From the "People" Archives:

by Brandon Judell

Using nonactors, Bruno Dumont with "Life of Jesus" ("La Vie de Jésus") has created a pounding, scathing yet empathetic look at rural France. Peopled with unemployed youth, the film follows one young epileptic gent, Freddy (David Douche), through the blank days of his motorbiking with friends, explicit lovemaking with his girlfriend (Marjorie Cottreel) who works in a grocery store, and his occasional fits. When he becomes involved in sexual battery, racial attacks, and worse, you're not exactly surprised. But is Freddy really the Christ of the nineties?

Whatever your verdict, the film has already the winner of the "Discovery of the Year, Fassbinder Award" and "Best Film" and "International Critic's Prize" at the Sao Paulo Film Festival. The film was also a highlight of the Montreal World Film Festival where we interviewed the surly, attractive director.

Born in Bailleul, France, 40 years ago, Mr. Dumont drenched himself in the study of philosophy. After teaching for a while, he became schooled in TV commercials, industrial documentaries and promotional shorts to get down the technique. In 1993, he directed "Paris," a short, and scripted the TV series "Arthur et les Fusées." "The Life of Jesus," which opens this Friday, is his first feature.

(Please note our conversation passed through the lips of a sultry French translator whose English class grades were probably in the C range.)

indieWIRE: Where are you from?

Bruno Dumont: North of Paris. It's called Lille.

iW: There are a lot of films coming out of Europe now like "Hate" that deal with the social problems of what it means to be a European nowadays. The answer is no longer always white. Is that one of the points of your film?

Dumont: When you make movies, you have to be preoccupied with the social problems, otherwise there is no point in making a movie. To have a story, you need a social problem. Not necessarily a problem, but something to get the idea for a story, otherwise there's no story.

iW: You might hate this question, but why do you call the film the "Life of Jesus"? Your production notes mention you read a philosophical work with that title?

Dumont: (Makes face and at first refuses to answer.) Because I want to know the meaning of the life of Jesus. What that means today for the people.

iW: Now the lead character with epilepsy, what is he supposed to represent? Is he the Christ figure?

Dumont: Christ is the man who's spiritually and morally is the person who was the higher. I don't know how to explain that. Nobody, spiritually or morally, has been higher than the Christ. Everybody knows the Christ life today. That is not what interests me. It's how we can elevate our soul, our spiritual, our morals, and Freddy is a man who is able to be high. He lives in misery. He lives in bad but he will go up in his life. He will do something, and that's what's important. Not to stay low. To be able to go higher morally. That's the sense of Jesus' life.

iW: Has the film opened in France yet?

Dumont: Yes.

iW: Does everyone in France rave about you? Do they think you're wonderful now?

Dumont: The movie had a big impact in France, yes.

iW: What was that impact?

Dumont: The first big impact was in Cannes. The critics, they all agreed that it was good, and they all kind of thought the same thing about the film. The majority of people were all thinking the same thing about the film. It's a new way to make movies.

iW: Were any religious groups offended by the picture or did they also embrace the film?

Dumont: The general Catholic press appreciated the film but the fundamentalists, they wanted to censor it. They didn't want the movie to come out.

iW: Like the Godard film on Christ and his mom?

Dumont: In the Godard film, there is a distance. The film I have done has nothing to with Godard's movie.

iW: I was just wondering if there was a similar reaction. Now that you're such a big success, does that mean you'll have no problem getting a lot of money for your next film?

Dumont: Yes, but I don't want too much. (Laughs) I don't need too much money to do movies.

iW: Is the next film already set in your mind?

Dumont: The film is already written. It's in preproduction.

iW: Can you talk about it at all?

Dumont: No.

iW: Now you're very attractive for a director. Are you married or do you have all these young women and actresses running after you? Jeanne Moreau used to say she went to bed with all her directors.

TRANSLATOR: (confused) What?

iW: Is Mr. Dumont a sex symbol in France?

TRANSLATOR: (Laughs) Bruno wants to know if you want to know if he sleeps with his actresses?

iW: Not necessarily. He can go where he wants to with the question. Whatever you want to share. We're trying to get some background here. Are you a married man with five children or a single guy living with a cat?

Dumont: I'm married. I have children.

TRANSLATOR: A crazy question.

iW: Well, that settles that. Now you're extremely well read in philosophy and I'm sure in other genres, much more than most American directors. Now it seems in the States today, everyone wants to make a film whether they have something to say or not. You apparently have so much to say. What do you think of these other directors?

Dumont: I think there's not a lot of real filmmakers. There are only a few people who make real cinema. I can count them on my fingers.

iW: Can you name one or two? Two fingers worth at least.

Dumont: A lot of them are dead. Bergman, Bresson, Pasolini, Rossellini, Maurice Pialat.

iW: A lot of directors are going to be crying when they hear your list. By the way, what do you hope Americans will get out of your film?

Dumont: I would like them to be hit by the movie. A shock. I don't much care what they think. I want them to be shocked. My interest is about the body, not the mind. I don't care about what they think. I care about what they feel. I think that the cinema is a physical thing. What I'm looking for is creating a physical shock with the audience. I don't care of the meaning. I don't care of the idea. I don't want to say something. I want to make a "shock physique."

iW: How long did it take you to write this film?

Dumont: Nine months.

iW: And how long did it take to make your children?

Dumont: The same time.

iW: Which was easier on your wife, giving birth or being with you while you made this film? Which gave her more headaches?

Dumont: You'll have to ask her.