00:00:00: Hello guys, I'm here with Alain Gommes to talk about his new film Dao.

00:00:04: Hi Alaine!

00:00:06: Dao already premiered at the Berlinale in competition.

00:00:09: this is where i've seen it.

00:00:11: It's such an immersive story that goes over three hours of the African diaspora and the Senegalese diaspora in France.

00:00:19: How did you start creating this story?

00:00:23: The film was made by a ceremony in Guinea-Bissau which purpose is make from dead birds the kind of ancestor and there is a wedding in France.

00:00:32: The beginning idea was I had to make this ceremony for my father, after that i thought that would love making film about it.

00:00:40: maybe one year or two later ,i have been too waiting.

00:00:43: This was probably the perfect way you talk about this diaspora To talk about these life-and death things And trying also talking family About history about heritage.

00:00:55: There are alot different topics into the film And I just wanted to bring these people on the screen, talking with them about things that most of time or can see in European cinema and Western cinema.

00:01:09: Sometimes they are not accustomed here by themselves from Africa!

00:01:15: This was also one purpose for this film... I think it is made for everybody trying connect people together.

00:01:20: even if we have different context of life We have so much to share.

00:01:23: It's a moment to share how

00:01:25: much story was actually scripted and how much was developed while shooting.

00:01:57: Films, most of the time black people are shown in not really nice way.

00:02:01: I just wanted them to be able to act the way they want it to be represented and that was very important for me.

00:02:07: Was it

00:02:07: hard to get a story produced?

00:02:10: Not that difficult In fact.

00:02:11: i were surprised because our project That was in middle of documentary fiction.

00:02:17: But we have been able To find some funds to follow this crazy idea.

00:02:22: So It wasn't that difficult.

00:02:24: We didn't had big budget to make the film with what we had at this moment, not waiting for too long because... We thought that a film will have to happen on set.

00:02:34: The idea was just to dive into it.

00:02:36: Getting

00:02:37: it in festivals and receiving a cinematic release.

00:02:41: Because African films compared to European films are so underrepresented I see like so many European productions they're really not very good.

00:02:48: And i see fantastic films from african countries.

00:02:51: They don't make them into Cannes or Venice Or Toronto or even if they are there, then a smaller section but never in competition.

00:02:59: And you have three Italian films and competitions for French film.

00:03:02: They're not necessarily that great.

00:03:04: Was it difficult to get the festival slot?

00:03:08: Not

00:03:08: very much because of Berlin.

00:03:10: The Beninale is really special.

00:03:11: They were open about every kind of film.

00:03:13: But yes most times at festivals It's like they've been waiting on something they had in mind before Especially coming from Africa waiting for.

00:03:25: For African cinema, it's difficult to be itself.

00:03:28: what can be relevant for African people?

00:03:30: That is not the Western world you want to see about

00:03:33: Africa.".

00:03:33: Would you say that also probably because of how people in Africa live and what troubles them has been shaped by films made by western people or white people who don't have the same life experience as somebody originally lives

00:03:53: the problems of Africa, but I don't want to see Africa as maybe a solution for their own problem.

00:03:59: You have to establish better dialogue something that is more balanced with respect needed in both sides.

00:04:05: There are so few people who can imagine African can help them.

00:04:09: That's what cinema about me Is.

00:04:12: sometimes you can discover yourself watching your film In another society With somebody not really from same kind of context that you're living in But you can meet Watching a Japanese film, watching the South African films.

00:04:27: In the case of Africa most of the time especially some festivals want to see.

00:04:32: how can we help Africa?

00:04:34: That's kind of thing they wanna see.

00:04:36: The White Saviors' Thing.

00:04:38: Yeah!

00:04:38: And we have get out this

00:04:40: When shooting and developing the story where there are situations.

00:04:44: when you thought about How would European audience or Western audience See that maybe you were worried that a western audience wouldn't get the context or misunderstood, or misinterpreted.

00:04:56: There is a scene into the film where we can see animal sacrifice and so it's part of the ceremony have conversation together saying are showing this on that?

00:05:04: And somewhere hesitating about there was very important to have this conversation for ourselves also say in fact we reached point.

00:05:13: if were not able show what we're without fear all they will watch it and see us as savages.

00:05:21: Once again, if we're not able to do that... It's a denying of our identity.

00:05:25: One of the projects in film was show ourselves where are.

00:05:29: We don't have to be proud about everything.

00:05:31: That is what we want this time To get out from this vision of civilized world versus some people who live in kind of vast worlds And this is what the film was about also to establish a conversation on the same level.

00:05:47: I think it's very, very important for European people too be able get out of these images themselves like dominating the world and its' important for African people to show themself where they are.

00:06:01: Yeah!

00:06:01: To be proud of what you're all so.

00:06:03: And showing the film in Africa is crazy because we feel happy by saying that the traditional part of themselves, their culture and this kind of culture happened being shown.

00:06:16: that much in fact.

00:06:17: And it's always a question to understand exactly why are we sometimes ashamed ourselves?

00:06:22: Why are so afraid about what they're going to be seeing?

00:06:25: A lot have been through history very tough sometime... ...and a lot has to be healed!

00:06:31: I'm happy there is some joy because its also the joy

00:06:40: fricandiaspora in this context for people who live, In the case of France but have a heritage in Guinea-Bissau or Senegal and sometimes struggle maybe to keep connection with that heritage.

00:06:53: It's

00:06:53: always difficult to leave Bolivia far from cultural roots.

00:06:57: There are so many things you don't know.

00:06:58: it is important To be able build an identity With every aspect.

00:07:04: if you want free yourself From this identity You also need to know And there're so many thing That haven´t been said by the parents, for example.

00:07:11: Because some parts of this history is painful so sometimes you live in a very cloudy knowledge Of yourself A lot.

00:07:19: people want to know more about their culture and also work hard To be able to accept it in Europe In France And have spent alot of time just trying to see as somebody Worthy or if we wanna find job This generation.

00:07:35: The film is really central on these generations.

00:07:38: the first children of this generation who came in Europe were in the sixties, in the seventies.

00:07:44: At that time they had to build everything.

00:07:46: you have to open every door.

00:07:48: it was easy for African workers but defined an African doctor and African professor.

00:07:53: It wasn't almost impossible.

00:07:54: And if you watch TV You could spend all day without seeing a black person on TV.

00:07:59: So your image doesn't exist.

00:08:01: In fact...it exists only when you go to school.

00:08:08: It could be closest, it's good big money to send you Africa.

00:08:10: So the images of what do have yourself is caricature.

00:08:14: so we live in with an identity that Is not really known.

00:08:18: You just want no more?

00:08:19: We Just need To know More to Be able to go through your own society With Your feet on The ground for real knowing who you are.

00:08:26: but there is this thing about some Of them kind of struggle between trying to be accepted and Knowing That to be Accepted too you Have to Know Better About Yourself.

00:08:34: Would you say that his image off different African Can countries and cultures has improved in Europe?

00:08:40: Or would you say it's pretty much stuck in the past.

00:08:44: It is very key answer, but probably true.

00:08:46: And what do think should happen to improve this and break this mold?

00:08:50: first

00:08:51: of all we don't have To explain anything.

00:08:52: We don't Have to excuse ourselves to be What we are or to Be here when we're on your web.

00:08:57: who will have to help sometime European people to see ourself differently and european People also like?

00:09:04: there are victims too about these image about the way these images have been built.

00:09:09: The European people also can suffer this wrong way of featuring Africa.

00:09:15: and all in the rest It

00:09:31: was an

00:09:38: original castle because I wanted people to be able talk the language in this particular region of Guinea Bissau.

00:10:04: by an improvisation and also asked to the people what kind of character would they like you play?

00:10:10: And, What kind of characters didn't want it to be played?

00:10:13: The answer was very interesting.

00:10:15: It's that I don´t wanna be a gangster or drug dealer...I don´T wanna be woman who is beaten up by her husband!

00:10:22: All these kinds of characters....

00:10:24: That you usually see if put on TV then African black people are presented as gangsters, victimized women

00:10:32: Exactly came up to be, okay so how do you want to be?

00:10:36: How would we wanna be

00:10:37: seen?".

00:10:37: And a lot of characters happen to be created during this casting.

00:10:41: That's why I wanted the process to be part of the film too because i wanted it have on-screen these dialogue around... The film is saying something about this need and that think its true for all kind of community..How Do I Want To Be Seen?

00:10:54: We watch I don't know how many hours of image every time!

00:10:58: So Its very important.

00:10:59: those images carry so many things in some way when control about it.

00:11:04: so that's why I wanted this thing to be very open.

00:11:06: At the end, i was surprised.

00:11:07: you see how much they want to show themselves in

00:11:10: jar and we have some moments where people are like very joyful and exuberant.

00:11:14: also moments when their deeply touched moved into tears by reconnecting with a heritage.

00:11:21: these are real emotions!

00:11:22: How was is deal with emotional challenges of being immersed for actors?

00:11:29: That was crazy because I didn't ask anybody to cry.

00:11:33: The way we have shot this film also was a very long text, sometimes thirty or forty minutes and at some point don't make the difference anymore between what is true and why it's not especially during these moments where they were coming back into this village... Coming Back.

00:11:47: for Some of Them Is For The First Time going there meeting their family.

00:11:50: It's Not Their Real Family They Are Actors.

00:11:52: But The Feeling And The Emotion Was True.

00:11:55: Most Of Them Have Had This Very Emotional Reaction And Start To Cry.

00:11:59: That Was Crazy.

00:12:01: So I love in cinema, sometimes you don't can do different between fiction and life.

00:12:05: And it's so cool when the cinema is a tool also taken by people who make film to send message or heal something about themself Or address one another.

00:12:17: because sometime you say things that cannot be said into real lives.

00:12:21: You ask questions for your own father That fantastic what camera can do and what kind of disponibility you have at this moment.

00:12:30: camera and microphone.

00:12:31: It's like you're ready to hear for the first time, to speak for the First Time... To laugh for The First Time!

00:12:37: To cry For The First time.

00:12:38: it is between action & cat.

00:12:40: I'm open to meet You see You.

00:12:42: That's fantastic And i think that what you can feel watching this film they are real.

00:12:46: I wanted

00:12:47: ask originally if your yourself more as a documentary or as a story teller but now i wonder do u even like to distinct between two?

00:12:55: No i don't.

00:12:56: i like fiction because when its fiction you dont have deal with the fact to say that it's everything is true.

00:13:03: You have a kind of freedom, you organize the film the way you want...you have certain kind of freedoms.

00:13:07: but besides that I don't care documentary fiction and everything in cinema.

00:13:11: what is cinema?

00:13:12: To me to share common intimacy.

00:13:13: That said just trying to be together.

00:13:15: The Cinema Theatre is fantastic!

00:13:17: Don't even know where are after ten minutes..You're on time With all other people watching this film And your real new community for one hour two hours three hours sharing something.

00:13:30: How much material did you have?

00:13:32: and was it hard to cut down into a feasible length?

00:13:37: So I had a lot.

00:13:38: The shooting was like twenty days, we have decided to reduce the part of technique.

00:13:44: We didn't ask for silence at any moment.

00:13:46: so just let's shoot!

00:13:47: We were following what is happening in one day of shooting maybe eight hours or five hours of footage.

00:13:54: Everything was live and that incredible sensation.

00:13:58: And then when you go into editing something else In first version it was more than ten hours without losing the intensity of it.

00:14:09: And that's a beautiful work to do, I love doing that trying to keep and enrich your heart at every moment... ...and sensation in every moment.

00:14:15: sometimes you're loosing it too.. ..and then try to find the right position for every second.

00:14:20: It is long.

00:14:21: work on this unit was like year-and-a-half after editing.

00:14:24: After this intensive work Do we have new project that are developing?

00:14:27: Yeah i have several projects

00:14:29: Maybe one you'd want me mention.

00:14:31: Many people ask them if they would like to talk about their new project.

00:14:33: You also say no so its upto you.

00:14:35: Because yeah, it's a little bit mystic maybe.

00:14:37: It is like okay... You

00:14:38: don't want to jinx it?

00:14:39: No!

00:14:39: That said exactly you know.

00:14:41: so you will see what would be possibly done.

00:14:44: What do think needs happen?

00:14:47: more representation of african films in european cinema

00:14:51: or just for the people who see it most of the cinemas are really like its real question money.

00:14:56: if your theatre and people come here they gonna have another film.

00:14:59: So it's more to the public curious and open.

00:15:02: If u liked cinema then you'll find into africans cinema.

00:15:05: Something that will touch you deeply, not maybe in every films.

00:15:09: but what's happening there now is very fascinating.

00:15:12: it's a continent as is right now trying to find itself after years and years of domination trying to found back something about who are we today?

00:15:22: And they're the same thing for The Diaspora and others...and at the same time Europe!

00:15:26: You have been trying this way also For every nation..for every society.

00:15:31: That why I have discovered doing these film traditions.

00:15:34: It's about the present.

00:15:35: And it is every time, if you ask yourself what is Germany?

00:15:39: Just open your eyes!

00:15:41: Germany is today just right now and that isn't even ten years before.

00:15:46: this kind of dialogue or conversation between a film book painting whatever can help to build this new Germany everyday.

00:15:54: This new Senegalese friends everything every day.

00:15:58: Thank You so much for this interview.

00:15:59: Alain Gomez review on Movie Break.

00:16:04: Thank

00:16:05: you!