Tea time with Children
Interview with Paul Mas, director of Children
How did you come up with the idea for Children?
The project was built around Nicolas’ character. In my own life, I’ve often tried to understand morally reprehensible people, even playing devil’s advocate… From the start, my intention was to put the viewer in the position of judge throughout the film, to make the viewer think, doubt, perhaps even develop empathy with Nicolas. That’s why I created this character who is young and violent, but detached and a bit of a simpleton, situated in a moral “gray zone”…
Did you consider filming this with real actors, or were you set on marionettes from the start?
From the start, I wanted to film this in stop motion. It has been my means of expression since I was a young child, and I would have had a hard time envisaging other techniques… However, I wanted to get as close as possible to real shooting in the way we made and edited the film… So, I spent lots of time talking to actors about acting and rhythm… We practiced the script as one would in a theater production, several times, until we achieved a solid and credible dynamic. In the end, we recorded everything in one go, and I built the film on the dialogue, without touching the soundtrack… This way the rhythm of the film was led by the voice actors and not by the animatics, which is how we normally proceed in animation. And when I was animating the scenes, I left myself two extra seconds in the beginning and two extra seconds at the end: that gave me more freedom during editing. So, the process of making this film ended up a bit of a hybrid one.
How did you work to create Nicolas’ marionnette?
The marionettes are built around a metal framework that allows them to keep their pose during animation. Then, the main volume of the body is built of wood and glued to the frame. After that, I fill the spaces between the wood with mattress foam glued to the frame. The parts in “skin”, like the face and hands, are first sculpted, then molded in silicone and painted with a mixture of silicone and oil paint. The costumes are made of fabric, taking careful measurements of the marionettes so that the clothes fit well. The hair is either human or synthetic, and I work lock by lock with lacquer before attaching them with silicone on the head. It’s very tedious, but as we make them, we get attached to the marionettes, and thus to the characters…
Did you intend to give the impression that Nicolas is mumbling, and if so, why?
The system for animating the mouth was a bit rudimentary due to lack of time (he can only open and close his mouth, not articulate syllables…). However, when we were recording the voices, Clément Lefebvre mumbled too (he had a bit of a cold that day!)… It created a detached and taciturn feeling for Nicolas, and I was happy with that. So, I tried to keep that effect when creating the animation. Stop motion is extremely constraining, and we often have to adapt to the technical difficulties.
Why did you decide to address the question of bullying at school?
At the beginning of the interview, Nicolas refuses to give any rational explanation or “reason” for his acts. He sees his act as completely gratuitous… The question of bullying in school present at the beginning of the film is swept away by Nicolas, who refuses to admit that his actions are motivated by outside circumstances… So, it’s up to the viewer to determine if the teasing is indeed the cause of his violent behavior.
Who are the adults in Children?
There is one adult, Claire, the psychiatrist! Her own story is not shown in the film, but I imagined her as straight out of school, empathetic, with good listening skills… She is a bit weak as she faces Nicolas, it could very well be her first case. In the penultimate version of the script, she asks Maitre Durand for additional time to complete her report, but she is turned down. It was interesting, because it showed contrast with the world of “adults”, responsible and rigorous in dealing with Nicolas… But I took that scene out because it caused the film to lose some of its dramatic intensity: I was afraid the viewer would “leave” the interview…
Before making Children, did you do any research on the connection between madness and violence?
I looked into many cases similar to Nicolas’, where the court hesitated between prison and a psychiatric hospital… I studied the case of Anders Breivik, as well as Alain Lamare (a man who investigated a murder that he himself had committed!). This hesitation over the question of criminal responsibility is frequent. I also read The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson (Picador, 2012), which denounces the over-diagnosing of the mentally ill (in certain cases). I also read the DSM-5, the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual”. It is the book of reference in universities as well as in courtrooms in cases where a person is mentally troubled. So, yes, lots of research… I wanted the film to be realistic and believable.
Any cinematic coups de cœur in the past year you’d like to tell us about?
My Life as a Zucchini by Claude Barras, obviously! Also, Anomalisa by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson. Otherwise, I don’t often go the the movies… I watch the movies at home! But Funny Games by Michael Haneke is an influence, as are the documentaries by Depardon, Satoshi Kon…
If you’ve already been to Clermont-Ferrand, could you share with us an anecdote from the festival? If not, what are your expectations for this year?
I was at the festival once before in 2015! It was an ordeal, all of my roommates were sick and everyone had lots of problems at the same time… I ended the festival completely exhausted, luckily there were certain short films that made up for it! I remember Ton cœur au hasard by Aude Léa Rapin, which touched me in particular. This year, I hope to see good films and to be able to present Children to viewers who don’t often have the opportunity to see animation. And drink some beers!
Has this film been screened anywhere else?
It was shown at the Carrefour de l’Animation in the Forum des Images in Paris. It was also screened at the Panam Anim festival.
Are you taking part in any other events during the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival (Espressos, conferences, other)?
I’m doing the Espressos, as well as a screening at the Rio where we can talk with the public. It’s Friday, 10 February, after the 5 p.m. showing.
Children is being shown in National Competition F11.
