With Disorder (otherwise known as Maryland) hitting screens across the UK on March 25th, we had the pleasure of speaking to the brains behind the project; the talented French filmmaker Alice Winocour – in her hometown of Paris.
She discussed with us her collaboration with lead star Matthias Schoenaerts, and how much effort he put into this role (only sleeping for two hours a night). She also explains why the notion of PTSD was one very close to home, after a terrifying near-death experience of her own.
In this film we very much adopt the male gaze, which is quite interesting considering it’s come from a female filmmaker – what was the thinking behind that?
There should be no boundaries for women directors, we can direct any type of film. But, maybe apart from Kathryn Bigelow, not many female directors do this. I thought it was interesting to film a man as of an object of desire, as men do with women. But I hope Matthias is not only that, he is also a character with complexity.
Complexity is an understatement, and Matthias has this ability to say so much without saying anything at all. Given he’s an actor capable of doing that so well, did it give you more license to give him less dialogue when knowing he was on board? Or was that already in the screenplay?
I knew from the beginning that the film had to be physical and carnal and that was interesting to me, and I love to work with physical actors. I’m obsessed by physical dysfunction, when there is no words to express your desire or your pain or anxiety, it’s in body language, it’s the body that talks. I knew with Matthias that would be great. We had to see in his eyes that he was in another world, back in the combat zone. Matthias was only sleeping two hours per night so he was in a very violent state of mind during the shoot.
Were you overwhelmed by his commitment to the cause? But at the same time, if I slept for two hours a night I would be grumpy all day, making mistakes… It must’ve made it quite a challenge too?
I was overwhelmed, and he was grumpy. This part was really important for him because his grandfather was a soldier and PTSD meant a lot to him. On his arm there are dates written down, like tattoos, and we worked a lot on that. We knew they had to express his story and so there, for example, a prayer on his chest – the soldier’s prayer. I met so many soldiers before writing the script and a lot of things are inspired by their testimony. Then Matthias met them after me, and on his arm he wrote some dates down because I had seen that on soldiers before, and it’s mysterious.
He asked if he could write down dates that were important to him, so there were five dates written on him. He was devoted to the film and really in the character. He likes to work in a physical way, so his training was more physical, with guns and just learning the way you behave, the small gestures. I met so many soldiers they told me that every soldier is traumatised. They have nightmares, and it’s not just from a special traumatic event, it’s just from being a soldier which is traumatic.
Of course, he knows more.
Mustang is another one you’re attached to, as writer of course. Do you feel closer or more precious about one you’ve written, or one you’ve directed? Or is there no difference?
There is a difference, because when you direct it’s really your baby. When you write it’s a sort of baby but different. I’m amazed though by the Oscar nomination, we wrote this with such energy. Two weeks before shooting we had no producer, and it was like a miracle.
Are you in the process of finding your own language as a filmmaker and artist? Is that a quest you have?
I dunno, it’s something that is unconscious. But it’s not something I think about when writing, a character just comes into my head, or a story. What’s important is that I feel close, and in Disorder I felt so close to the character. I experienced PTSD myself because after I gave birth to my daughter I almost died and her as well – and I think that’s why I felt so close to the soldiers, even though I’ve never been to Afghanistan.
Was this recently?
This happened five years ago, I had a disease and we were really close to death, the two of us. When I woke up from the delivery I didn’t know where I was because my daughter was not with me, and I spent 10 days without seeing her, so I didn’t know for a couple of hours if I was dead or alive, and all I could hear was the sound of machines. I think that’s a reason why my film has an electronic music soundtrack. That’s why the sound is so important in my film.
Disorder is released in the UK on March 25th.
