Lunch with Crème de Menthe
An interview with Jean Marc E. Roy and Philippe David Gagné, directors of Crème de Menthe
Why did you choose to represent the father as a hoarder?
This happened to a friend whose father passed away, and who had to deal with the same “journey” as our main character. We liked the dramatic and aesthetic possibilities provided by this premise.
What did you seek to explore through the reaction of the young woman faced with the death of her father and the relationship she had with him?
Without wanting to fall into the old cliché of the “seven stages of grief”, we thought it was interesting for Renée’s character to experience a marked emotional journey. Beginning with anger allowed us to have an opaque character who slowly revealed herself as her grief progressed and changed.
How do you explain the last scene in the film? What were your sources of inspiration?
For us, Crème de Menthe is something outdated and folkloric, as everyone in Quebec has a near-empty bottle of it hiding in the back of their cabinet. We liked the idea to play with the kitschness of it, give it a different signification, and then embody it in playwriting that bears more resemblance to us. The final scene is a sort of reminder of Renée’s rugged side, giving us hope she will set off on a path towards the light.
Can you tell us a bit more about how you work together, your collaboration, your projects?
We met in Saguenay in 2002, and we’ve been working together since 2008. We work together on all the different stages, with four hands, whether it be fiction or documentary. We have several short and feature-length film projects in the works.
What sort of freedom would you say the short format allows?
It lets us take a header without it costing us millions!
If you’ve already been to Clermont-Ferrand, could you share with us an anecdote or story from the festival? If not, what are your expectations for this year?
We really want to taste some excellent tripes!
Crème de Menthe is being shown in International Competition I6.
