Sundance Film Festival / IFFR International Film Festival Rotterdam 2020 – While I'm Still Breathing (Tandis Que Je Respire Encore)
While I'm Still Breathing is the blurred portrayal of a young woman through three steps of her sexuality.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Actor Laure Giappiconi
Watch While I'm Still Breathing (Tandis Que Je Respire Encore) on Vimeo on demand
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to tackle sexuality in a soft, raw and intimate way.
I'm an actress and a writer. I created and performed in a theatrical solo "La sortie se trouve à l'intérieur" ("The exit is inside") about eroticism and pornography through stripping. I wanted to continue to explore these themes.
Meeting La Fille Renne, a photographer who works on film, made me want to combine her photographic research with my writing work. Film making came naturally and Elisa Monteil joined us for the sound creation.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because of the emotionally devastating texts, the uniquely stunning pictures, the amazing soundtrack and the incredible humans who are in it! Well, I'm probably not objective...
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
When I tell stories, I always start from myself, because it's the only way I can talk about the world - from where I breathe, see, think. I believe in an intimate voice, which ends up speaking about all of humanity.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
While I'm Still Breathing was shot with a hand-cranked camera and 35mm black & white films. The movie is an addition of pictures and texts, combined with an extradiegetic sound composition. Sound recording was done in post-production. It allowed a great deal of freedom during the creation.
In practical terms, the beginning of the project was the text. Then we shot. And then I wrote again, in parallel with the sound creation. It's a round trip.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film has just begun being shown – the premiere will be the 24th at International Film Festival Rotterdam and then, goes on to Sundance Film Festival.
So the only feedback we have had comes from those who loved the movie and wanted to support it. You can imagine how curious and excited we are to hear what people will have to say after seeing the movie!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not so much... for the moment! I'm totally ready for surprises and challenges.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love to see the movie travel everywhere. And to meet people we can collaborate with in the future.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We already work with our distributor: La Distributrice de films, so all positions, except for sales agents and distributors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We live in a hypersexualized society which actually avoids talking about sex. The floor is given mainly to men, who present an ultra-normalized and sexist vision of sexuality, for a commercial purpose.
As an artist, I think it's important to deal with the subject, in a feminist, luminous and political way.
It can be the beginning of a change of view for those watching.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I really don't know. I would much prefer to hear what those who discover the movie will have to say... That's the beauty of bringing your creation to an audience.
Would you like to add anything else?
See you soon!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
La Fille Renne, Elisa Monteil and I are currently working on a new movie, shot with the same camera, about transgender issues.
I also work with Romy Alizée, another French analog photographer on a series of photo-novels : adult tales with an "Immoral" in the end. We are in the middle of our second short movie's post-production.
And of course, I continue to work as an actress and to produce various narrative projects...
Interview: January 2020
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
While I'm Still Breathing
While I'm Still Breathing is the blurred portrayal of a young woman through three steps of her sexuality.
Length: 12:25
Director: Laure Giappiconi, La Fille Renne & Elisa Monteil
Producer: Laure Giappiconi, La Fille Renne & Elisa Monteil
Writer: Laure Giappiconi
Looking for: journalists, film festival directors, producers, buyers
Facebook: Laure Giappiconi
Instagram: @lauregiappiconi
Website: www.lauregiappiconi.com
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? IFFR International Film Festival Rotterdam / Premiere the 24th January; Sundance Film Festival / Premiere the 27th January