impression was left that many questions could not be addressed for lack of time. But that didn't stop him talking (in bulk) about Jean Dujardin, Guillaume Schiffman's photography, the geopolitical situation in the Middle East and the Caucasus, the spirit of Canal, how to direct kids... and dogs, cinephilia, choosing projects, working with producers, the reception in Hollywood, the triumph of The Artist and the public failure of The Search, the Cannes Festival, etc. The students must have had their fill.