November 27, 2012 (XXV:13) Claire Denis, WHITE MATERIAL (2009, 106 min) Directed by Claire Denis Written by Claire Denis, Marie N'Diaye, Lucie Borleteau Produced by Pascal Caucheteux Original Music by Stuart Staples Cinematography by Yves Cape Film Editing by Guy Lecorne Visual Effects by Elodie Glain Weapons by Frédéric Cauvy Isabelle Huppert…Maria Vial Christopher Lambert…André Vial Nicolas Duvauchelle…Manuel Vial William Nadylam… Chérif, le maire Michel Subor…Henri Vial, le propriétaire Isaach De Bankolé…Le Boxeur Adèle Ado…Lucie, la femme d'André Ali Barkai…Jeep, le chef des enfants rebelles Jean-Marie Ahanda Martin Poulibe Boom-Boom, 1993 “Monologues”, 1991 Lest We Forget (segment Patrice Eya "Pour Ushari Ahmed Mahmoud, Soudan"), 1991 Keep It for Yourself, Serge Mong 1990 No Fear, No Die, 1990 “Cinéma, de notre temps”, 1989 Man Mama Njouam No Run, and 1988 Chocolat. Thomas Dumerchez Christine-Ange Tatah YVES CAPE (November 1, 1960, Belgium) has 50 cinematographer Suzanne Ayuck credits some of which are 2013 La religieuse (post-production), 2012 Daniel Tchangang… José Holy Motors, 2011 The First Man, 2011 Escalade, 2010 Just the Three of Us, 2009 Hadewijch, 2009 White Material, 2009 CLAIRE DENIS (April 21, 1948, Paris, France) has 21 directing Persécution, 2007 Ill Wind, 2006 Flanders, 2005 Déserts, 2004 The credits: 2011 To the Devil, 2009 White Material, 2008 35 Shots of Buffalo Boy, 2003 Lovely Rita, sainte patronne des cas désespérés, Rum, 2005 Vers Mathilde, 2004 The Intruder, 2002 Ten Minutes 2003 Les guerriers de la beauté, 2002 Yellowknife, 2001 Made in Older: The Cello (segment "Vers Nancy"), 2002 Friday Night, 2001 France, 1998 The Wall, 1997 Love, Math and Sex, 1997 My Life in Trouble Every Day, 1999 Beau Travail, 1996 Nenette and Boni, 1995 Pink, 1996 Mademoiselle Personne, 1993 The Motorcycle Girl, 1992 À propos de Nice, la suite (segment "Nice, Very Nice"), 1994 “Tous Les sept péchés capitaux, and 1990 Week-end. les garçons et les filles de leur âge...”, 1994 I Can't Sleep, 1994 Denis—WHITE MATERIAL—2 ISABELLE HUPPERT…Maria Vial (March 16, 1953, Paris, France) has 110 acting credits, some of which are 2013 La religieuse (post- ISAACH DE BANKOLÉ…Le Boxeur (August 12, 1957, Abidjan, Ivory production), 2013 Dead Man Down (post-production), 2013 Tip Top Coast) has 52 acting credits, some of which are 2013 Where the Road (post-production), 2013 The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Hers Runs Out (post-production), 2012 Ma' George (post-production), (post-production), 2013 The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His 2012 Chaos, 2010 I Am Slave, 2009 White Material, 2009 The Limits (post-production), 2012 “As Linhas de Torres Vedras”, 2012 of Control, 2009 “24” (6 episodes), 2008 The Guitar, 2007 Battle in Dormant Beauty, 2012 Lines of Wellington, 2012 In Another Country, Seattle, 2007 The Fifth Patient, 2007 The Diving Bell and the 2012 Amour, 2012 Captive, 2012 Dubaï Flamingo, 2011 My Worst Butterfly, 2006 Casino Royale, 2006 Miami Vice, 2005 Manderlay, Nightmare, 2011 My Little Princess, 2010 Special Treatment, 2010 2004 Homework, 2003 Coffee and Cigarettes, 2003 The Killing Zone, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, 2010 Copacabana, 2009 2001 “The Sopranos”, 1999 Otomo, 1999 Ghost Dog: The Way of the White Material, 2009 Villa Samurai, 1993 “Heart of Darkness”, Amalia, 2008 The Sea Wall, 1989 How to Make Love to a Negro 2008 Home, 2006 Private Without Getting Tired, 1988 Chocolat, Property, 2004 I Heart 1986 Noir et blanc, 1984 The Syringe, Huckabees, 2004 Ma Mère, 1984 Comment draguer tous les mecs, 2003 Time of the Wolf, 2002 8 and 1984 L'addition. Women, 2001 The Piano Teacher, 2000 Les destinées, From the European Graduate 2000 The King's Daughters, School website: 1998 The School of Flesh, Claire Denis (b. April 21, 1997 The Swindle, 1996 1948, Paris) is a Paris-based Elective Affinities, 1994 La filmmaker and one of the major separation, 1994 Amateur, artistic voices of contemporary French 1991 Madame Bovary, 1990 cinema. After a disappointing La vengeance d'une femme, experience of studying economics, 1988 Story of Women, 1988 Claire Denis enrolled in the Institut Les possédés, 1983 My Best des Hautes Études Friend's Girl, 1983 Entre Cinématographiques (now École Nous, 1982 Godard's Passion, 1981 Coup de torchon, 1981 Lady of Nationale Supérieure des Métiers de l'Image et du Son) where she the Camelias, 1980 Heaven's Gate, 1980 Every Man for Himself, graduated in 1971. At the beginning of her film career, she worked as 1980 Loulou, 1980 Örökség, 1979 Les soeurs Brontë, 1977 Spoiled an assistant director to Dušan Makavejev, Costa Gavras, Jacques Children, 1976 I Am Pierre Riviere, 1975 Aloïse, 1975 Rosebud, Rivette, Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders. Claire Denis made her film 1974 Going Places, 1972 César and Rosalie, 1972 The Bar at the debut in 1988 with Chocolat, a luminous depiction of malaise of the Crossing, 1972 “Figaro-ci, Figaro-là”, 1972 Faustine et le bel été, post-colonial world. and 1971 “Le prussien.” Claire Denis has developed a highly individualistic style, favoring visual and sound elements over dialogue, and her editing technique CHRISTOPHE LAMBERT…André Vial (March 29, 1957, Great Neck, has been compared to jazz improvisation for its rhythmic quality. At Long Island, New York) has 68 acting credits, some of which are the same time, she refuses the conformity to narrative and structures 2012 “NCIS: Los Angeles”, 2012 The Foreigner, 2011 Ghost Rider: of classical cinema, as well as psychological realism and scenic Spirit of Vengeance, 2011 Blood Shot, 2009 “Les associés”, 2009 continuity, sometimes blurring the border between dreams and White Material, 2008 The Chauffeur, 2007 Metamorphosis, 2006 Day reality. Her films are made on the basis of nonsubjective memories of Wrath, 2003 Absolon, 2002 The Piano Player, 2000 Highlander: and intertextual references to literature and other films. On the level Endgame, 1999 Beowulf, 1999 Resurrection, 1997 Nirvana, 1996 of content, Claire Denis' films show deep affection and solidarity Hercule & Sherlock, 1994 Highlander: The Final Dimension, 1993 with marginalized characters usually absent from mainstream cinema Gunmen, 1992 Knight Moves, 1987 The Sicilian, 1986 Highlander, (immigrants, exiles, alienated individuals, sexual transgressives), 1984 Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, 1981 simultaneously questioning prejudices of the dominant white Putain d'histoire d'amour, and 1979 Ciao, les mecs. European culture and its myth of progress. One of the main characters in her films became the accompanying music, her particular use of NICOLAS DUVAUCHELLE…Manuel Vial (March 27, 1980, Paris, pop songs and musical themes created in collaboration with, most France) has 34 acting credits some of which are 2013 Pour une often, Abdullah Ibrahim and British cult group Tindersticks. Claire femme (filming), 2012 Comme des frères, 2012 Parlez-moi de vous, Denis is also considered to be one of the representatives of the New 2009-2011 “Braquo” (16 episodes), 2011 Polisse, 2011 The Well French Extremity, a term coined by James Quandt to designate Digger's Daughter, 2011 Les yeux de sa mere, 2011 Nobody Else But transgressive films made by French directors at the turn of the 21st You, 2011 Stretch, 2010 Four Lovers, 2010 The Blonde with Bare century. Breasts, 2009 White Material, 2009 Wild Grass, 2009 The Girl on the Born in Paris, Claire Denis spent her childhood and Train, 2008 “Rien dans les poches”, 2008 Secrets of State, 2007 Le formative years traveling across Africa, due to the wish of her father, deuxième soufflé, 2007 Inside, 2006 Le grand Meaulnes, 2006 April a colonial administrator, to teach his children the importance of in Love, 2006 Hell, 2003 Snowboarder, 2001 Ligne 208, 1999 Beau geography. This experience was a basis for her interest in national Travail, and 1999 Le petit voleur, identity and the legacy of French colonialism, which was translated Denis—WHITE MATERIAL—3 into her first film Chocolat, a non-biographical account of post- With her Vendredi soir / Friday Night (2002), Claire Denis colonialism. The film starts with a white French woman in her late will tell a different story about intimate relation between two twenties, France, returning to Cameroon to visit her childhood home. strangers who met during a public-transport strike. A man and a During a car ride she is offered by two strangers, Mungo Park and his woman engage in a passionate one-night stand, where the son, the film goes back to her childhood in the colonial outpost. Here, communication between the two happens through a mere glance. The we are introduced to Protée, an African native patiently ministering to result is a sensual, ravishing visual experience told through a series of demands of her and her parents, as well as their ill-mannered guests nonvoyeristic images of their bodies. from the continent. The film relies on the visual rather than the verbal L'Intrus / The Intruder (2004) was nominated for a Golden to explain interracial tensions and conflicts, simultaneously showing Lion at the 2004 Venice Film Festival and represents, according to the intermingled nature of power relations and relations of desire. The many, the most mysterious and invigorating work Claire Denis had house depicted is charged with desire and sexual yearning, while the made. The film takes inspiration from R.L. Stevenson, Paul complicity of relations becomes clear through the exposure of the Gauguin's paintings, as well as a memoir by French philosopher Jean- process of internalization of inferiority the inhabitants of former Luc Nancy, from whom she borrowed the title and the motif of heart colonies were affected by. The film ends with Mungo's failed attempt transplant. Namely, the story follows an enigmatic man in his late to read the future from France's palm with burn scars, as well as his sixties traveling in the South Seas in an attempt to find a son he never rejection to have a drink with her, following the pattern of interracial met and a new heart.