Anne Fontaine Captures An Independent Spirit

One could say that Coco Chanel, the legendary designer, and Anne Fontaine, the influential filmmaker, both female and both French, have at least one trait in com­mon: neither fancies speaking of the past.

“Years ago I met Lilou Marquand, a woman who worked dur­ing the last 15 years with Chanel. I’ve met with her numerous times and heard her talk enthusiastically about Chanel, and my curiosity was piqued from then on,” reminisces Fontaine. “Years later, when producers came to talk about doing the movie, I wasn’t too intimidated, I had already read and heard so much about Coco Chanel. She didn’t like to look back. There is a tragedy behind the success. She was an orphan, never wanted to inspire pity; she wanted to be very strong and hide her vulner­ability. She was so original!”

Coco Before Chanel, starring France’s sweetheart, Audrey Tautou, focuses on the first part of the designer’s life, ending pretty much the moment her success is established. Fontaine, regarded by critics as a director who likes to delve into the depths of “pyschological drama,” is a filmmaker fascinated with the process of how one becomes who they are. “What particu­larly interested me was to watch Chanel build her destiny before our eyes; she created herself as she went along. She was differ­ent, and she turned this difference into a fundamental asset.”

Fontaine knew she wanted Tautou early on. “I didn’t want someone who imitates the part, but someone who has that char­acteristic. When you see pictures of Chanel young, the resem­blance between the two is apparent, the intensity in their eyes is captivating. Chanel wasn’t too beautiful, she was different, with a strong personality. When I met Audrey, within ten minutes I knew she was perfect for the part. I couldn’t think of anybody else.”

Coco Chanel met two men who changed her destiny: Balsan, a rich eccentric gentleman (portrayed by Benoit Poelvoorde), and a young English businessman, Capel (interpreted by Alessandro Nicola), who was the love of her life. “Chanel has an incredible vitality built in her suffering,” adds the director. “She treats misfortune and turns heartache into creativity.”

Fontaine, who first began her artistic journey as a dancer, then an actress, found her calling in directing. “By the time I was 25, I had done some movies and theater, and I didn’t like being an actress, I didn’t like the idea of being chosen by someone and being told what to do,” she admits. “I began writing a script with the hope that maybe I could sell it. People liked it but no one wanted to make it. One day I said to myself that maybe I ought to try to direct it myself, and that’s how I fell into it.”

A couple years after her first foray into the world of directing, Fontaine made Dry Cleaning which not only won the Best Screenplay award at Venice Film Festival in 1997, but also established her status in contemporary French cinema. Among her other films are How I Killed My Father and The Girl from Monaco.

“As a director you’ve got to be completely dedicated to the story and the characters, be certain that this is the story you want to tell, because you’ll be spending a year or two of your life with it. You have to be able to keep that desire within you alive for a long time. It’s very exciting yet at times difficult.” ▼

Coco Before Chanel opens in Los Angeles and New York on September 25th.

Speedway

32 venice september 2009