Nicolas Winding Refn
"Cinema is a violent art."

PostED ON 14.10.2015

SELECTED EXTRACTS - The Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn gave a Master Class last night before signing the French version of his book, "L'art du regard" at the Comédie Odéon in front of a packed and passionate house.
True to his character, with a propensity for the provocative, the director developed his anecdotes and dispensed his sentences with a sly smile. Highlights:

"I'm dyslexic. I had few opportunities at school because of it. I didn't find the cinema, it found me. At 14, I saw The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. After that, I saw that cinema was a form of expression I could identify with. To rebel, I would go see violent movies. I went against everything that was in good taste or politically correct. At age 24, I learned that I was colorblind. Therefore, I see only contrasts. Which is why the color in my films includes striking contrasts."

"Everything tasteful suffocates creativity. Creativity is a stream of emotions that I use to exorcise my demons. For example, sex in the cinema, I find pretty crappy!  I prefer when it's left to the imagination. Its opposite is violence, and for me, cinema is a violent art, since it penetrates the viewer's mind and still infuses something, sometimes against his will."

"I'd rather have one dollar and make the film I want to, rather than having five dollars and compromising. That being said, we're all slaves to money. We must give ourselves the means to buy our freedom and creativity, especially in the cinema. Stealing from others or in other words, being inspired by others is part of the creative process. Those who claim otherwise are lying. The goal is to steal from the best!"

"Martin Scorsese is one of the most influential filmmakers. He's a creative force. Mean Streets taught me how to use music in film. Music is the most important tool of my creativity. In Drive, it was the first time I worked with a composer."

"What is happening in the world affects me. But I'm not a political director!"

Propos recueillis par B.P.