This year, I was able to meet with some directors whose films were being shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). My first meeting was director Gaspar Noé, who was showing his film Enter the Void here.
Enter the Void had its premiere at Cannes this past Spring. I had yet to see the film when I sat down with Noé but had read a bit about it, which piqued my interest. Set in Tokyo, the film is about a 20 year old drug dealer, Oscar (Nathaniel Brown), who basically leads the viewer through the film. The story unfolds through Oscar’s eyes and mind as he tries to watch over his sister, Linda (Paz de la Huerta). Oscar soon realises he’s dying and the rest of the film takes us through his dreams and near-death experiences. Sounds like quite the voyage!
We began our conversation by talking about spirituality, and if it had anything to do with this film… Noé mentioned that such word “scares me.” The film is not really about spirituality, he continued. “I want the film to show Oscar’s mental state; therefore, it’s a mental experience… It’s hard to know if there is life after death. Who knows? We just die. It’s about being in the moment.”
In terms of having a script, Noé said there was one but he allowed the actors to improvise. That is his type of directing. He is not obssessive nor a perfectionist. He wants actors to become the characters and relate to them. For post-production, he had to do some re-shooting and overall the editing took longer than a year.
To finish up our short interview, Noé said he wants “people to experience my films.” They are not necessarily about a narrative or story. This film is close to 3 hours because the time is necessary “so you can relate to Oscar” and his experiences. It is like being in real time, almost.
After having seen the film, I must say, it’s indeed a total experience. I would not recommend it to everyone as it can be intense, trippy, and totally a mind-blowing ride. I agree that it has great cinematography; great camera work. I am not sure how to describe it, really… except that if you have the time and are open to new experiences, this film is for you! At this time, I am not aware it will receive wider release. If it comes to a theatre near you, take a chance and go for the journey.
Hye! Note: Thanks to Gaspar Noé, and of course to Corrine Leon, along with the rest of the staff at GAT PR for setting up this meeting.
Main photo credit: sensesofcinema.com
