MASS is a 10 minutes single take video-dance shot in Paris that includes 40 amateur dancers.
Images of the crowd appear more and more often and symbolise the current upheavals all over the world, evoking alternately parties, migrations, manifestations, gatherings or just the daily life of big cities. We thus work on the mass, with all the drunkenness it can inspire. Confronting the individual with crowd movements, in order to observe how we resist or immerse us.
Images of the crowd appear more and more often and symbolise the current upheavals all over the world, evoking alternately parties, migrations, manifestations, gatherings or just the daily life of big cities. We thus work on the mass, with all the drunkenness it can inspire. Confronting the individual with crowd movements, in order to observe how we resist or immerse us.
Director: Fu Le
Co-director : Adrien Gontier
With 40 amateur Dancers from Danse en Seine Association
Music: Harun Bayraktar and Tom Jarvis
Photographer: Guillermo Gomez
Co-director : Adrien Gontier
With 40 amateur Dancers from Danse en Seine Association
Music: Harun Bayraktar and Tom Jarvis
Photographer: Guillermo Gomez
FILMMAKER Interview: FU LE
Interview by Melissa Ramos recorded between Sydney, Australia & Paris, France
ABOUT FU LE
Fu LE is a French awarded filmmaker, visual choreographer. Born in Brittany, Fu Le studied metal sculpture. Fascinated by the beauty of artisanal movements that transform, he became increasingly interested in more than the 'end' result. In parallel, Fu LE studied various theatre for stage, creating his own sculptures and puppetry. He also specialises in aerial partnering practice in aikido, and tango improvisation. These physical skills enabled him to revisit his practice with a sensitive body perspective.
IntervieW FULL Transcript: FU LE
|
Melissa Ramos: Apart from being a dancer, choreographer and filmmaker, you studied sculpture which led you to work in stage design. When I watched MASS, I often see moments of form and matter transform in time. Do you see aspects of the process of sculpture in your work?
Fu Le: I try to study many kinds of arts in my life, like dance, theatre, sculpture, drawings et cetera. I just missed music. But in one way I think music is kind of the origin of any arts and it's inside, inside dance of course, but also inside sculpture. And when I do sculpture or when I do a choreography or when I draw, it's for me almost the same thing. I just play with rhythms and the repetition, contrast and et cetera. So for me, it's a bit the same thing. I don't know if you can see sculpture in my film. But for me, it's it's the same process. I just play with rhythms and I consider our bodies as a material and I'm building my choreography as a sculpture in the same way. Melissa Ramos: And in 2013, you went to China and lived in Taiwan. There you became interested in social issues of urbanisation and the flux of movement in big cities. Addressing the relationship between an individual and crowds, when you were investigating what was important for you to distill and convey in your dance film? Fu Le: Recently I was living in China and Taiwan. And the first day I think when I arrived in China I had this feeling I am just dust in the universe. Because I was between thousands and thousands of people. And I found, when I was studying at school, the notion of collective was very strong. And I found for me, very few room for individual expression. So I wanted to assume my individuality. And then when I got back to France, I also found the opposite, a need for collective. Especially in the crowd movement like protest movements, which happen very often in France and all over the world, actually. So the crowd, or the collective became, when I got back to France, a kind of way of expression. So I'm balanced between these two kind of paradoxes, these two aspects. And I'm a bit fascinated by the power of this kind of the inner sea, of these crowd movements. But I'm also in the way a bit terrified by this power. I don't know what you think of that. Im balance between these two aspects. Melissa Ramos: No, I think that's why your work is quite strong, because you've laid down the two contrasting correlation between the two. What is it about the cinematic single shot technique that links to the sensation of a dancer? Fu Le: The single-shot technique, I'm interested in it for many reasons because first of all, I'm a dancer and choreographer and I'm not the editor. Even if I think editing is fantastic. But I wanted to spend more time on action on the shooting and not in front of my computer. And then I'm very interested in it because single-shot involves, a kind of war choreography for the shooting. When I think to make a film, I'm not only focused on the dancers, but also on the technique and the lights and the camera. And I consider all these element as 'dancing elements'. So I really think the shooting as a stage show, as a dance show. So that's very interesting. Yes. For me, it's really linked to the movement in this way. And also because when we are doing the shooting, we cannot make any mistake, you know, because if you do a mistake in one second, you need to do it again. So there is a sense of excitement that you can find, when you're on stage. And for MASS, It was very, very fast because I was giving workshops with a group of amateur dancers and then we made the film in two days. So basically it was one day for rehearsal and one day for shooting and doing one day, I remember it was five takes and that was not the last one or the fourth one was a good one. Melissa Ramos: Was everything planned in terms of choreography? Fu Le: Yeah. The process was based on improvisation because I had been giving one month and every Wednesday we meet. I had to give a class to a group of dancers. So it was based on improvisation to confront the individual with the crowd. And from this improvisation, I kept some scenes, some situations I like. And with this material, I combine a composition story that would fit in the states. Then when I decided that, we met at the spot during the weekend, of course, everything was very written for the dancers, for the light and for the steady-cam. And because it's a single shot, you cannot leave many room for improvisation because it's very intense. And so to run they have to know what they need to do, they were very focused and concentrated for 10 minutes. If they follow with this theme of improvisation, then it's a kind-of technique for the director. I always try to keep a bit of space of improvisation at the end because, you know, you rehearse too much, then a choreography become a bit flat. It really doesn't happen on stage because it's real people. But on the camera, with the camera, you want to catch some authenticity, something that happens only once. But if you repeat, you lose a bit of something. So I try to at the end when I feel we are on the good shot to give some surprises or to add some tension, some pressure on the dancers to disturb a bit what they're doing and find back some a bit of spontaneity and authenticity at the very end when they are running through the door, it's improvised. The tension to finish like that. When we were shooting, I was screaming. And we change the the end of the film. So all dancers were a bit disappointed. They didn't know what to do, but just follow the instructions. Melissa Ramos: I was wondering how you leave room for improvisation for the dancers. It's just based on the uncertainty of what direction, what next. Could you describe to me what improvisation means to you? Fu Le: I think every work I do, even for a camera or on stage, I try to mix very rhythmic parts because I like when the work is very drawn and very precise and then fit through a very clear concept. And to balance with some kind of improvisation, that means for me more freedom also to be closer to reality and just to be yourself. At the moment of the present moment. So it's always good to not forget that, that we are humans acting with others in the present and not just the technician doing a choreograph. So I always try to balance with this. Keep these two aspects in my work. Melissa Ramos: MASS was entirely film as one single shot. You stated that it consists of choreographing the camera as a dancer itself and how you explored this through the contrast and the confrontation between the individuals and crowds. Can you elaborate how you work as a dancer influences the cinematic imagery? Fu Le: Single shot is interesting for me because I consider it as a complete choreography for the dancer, but also for all the technicians, eg. the camera. For example, on MASS there are three people on the steady-cam and one assistant, and the focus puller. On the camera and also all the technicians to move some stage things. Or move the lights. It's there where it happens. Not so much on MASS but on other films. So I say to consider the camera as a dancer itself. I really do it because when I consider the film, I do a plan with the project results, with all the dancers and also draw the project area for the camera and other aspects. So for me, it's really similar elements. And I try to find a balance with all these elements. I know I'm not the only one who is doing that and I know, a sentence from Maya Deren, one of the pioneer of video dance, and she was saying the same thing. To consider the camera a dancer itself and she was saying that the dancers shares with the camera a collaborative responsibility for the movement in themselves. And what I could add with this single shot concept. It's also for... I found interesting, it was not, maybe the first purpose. But found interesting when I was doing it, a kind of economical and ecological value, a reaction to the society of consummation of images because now in the digital kind of digital era. I don't know how many variants of image I produce every second day on the planet, because when I've done my 1st, I shot a lot of more documentary and I shot a lot of rushes. And then just to keep 10 minutes and all the rest, I had to throw it to waste. I try to change my process and waste as less as I can in terms of image. And shoot only what is necessary. So I prefer to prepare to, lets say, pre-edit. The editing before shooting and then shoot what they need. Melissa Ramos: That's a very fascinating process. Fu Le: I think I am very happy with that. The most biggest reason why Im convinced that I want to follow, on this concept. Melissa Ramos: And do you feel because you have this one take, this whole film. What's the feeling on set? Do you feel people are a lot more careful and are more aware? It's like this sense? Fu Le: Yes, It's for the people who are creating? Melissa Ramos: Yes. Fu Le: It's totally different from before. And I like, much more, this process. So I'm not talking about the with the research but the process. And of course, there is a kind - on the shooting. There is a kind of tension, emergency and a collective responsibility. So when I do single-shot because it's very tense. So it creates a kind of, like a real team that people have to be solitary. And it's yeah, it's really an experience. A bit like, being on stage, where when you've got it, everybody hug each other and there's a feeling that they can cross an adventure. Melissa Ramos: You said you worked with amateur dancers in MASS. What led you to start working with amateur dancers and why? Fu Le: Basically, It was not a choice. It was. It was a starting point. I would say because I was in a kind of incubator choreographer's in Paris, for “....dance” and for one year. And in this frame, I was commissioned to give some choreography workshops to an association, which is called dance ... in Paris. With young and adults, amateur people. People from everywhere who want to... While willing to do dance projects. They're absolutely not dancers, some people are kids, some adults. And so I think we have five workshops, one hour and a half. It was very fast. Doing a bit more than one month and I was giving class, and rather than just giving my class, I suggest them, I wanted to make a film, because the opportunity to get 40 people available. Doesn't happen everyday for me. Yeah, I don't really give my class. We just do some experiments, in order to do the film. And then I asked them to come more for one weekend in the space to do the film. But I think they were all very concentrated and focused. It was a fantastic group because even if they are not professional dancers, they were very professional in the audition and the focus and they were all on time and very interesting in the project. And I like also to work with different kind of bodies and people, because I'm not interested in shooting very skilled and beautiful dances. But prefer to shoot people who are more, let's say more normal, more coming from the reality because that's what I want to talk about. I want to address to everybody and not only super hero. So, yeah, my characters are more like no more hero and I think I like this kind of feeling also. Of course, if I have the opportunity to work with professional dancers, maybe we could be more precise in the in the movement and a bit more spectacular. But it will cost me a lot (laughs). Melissa Ramos: No, I found it quite real. The characters are different. Fu Le: No, they're very good. And I'm very happy with the casting. Melissa Ramos: And did you have someone helping you orchestrate the crowd? Fu Le: Well, on spot, we were a bit maybe 60 people, because so for leading the crowd, I was a choreographer. So I was. I'll be alone. Then I commissioned, two people in the group of dances to be kind choreographer assistant, because there is some kind of choreography. So they were in charge to lead the group and repeat with them. When I was busy with other stuff. But then I needed a lot of help to clean the space, to prepare food. And because it was in winter, it was five degrees in the room and it was very dirty. So we need people to clean, need people to prepare the cakes, and have always hot coffee, hot tea and to take care of the staff and all this kind of things. And then there are also like two people on the lights, to run the camera. There were photography with two assistants and then other people for also to take care of the costumes, all these kind of little details that are very important, so it was, kind of a big thing. Melissa Ramos: Oh yeah, people forget that when you're making a film, you're also having to take care of people's well being, and their energy. I understand. Fu Le: Yeah, It was a question for me when I done the film. I wanted maybe to show the musicians, because the musicians were also on spot. We couldn't do it. And also because for me, the choreography, of course, in front of the camera, but also behind the camera with all the technicians and all of the people who are helping. It's especially when you do a single shot. It's a very war choreography with happens on both sides. Melissa Ramos: Fascinating. And did you just say you wanted the musicians to be on location? Or do you mean the sound when you shoot? Fu Le: Yeah. It was very special, the sound because we try. I'm not sure I will do it again because it was very complicated to do it, but because with have the sound. My question is also to fit in my single shot concept. And not only do it normal 'post-production music'. So I invite two musicians, Harun Bayraktar and Tom Jarvis we were already working together. There are many histories and they came with their equipments and they were hidden behind what you called it, the house. And they were playing live and recording live. The dancer could hear not so well because the space was very big. But they can hear the music and in the same time the with cables, they were the musicians were recording sound. The sound you hear in the film was recorded on spot. Melissa Ramos: Wow, that's very interesting. What's it been very complicated. Fu Le: They need to work a lot after to improve the music and post production. But the base was made on spot. It was quite complicated to do it, but it brings a good energy. Melissa Ramos: Wow. That's where, I guess, other dimensions of your work, of the energy of the sound. Because I was interested in how music was created in your work and how involved you were. Did you have an idea of what the musicians were going to create? Fu Le: No, I trust them. I'm not a musician at all so. Of course, I give them a kind of an evolution of the theme. So I know this moment is more intense and more quiet, basic things, but then we talked a bit, and then after every repetition, after every rehearsal, we turn to the music. But I was more focus on the choreography and they were quite free. So the music was inspired by the space and the dancers and it helped them a lot. But they were also inspired by the space because to play in the studio and to play on site is very different. And they were inspired by the choreography also. Because they were watching the other screen, they could see very well the action. And there are responding to it. Melissa Ramos: That's very fascinating. I've never heard anyone create a dance film with live music. Fu Le: Well, yeah, it was a good thing, it's it's quite complicated. Melissa Ramos: Yeah, absolutely. You said that you always question how community is necessary to move forward together and how it is also necessary to find your own identity within the community. Can you describe precisely how you explored this in your film MASS? Fu Le: It's a bit like when I was in Asia and then I came back to France and I was a bit locked in this paradox that, we need to to identify ourselves with a group of people to find, to turn in the movement and to find people who walk in the same way and also to give difference who have the feeling to be unique and have your own individuality. So when you are in crowds, you want to assume your own individuality. And the more solitary and when you feel alone, you maybe need to go back in the crowd. So there is this kind of round trip. I just experience myself this kind of round trip between passive and active. There is a freedom. To let yourself be driven by the crowd, by like driven by the wave. And also the freedom to decide yourself to swim against the flow. The better way to express yourself, if its in a crowd or alone? I'm always balance between these two aspects. In the territories, so in MASS the character is also I wanted to play with the contrast. These are the characters image by the crowd and then the come back alone. Etcetera. There is always this round trip between the collective and the person of the individual to find somehow you. It's kind of quest of identity. To find people who looks like you, and also to find different from people, to find yourself, to be myself. But it's always balancing between these two aspects. Melissa Ramos: No, you just sort of highlight why it's important for you to have that in your film. Yeah. And I kind of felt that when I watched it. What I found quite interesting is. I suddenly don't realize that the crowd is gone, and I'm just curious where they are, outside the frame. It makes me question where they are, as myself, as an individual. When I watch it. Although I am watching the protagonist, I kind of slip and then I wonder for my own curiosity where they go and then they just come back into frame and it makes me question about me as an individual. So yeah, it is quite a... The way you've composed it is very much how you described it. Fu Le: Another part of the film is when when the main character go out to the little house and then to the crowd, he cross a kind of mural and he opens the door and that moment. I'm not sure. We don't really know if he enters a reality or if he leaves the reality. That means we don't really know if the crowd is real or if the crowd is kind of psychosis, then all the people are just in his head. Yeah, I was thinking about that, when I was doing the film. That's why the crowd can appear and disappear a bit like thought in the head. Melissa Ramos: It's interesting how MASS starts a room covered with newspaper and sounds of people murmuring from the distance. It seems to set the tone that we are about to enter a little fragmented space. Where did this idea come from? Fu Le: First of all, it was decided to give some contrast between the kind of confined room in the beginning and then to dive in the very wide space and to give some contrast and not give everything, not show the space from the beginning. So this was intentional. And for the sound, yeah indeed. As I said just before, it was more to give some confusion. And in order to like we don't really know if it's real people, like for example, people for this thing outside and the main character is afraid to go outside or if you just like in a ghost. who is whispering or talking in his head. Because the sound is appearing and disappearing. So I wanted to stay in the instead of confusion that we don't really know what's happening. |
"Single shot is interesting for me because I consider it as a complete choreography for the dancer, but also for all the technicians." |
