WHAT I AM WORTH - REVIEW & INTERVIEW
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| © Yann Jeannotin |
YJ: Since the first time I went on stage, when I was 7, I knew that theatre would be a great part of my life. Born in the center of France, I came to Paris in 2011 to take acting lessons at the “Cours Artefact” theatre school. During the 2nd year, we had a cinema class to learn how to act in front of the camera and we made a short-movie with all my class at the end of the year. When we weren’t on screen, we had to assist our teacher in different positions (sound, light,…). It was a real positive discovery for me. Being behind rather than in front of the camera was a totally different experience but just as exciting.
So, once my acting school finished, I decided to join another school more “cinema-oriented” to learn how to shoot a movie. I found the “Studio Alain de Bock et Katherine Gabelle” school, still in Paris, that allowed me to do so. During this second course, I shot my first movie “Sagittae”, which features a crime of passion and is speechless.
Besides of that, I worked on several other movies, mainly as an assistant director, to profit from the experience of the directors I’ve worked with but also from the crews to fully understand how does a set work. I also participated at several film contests such as 48h Film Project or Nikon Festival but What I am worth is my first project with a professional goal.
HFF: What were your sources of inspiration for What I am worth?
YJ: What I am worth is born from a request Anne-Lise (Madama) to realise her showreel. We wanted to add new images at the ones she already had and we discussed about what kind of scenes we could shoot. During the search process, we talked about the sexual harassment problematic undergone by a lot of women. At this point, I realised that it’s very often women who are depicted as victims of sexual harassment in various movies and I thought that we could switch the places for once. After several hours of reflexion, this is how we wrote the scene that would become the prototype of What I am worth. It only featured the interview scene, in a way much lighter atmosphere. After having seen the final result, we thought that there was a whole story potential in there. So I asked Anne-Lise and Melina (Nahiri) if they’d like to resume their roles in a more developed and more serious story : I let you guess what was their answer.
Cinematographically speaking, one movie inspired me to precise the design of Madama, it’s the Madame Claude 2021 film written and directed by Sylvie Verheyde. For the design of Nahiri, the character is more based upon the The Neon Demon 2016 film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Moreover, both being fans of Xavier Dolan, Marianne (director of photography) and I took inspiration from his films to shoot the scene where Felix arrives inside Madama’s Agency.
In a more general way, the starting architecture of the story is inspired by the myth of Icarus who, overconfident and freedom-loving, flew far too close of the sun and burned his wings. Here Felix, hurt in his pride because of his inferiority complex towards Max, misunderstands his warnings and tries to reach the same success he believes Max has but only to be brutally brought back to reality.
Finally, the colour code of the film is governed by the symbolic colours of the Seven Deadly Sins. As the protagonists of the film experience (at least once) each sin, when it happens, the colour of the corresponding scene is the one which features the current sin (for instance, green for envy, dark blue and light blue for lust and sloth respectively…).
HFF: Was the choice to play the main character planned from the start?
YJ: When we wrote the prototype version for Anne-Lise’s showreel, we wondered who could play the role of Felix. But the more we wrote about the story, the more I went interested in it and in embodying Felix. I knew it wouldn’t be easy in multiple ways but it was also a huge challenge that I wanted to take up and I hope I did.
HFF: How did you choose your other actors?
YJ: For Madama, Nahiri and Felix, it was already set since the beginning of the project that Anne-Lise, Melina and I would resume our respective roles in the film.
Romain (Max) answered an ad I displayed on dedicated websites. He came at the audition and I really enjoyed his energy and how he grasped the role.
Other actors were either actors I already new or actors who applied. And I’m grateful when I remember how each one of them was implied during the shooting, no matter if they had a dialogued part or not.
HFF: Is it difficult to be both the director and the main actor? What do you remember from this experience?
YJ: I must confess that it was quite a challenge. We had a very tight schedule and I couldn’t waste our time to check every take, especially upon specific scenes which required that I was completely focused on my acting.
For instance, the most difficult day for me to shoot was Day #3 : we shot Max and Felix’s final scene and Felix’s in the bathroom. I frankly don’t remember a lot of the shooting this day, except that I couldn’t walk inside the bathroom once the day was finished. Luckily, we got another one.
Fortunately, I had three wonderful assistants, Jules, Marie and Kinga, with who I detailed all the intentions I wanted so they can communicate with the rest of the team when I couldn’t. They made such a great job at coordinating everyone and keep the fire inside us.
Also Marianne was very open to my vision of the story and we prepared a lot before the beginning of the shooting. She helped me to sharpen my artistic direction and offered me very good advises when I was blocked.
I could eventually totally rely on my team when needed and this is why we managed to be very effective for this really hard work in such few time.
HFF: Is the film somewhat autobiographical? Is there a part of experience?
YJ: Felix’s (mis)adventure is purely fictional.
To define the context of the film, I made some research about how the laws rule escorting and prostitution in France. I also viewed a lot of testimonies on this topic to try to understand better the situation of being an hustler or an escort.
HFF: Was the nudity scene complicated to shoot? How did you work on it?
YJ: From the very beginning of the project, even before I decided to play Felix, I knew that the question of his nudity in this scene was fundamental.
Since then, I had to choose how I should deal with it in the movie. I wanted something strong enough both for the character and the spectator but not something chocking (at least, not more than it already was). In my opinion, it would have spoiled the purpose.
I chose then to assume Felix’s frontal nudity to show how fragile and vulnerable Felix became as long as the interview went. On top of that, the frame traps him between Madama and Nahiri on each side, reinforcing his imprisonment. And I wanted to put the spectator in the two women’s position.
To be honest, the first tests were difficult.
Prior to the shooting, when we started to rehearse the scene for real, it was like there were only my body and me. All the rest of the room didn’t exist anymore. It took me four tries to start to “connect” to the girls and act with them. But the kindness of Anne-Lise and Melina and the trust we had to each other were truly helpful. It’s also why we decided to lead this project : because we knew that we could count on each other. And I do believe than, even more than the rehearsals, having a very strong and trustful bound with your partners is the key to play such scenes.
Besides, when I recruited all the team, I warned each of them that there would be scenes that feature nudity so that everyone would join the project well-informed. Once we were on the shooting of the fore-mentioned scenes, everyone was very professional and respectful.
HFF: Has your film obtained financial aid?
YJ: The movie was totally self-financed so we didn’t get any financial aid so far. Nevertheless, I know it’s possible to ask an aid a posteriori from the CNC. I’m currently preparing the formalities to do so.
HFF: How long was the shooting?
YJ: The shooting lasted five days. We shot Felix’s arrival at the agency on Day 1 and the Madama’s office scenes on Day 2. This one was the hardest because we had all the set dressing to do to completely create the atmosphere of the office and a lot of shots to do. Bad luck on this day, we had to face an electrical shutdown which made us lose 2 hours.
We eventually shoot all the scenes which took place in Max’s apartment during the last three days.
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| © Yann Jeannotin |
HFF: How was the post-production part?
YJ: The post-production part was intense but mainly well-going. As intended, the scene of the interview was the hardest to edit.
We split the workflow in three steps : I edited the film, then Marianne made the colour correction while Remi (Sound engineer) and Kirian (perchman) took the sound design and the mix in charge.
When I was stuck between two possibilities of editing, I could ask Marianne but also some friends of mine who didn’t know the project to get new impressions. A professional editor also reviewed my work and gave me some useful advices.
HFF: You worked with a composer. Tell us about this collaboration and how you worked with him.
YJ: It is the second time I work with Simon Lauris to create the OST of my movies. I really appreciated his work and our collaboration last time and I wanted to work with him again on this one.
First, when I edited the film, I used some pre-existing music to illustrate my intentions and to show them to Simon. I also sent him a written description with some keywords to figure out my wishes and the indications of the moments where each music should start and finish.
Then, Simon created the first versions of each track and, after having listened them, I send him some adjustments to do (for instance, shorten a track or add more drums to figure a heartbeat) with the adjunction of timecodes and more precise keywords until the final release.
HFF: How do you see the future of your film? Is a release planned?
YJ: The film just came out from the editing table and starts its life in the festival circuit. Hallucinea Film Festival is its first selection and I’m very proud of it.
There was also a first screening on May, the 8th to present the final version of the film to the crew and some friends of mine who had been very supportive during all the steps of the creation of the movie.
I’m currently working upon getting the operating visa from the CNC in order to propose the movie in some dedicated VOD platforms.
HFF: Do you have any other plans? If so, do you plan to play again in your film or just focus on directing?
YJ: I have two others scenarios written and ready to shoot. One about mental handicap and how the life of the family deals with it, the other is about a young man who has been adopted and decide to find his biological mother.
I have a third story that is still at the beginning of the creation process but it would gather several disciplines.
If I had to choose between acting or directing, I’d say it’s easier to be behind the camera. But it’s also very exciting to go out of your comfort zone and to embody a character. So I’d say yes, I know I will play again in my films but not each time and not necessarily in a main cast.
