Belgian/American film-maker Berangere McNeese focuses on the trials and tribulations of a mother and daughter in France when the daughter suddenly becomes pregnant in MATRIOCHKAS.
Film And TV Now spoke with the film-maker as she reflected on her film.
FILM AND TV NOW: It is a sad but real fact of life now that girls are getting pregnant much younger. What prompted you to make a film about this subject?
BERANGERE MCNEESE: I don’t know about the US, but in France it is quite the opposite, the number of children born from women under the age of 20 has been steadily decreasing for the past 30 years, thanks to an easier access to contraception among other factors.
I wanted the film to focus on a mother/daughter relationship, where the mother is still quite young, and how that affects her bond with her teenage daughter. The fact that the daughter herself becomes pregnant is the ideal source of conflict because it puts in perspective the choice the mother made 16 years earlier, and how that affected her own life. Yet she decides to go a different way, while knowing that will probably affect her mother deeply.
FTVN: Much of the story focuses on what the daughter sees in her mother’s own seemingly reckless behaviour, which impacts on her own development. How important was it to create a multi-layered backdrop to the story?
BM: I think the title of the film speaks for itself: it’s also a film about determinism and how to break a cycle. However, I don’t feel so strongly about the mother. Although she does still act like a teenager, it’s mainly because in a way, she never had a chance to grow up.
But above anything else, she loves her daughter and wants what she thinks is best of her. We can want the best for someone and still do them harm, or do good for the worst reasons. I feel like human relationships are often multi-layered and I want the ones in my films to reflect that.
FTVN: Did you do much rehearsal prior to or during shooting?
BM: As I was working with a first-time actress, I really wanted to make sure I got all the first takes, the first reactions. We had one rehearsal for all the actors to meet and to make sure the mother/daughter relationship was plausible. But for the rest, I really value the first takes we shoot and I want to make sure I get to capture that.
FTVN: Tell us about your cast.
BM: I know I wanted to work with Guillaume Duhesme – whom I had already worked with previously, and Victoire du Bois, as I had seen her work and found her perfect for the part – although it was very different from the part I was offering her.
As for the main part of Anna, I auditioned a number of teenagers across France and Belgium, and when I met Heloise, although it was her first audition, it was obvious I wanted to work with her. Everything about her was just sincere, and she was very mature at just 14 years old. I feel so lucky to have met her, as we learned so much on set together.
FTVN: Tell us about your production team.
BM: My first two shorts were self produced, as I was eager to make them and didn’t want to wait for funding. So my crew has been mostly them same for the last three films, only this time, the film was produced. It was my first time working with Helicotronc and Punchline, and they gave me the opportunity to make the film under the best possible conditions, with my usual crew and on an unusually short time frame.
FTVN: Where did you shoot and for how long?
BM: I really wanted to shoot the film in the South of France, to capture that ‘end of summer’ feeling. We received a grant from the Region of Provence-Alpes-Cote-d’Azur, in France, and we shot in the region around Marseille.
FTVN: The short clearly could be used as a moral frame of reference. Are there plans to show the short to schools and colleges to highlight the challenges and emotional impact that a teenage pregnancy has on people?
BM: The film has been shown in festivals and screenings for younger audiences, which first came as a surprise to me, as I thought it wasn’t always fitting. But the subject needs to be tackled early on to promote communication around these taboo subjects. If the film can help in that way, I’m beyond contented.
FTVN: You are of Belgian and American descent. How do the two cultures impact and influence your creative choices as a film-maker?
BM: I feel like I’ve been raised in a mix between both cultures, both languages, and feel very grateful for that. I think my work reflects that mix, and my inspiration comes from both sides of the ocean. However I feel like most of us are now in contact with different cultures from all over, whether through film, literature, or music, and we now share a lot more cultural references than we used to. It makes it easier to use those reference to get a message though.
FTVN: What themes are you keen to explore in your future work?
BM: I’m obviously inspired by the way I experience life on a regular basis, and I mostly want to write about that: things that aren’t out of the ordinary but seen through a different lens. Relationships are at the centre of my work and I’m particularly fascinated by relationships that aren’t what they appear, that aren’t black or white and the nuances that occur when one person meets another.
FTVN: Diversity and gender are big issues in the entertainment industry at the moment. What are your immediate and long-term hopes for the future?
BM: I see many initiatives promoting female directors and diversity in general. It’s fantastic to take my first steps in this industry while these fundamental changes are happening. The next step would be for it to happen naturally, without having to impose quotas, but in the meantime, it’s great to witness this moment in history.
FTVN: How has COVID-19 affected your development and evolution as a film-maker?
BM: Honestly, I can’t complain. The first confinement interrupted the shoot of feature film I was participating in as an actor, but production resumed just a few months later.
I took the opportunity to begin writing my first feature, as well as a series I’m currently developing. It was just very frustrating to see the film travel around the world without having a chance to be present, or knowing it would only be screened online, and I miss the feeling of sitting in a cinema.
When the film won the Grand Prize at Palm Springs or Best Director at Rhode Island, I was staying in confined Belgium. However, considering the struggle going on right know, I’m grateful that everybody chose safety above anything else.
FTVN: Finally, what are you most proud of about this short?
BM: I feel very lucky that the film was able to travel this much. The subject is universal, however I was quite worried that it wouldn’t reach audiences from all over the world. It tells me we’re globally ready to have this conversation.
