French director Claire Denis caused a sensation at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival when she unveiled "Trouble Every Day", a darkly erotic spin on the vampire movie starring Vincent Gallo and B茅atrice Dalle.
Exploring the theme of all-consuming lust, this bizarre thriller features scenes of cannibalistic rampage that had audiences at Cannes walking out and even fainting. In the flesh, however, Claire is happy to defend her film.
What was your response to the controversy at Cannes?
During the screening at Cannes I was not really aware of it. It was only at the end that I was told there were people who left and some that fainted. But I never saw people fainting. It was not very interesting to me - it's just gossip.
It's weird to measure a film by how much scandal it makes or how much violence it contains; it feels like you're manipulating the audience. I think it is a very naive and innocent film, but in the end it is what it is: either people like it or they don't.
Still, it's a very disturbing and unsettling film...
Yes, that's right. There are only two scenes of violence in the film. But there is a sense of danger and menace that runs all the way through. I've seen many films that try to surprise the audience with violence. I find it very artificial.
There's not much violence in my film but what there is springs from something very deep. I would say it's about love in a way. And what happens when you tangle with something that is stronger than you are.
Was it difficult to get the film made?
It took some time - not because it was difficult to make, but because I wanted to make it with Vincent and B茅atrice. The idea came up a while ago. I was doing a short film with Vincent in New York, and [producer] James Schamus suggested I do a horror movie with him. I said I didn't really know how to do a genre movie, but that I would think about it. It took me nine years to decide! It took me a while to understand that I could not do a genre movie just for fun - I had to do it seriously.
How free are you to make the kind of movies you want to make?
When you only use a small amount of money you're always free. Freedom is not having a big budget. I have always done my films that way, with the cast I want and a producer I trust. There are no restrictions, as long as it's not too expensive. If I wanted to do a big special effects movie I would probably have to work differently, but so far that hasn't been the case.
