Céline Salette: “Thank you for allowing us to be the lace in this film”

Bertrand Bonello gave the press conference for L’Apollonide : souvenirs de la maison close (House of Tolerance) with director of photography Josée Deshaies and actresses Hafsia Herzi, Jasmine Trinca, Alice Barnolé and Noémie Lvovsky. The eight other actresses were also present for the conference.

Bertrand Bonello talks about choosing the 12 actresses:
To constitute a group, you first have to have individuals. Each choice is made for different reasons. I needed actresses who could make the journey from contemporary times to 1900 and give life to this bouquet. The casting itself took nine months. It was a fine puzzle. 

Josée Deshaies, director of photography, on the lighting in the film:

We had certain instructions: a brothel, a unique place, a historical fiction. The lighting had to be both realistic and a bit fantastical at the same time. The house is a theatre.  

Céline Salette on how Bonello directed the actresses:
Bertrand really gave us a lot of direction. Every day we went through an hour of choreography. He did really fine, minute work, like making lace. Thank you, Bertrand, for allowing us to be the lace in this film.

Hafsia Herzi on the actresses’ nudity:
For me it wasn’t difficult. It was like we were family; it’s hard to explain. We weren’t ashamed because we were all together. That nudity is beautiful!

Bertrand Bonello on his choice of point of view on the brothel:
Everything we’ve seen until now on the subject has been from a man’s point of view – painters, authors, etc. What I wanted to give was the women’s point of view, how they view men.
This isn’t a film to stir up a debate. I want it to be talked about for the script or the images. This subject can be an aesthetic object.
 
Written by T.K.