Well established in Hollywood, Denis Villeneuve makes Quebec shine internationally. Since obtaining his degree in communications in 1992, the UQAM graduate has multiplied trophies for his world-renowned films such as Prisoners (2013), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and, more recently, the films Dune. He is also the only Quebecer to have been nominated for the Oscar for best director with his film Arrival (2016). Between two shoots, the filmmaker (and somewhat philosophical) Denis Villeneuve spoke with the Montreal Campus. Questions and answers with this UQAM lover.
— When leaving UQAM, were you looking forward to no longer having academic rules and gaining more freedom?
Yes. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to go racing around the world. Among other things, I made small documentaries for Radio-Canada in Asia. It was precisely to “disengage” the camera, to fall into an experimental mode, which I completely embraced. I was really there to have fun with the medium and the camera. I think it’s an essential step in discovering who you really are behind the camera and how to develop yourself.
— You went to give master classes at UQAM with cinema students. Would this be something you would be interested in teaching?
I’ve never really given master classes in my opinion. I did… interviews. But I don’t feel like I would be able to teach at the moment. I feel that I am still moving, that I am still learning. Maybe in 10 or 15 years I will have accumulated enough substance to be able to transmit. For now, I feel like I’m still learning. With every film I make, I learn, I learn, I learn. It’s a talent, teaching. Being a teacher is an art. I don’t think I have that string to my bow.
— Is it important for you to interact with students?
I remember that when I was at school, it helped me a lot to be in contact with people who practice the profession. There’s something inspiring about speaking with a professional, whether you like their work or not. Being in contact with someone who experiences this reality creates a bridge. I benefited from that when I was young, so when I’m asked, it makes me happy to do it because it leads you to believe that it’s possible.
— You received an honorary doctorate from UQAM. What does this mean to you?
It touched me because UQAM is an institution that has given me a lot. To receive this recognition is to belong to an institution and that this institution reiterates its link with me.
— What was it like filming Dune in the desert, even though you grew up in the cold of Quebec?
It is certain that the climatic conditions were radically different in the desert, but there is a connection to the horizon, there is a connection to immense skies, there is a connection to silence, with direct contact with the nature which is very similar to winter. I was raised on the edge of a field, on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, therefore with the horizon. When you go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in winter, the silence, the relationship with this immensity which brings you back to yourself, the introspective relationship, is the same.
I feel at home in the desert. It’s not an environment that is hostile to me, it’s an environment that inspires me deeply.
— Does a film say a lot about its director?
Absolutely. When a director invests himself personally in the film, it’s like painting a canvas. Every decision speaks for itself. The films that I make are films that I obviously consider personal. I try to make my films as sovereignly as possible, that is to say, to cut myself off from external influences and for the film to be close to me. Even when making films worth 150 or 200 million in Los Angeles, there is always the same intimate relationship with the camera, the actors and the narration.
— Is it in your plans to remake a film in Quebec?
I think it will come one day. Currently, the projects I have are projects that I cannot carry out here. These are heavy projects that require resources that can only be found in Los Angeles and that require a lot of energy. It’s an energy that I have right now. But one day, I will no longer have this energy and I will return to more intimate films.
