An interview with Khaled Mouzanar, member of the Un Certain Regard Jury

What does the Un Certain Regard selection mean to you?

In this selection, I hope to see unidentified artistic objects, UFOs of cinema, the creators of the future, things that don’t appear in mainstream cinema. Firstly, I’m looking for inspiration for myself as an artist and cinephile. I’m hoping for an artistic slap in the face.

What was your first reaction when you were asked to be part of the Jury?

I was very happy and surprised. I’m also a producer, but first and foremost I’m a composer. And it’s rare to find composers in selection Juries. It’s a great honor, for the profession and for myself. I had several messages from musician friends who were delighted. It also, in a way, recognizes composers as filmmakers.

“I think that nobody appreciates the value of silence quite like a music composer”

How do you view films as a musician?

Fundamentally, I think a composer reads a screenplay in a musical way. So our way of reading is a little different compared to other viewers. I can also appreciate the parts of a film where there’s no music. I think that nobody appreciates the value of silence quite like a music composer.

What do you think makes good film music?

Good film music is music that can convey what the director wants to express, that manages to be an actor in the film, but also manages to make you forget about it. Music that is too present, that is about something that the image isn’t saying, isn’t always the best thing in a film.

What is a film for which you think the music is particularly well-written?

There are films that have been precursors, bold, that marked me musically. The Third Man is one of the first films whose music spoke to me. I understood that the same theme can simultaneously mean drama, suspense, and joy. It’s a remarkable example of a recurring leitmotif in a film.

And then Stanley Kubrick made me discover classical music. The first pieces of classical music I ever listened to were probably thanks to him. The surprising use of music in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the mixing of science fiction and classical music, really left an impression on me.

You yourself won the UCMF (Union of Film Music Composers) award for best film music for Caramel. How does an Award change your career?

It makes you very happy. It’s good to get recognition from people in the business. It shows you that you’re on the right track. Because as an artist, you’re constantly questioning yourself.

What do you find touching in a film?

I love to be deeply moved. I love learning something. I love being surprised. I love cinema. I love the esthetics. I love the photography. Cinema is a blend of all the arts. When everything works, there is a magic that stirs you. It’s rare, but when it works, it changes you. I really think that cinema is one of the arts that has the power to change the world.

What are your expectations for the Un Certain Regard Competition?

I have no expectations for the genre, or the subject, the substance or the theme. I’m just hoping to be dazzled, artistically inspired. We see films from all around the world. It’s like feeling the pulse of the whole planet today. And it feels good to feel connected to all the artists in the world, from countries you don’t really know. Arthouse cinema gets into the depths, into the veins of a country. These films inspire us, we feel them.

What makes a good Jury?

I’ve really met a group of people who approach cinema with great tenderness and we get on very well. There’s a friendship that’s settled among us, and it’s really great talking about the films. As the discussions take place, you sometimes realize you were wrong and you end up seeing what you missed the first time round.