Why did you choose this subject? 
The desire to have children is a subject that I had to deal with for quite a few years. Later on, I saw others going through the same ordeal and I bore the guilt of those who succeeded. The birth of Cui cui cui comes from the desire to confront two contradictory movements: that of a woman who deeply yearns to become a mother, but the path is lined with tears and despair as each attempt to conceive is unsuccessful–and that of another woman who is so empathic that she is ready to do anything to assuage the first woman’s the torment–and find a sperm donor for her at all costs. I wanted to mix laughter and despair. 

The subject of fertility and reproduction is usually dealt with in a serious and heavy manner. What prompted you to mix genres and add a bit of humor?  
I’m a rather sarcastic person in life, so I couldn’t make a completely serious film. I derive pleasure from being able to work in forms that make people laugh and potentially make them think. For a long time, I snubbed comedies as a film-goer, but when I started writing burlesque, that quickly changed. I realized that comedy was just as honorable as drama. And so exhilarating! And if some people laugh at ‘my’ friend-assisted conception, even if they disapprove, their view might perhaps change ever so slightly. I don’t make films to change the world. But the upside is I can make people laugh and advocate discretely. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the cast? 
The casting process is very exciting. I wanted actors with whom I could share the same type of humor…and who are funny in real life. I did not want the two female leads to bear any resemblance to one another. And I wanted their energy to be contradictory. I was already very impressed with the work of Pauline Lorillard and of Florence Janas, without knowing them personally. I arranged for an informal meeting with each of them in the presence of other people without speaking of any plans for a film. During both encounters, I laughed like a hyena and I was charmed by both of them. Either of them could have played the role of Sabine and then…I saw them act together in the Jean-Baptiste Saurel’s Aquabike, and I saw how well they work together. They challenge, nourish, and help each other. The combination of their talents is impressive: they are both highly skilled and highly sensitive professionals. And the both of them together is simply extraordinary. They go off on improvisations …they are so hilarious that I felt like I could easily lose control of the set! They definitely set the tone for the film. I wanted a mix between realism and personal fantasy. They made that happen. The male actors also did a great job. I had seen Lazare Gousseau in one of Rachel Lang’s films. I like him a lot. I was looking for a body. I loved his combination of the dreamy lifeguard type with the corniness of his haircut and suit. We had a test with Florence and the chemistry was there. The ornithologist had to by atypical. I was looking for the little quirky element in the body as well. I was hoping for someone very physical, almost animalistic, that could incarnate the passion for ornithology through the body. And finally, Niccolo Senni is a little more of the intellectual type the physical type. But he’s an artist, a clown, he’s got a very precise way of moving, an almost Tati-esque bodily mechanics. 

What are you your preferred themes as a filmmaker? 
I try to understand and to work on my own insecurities through screenwriting. The writing process is so long that we have time to solve the biggest questions that trouble us in life. I love to think about sexuality, emotions, and dive into a living world–in the larger and political sense. Overall, I orbit around the plant and animal world with women and men who want each other but are having difficulty figuring out if they are making the right decisions. What I like is making love in the mountains, watching animals, quivering with desire. And because my life isn’t like that every day, my films are. Well, at least I try. 

What are your influences in cinema or otherwise?  
I would like to cite a few films that were sources of inspiration for me over the past few years. To start, all of Emmanuel Mouret’s first films that seem light and anecdotical but are in fact deep and magnificently orchestrated. I love Changement d’adress. It’s my drug. There’s also Les Naufragés de la D17 by Luc Moullet and Le Roi de l’évasion by Alain Guiraudie. For their freedom, their ingenuity, their pleasure of being outside. 

What’s your favourite short? 
My favorite – I’m not sure. But I’m very often taken by the shorts that I see. To stay in the theme of comedy, I had a real revelation when I saw French Kiss by Antonin Peretjatko for the first time. I found it ingenious and free. It made me want to experiment. I loved Un monde sans femme by Guillaume Brac. And for something more contemporary, Herculanum by Arthur Cahn. 

What does the Festival mean to you? 
An accolade! I am very very happy that Cui cui cui was chosen. I hope that the festival will be a mix of adventures, of meeting new people, seeing new films, of parties and of hiking in the mountains. And the bonus is that Clermont-Ferrand is also the city of Emilie Monier, the film’s director of photography. 

Cui cui cui is being shown as part of the National Competition F3.