COLOURS OF TIME
Interview with Cédric Klapisch about La Venue de l’avenir (Colours of Time)
In La Venue de l’avenir (Colours of Time), Cédric Klapisch switches between Adèle’s late 19th-century life and that of four of her modern-day great grandchildren. The presently estranged cousins embark on a journey learning about their ancestor’s extraordinary existence. Interview with the filmmaker for his first Out of Competition selection at Cannes.
How did you come up with the idea of having two eras interact?
The confrontation of modern day and 1895 looks at one family’s destiny and compares the two eras. Right before 1900 was a period of technological invention: the train, electricity, cinema etc. It was the birth of photography and painting evolved in response. It was a period of excitement, just like today, with artificial intelligence and social networks.
You cover a time when picture-based art forms were in conflict…
In 1870 and 1890, photography was very present and we were wondering whether it would replace painting. In the end, photography made painting evolve, such as with impressionism. We hadn’t quite reached abstraction but we were questioning the role of painting and of color, which was absent in photography back then.
These medium are compared with images of our time. How does the film approach this?
I wanted to show both the weakness and emptiness conveyed this way, but also the creativity. We are so flooded with images and I wanted to laugh at the worst of it but show that there is also the opportunity for making smart and creative things as well.
The film is also a story of legacy and family. What interested you in this aspect of legacy?
The ancestors in the film are 20 years old and I wanted to have fun with that. Observing the life of a family with such a big generation gap raises the question of genealogy, beyond psychoanalysis and heredity. That said, I believe there is a very strong intangible heritage in everyone.
Was casting carried out based on the film’s eras?
We auditioned roughly twenty girls for the role of Adèle and Suzanne Lindon clearly stood out. I discovered just how well the era suited her only after seeing her with her hair done and in costume. Paul Kircher and Vassili Schneider are very modern, but the era also suits them. The most important thing was that the actors suited the characters before thinking about whether they suited the era.
The costumes and sets are sumptuously designed. What was it like creating this world?
I had never made a period drama before. Pierre-Yves Gayraud was in charge of costumes and Marie Cheminal was in charge of set design. Diving into the aesthetics was amazing but it required a large team and a lot of patience. I’d never worked this way before; working as you go along with a certain spontaneity. It was a pain-staking but rewarding process, which is ultimately the charm of the film.
